Pros:
+ it's more Dark Souls
+ incredibly realized gameplay loop of exploration, combat, item collecting and leveling up
+ the open world is huge, intricately designed, constantly surprising and changes over time
+ most environments and biomes tell a story and converge in a believable, lived-in world
+ the visual design is outstanding and the atmosphere is involving
+ architecture and dungeon design are on par with the best of the series
+ hub area is small but effective and a counterbalance to the open world
+ huge draw distance makes identifying items, buildings and enemies from a distance possible
+ lack of loading zones gives the overworld a unified appeal
+ progress on the overworld is not tied to specific routes or boss battles
+ sites of grace serve a triple function as waypoints, save zones and guiding lights
+ large variety of playstyles, builds and character customization options
+ combat feels difficult but fair, with perfect hitboxes and feedback
+ Ashes of War and Summoning Bells are smart additions that deeply affect combat
+ Flask of Wondrous Physick provides fresh options for approaching challenges
+ huge amount of diverse loot to collect at every turn
+ new gameplay elements such as sneaking and jumping liven up the DS formula
+ anti-frustration features are welcome additions: tool tips, stamina system, Stakes of Marika etc.
+ compass and map are necessary and helpful tools for traversal
+ items can be picked up from the horse
+ most of the jank and physics issues from previous entries have finally been fixed
+ dynamic soundtrack adequately accentuates each moment
+ most boss battles feel grand and carry true weight
+ NPCs are beautifully voiced and designed with great care ...
Cons:
- ... but their quests, journeys and arcs often seem random and lead to narrative dead-ends
- the obfuscating storytelling is still a hot mess that you either hate or love
- late game progress makes completing most quests impossible without warning
- reused assets, systems, weapons and enemies make the world feel smaller than it is
- controls are frequently cumbersome, especially two handing and swapping weapons on horseback
- legacy dungeons feel small and simpler in comparisons to previous Souls games
- catacomb dungeons and caves are copy-pasted and lack identity
- Great Rune system provides new gameplay options but is explained badly
- enemy attacks clipping through walls is still present after all these years
- invisible floors (and walls) fly against the logic of the architecture design
- overworld teleporters seem misplaced and make the overworld seem less coherent
- map and crafting menu cannot be accessed while in combat
- crafting system is inconsequential to the game at large
- item management is still pretty cumbersome and time consuming
- poise stat has practically no effect on gameplay and makes some builds unviable
- horse mechanics are clumsy: health cannot be checked, boost is useless, gravity deaths are frequent
- horseback combat is overpowered and trivializes most overworld challenges
- boss fights suffer from input reading and short reaction times (see Joseph Anderson on this)
- not all builds are viable with all late-stage bosses (such as Malenia)
- soundtrack can get annoying with its near-constant epicness
- final stretch of areas overstays its welcome and feels overlong
- final bosses are underwhelming compared to their peers
- ending sequences feel like afterthoughts and not adequate considering the hard work they required
Playtime: 130 hours for one playthrough. Single player only, with all main bosses and almost all optional bosses killed.
Build: Dexterity build with some bestial incantations and my trusty crossbow.
Best Boss Fights: Radahn, for its apocalyptic feel and huge stage. Astel, for its grandiose attacks.
Worst Boss Fights: Any repeating ones, especially Godskin and Dragonkin soldiers.
Best Area: Miquella's Haligtree. A true successor to the best dungeons of the series.
Best Ashes: Marionette Soldiers, my best buddies throughout the game.
Verdict:
With Elden Ring, FromSoftware once again defend their title of one the best studios around and releases another incredible addition to their roster of action RPGs. As an open world action game, its breadth and width is remarkable, with a constantly motivating gameplay loop that emphasizes exploration and the constant struggle between risk and reward. The overworld is a giant, complex area with surprises and secrets at every turn and undoubtedly stands among the best ever created. The possibilities of approaching bosses and dungeons are effectiveley endless, thanks to a wide range of physical and magical combat options that make diverse builds possible. As an RPG and an epic journey through a war-torn world, however, the game shares all of the problems that plagued the Souls series since its inception: it not only suffers from weak, unclear quest design with obfuscating dialogue, but also from fragmented storytelling and unsatisfying, abreviated endings. Even though some of the characters and their designs are memorable, their journeys seldom intersect with the players' in meaningful or comprehensible ways, and watching hours of explanation videos should not be mandatory to fully enjoy the arcs of NPCs or the story of a game.
However, beyond any mere criticisms of its gameplay and narrative design, the impact of Elden Ring on the industry and its practices cannot be understated. FromSoftware again proves that games can still be fully realized, complete works of art and entertainment without reaching into players' pockets at every turn, and for that alone, it should be recognized and cherished. Play it, love it, hope for a DLC.
+ it's more Dark Souls
+ incredibly realized gameplay loop of exploration, combat, item collecting and leveling up
+ the open world is huge, intricately designed, constantly surprising and changes over time
+ most environments and biomes tell a story and converge in a believable, lived-in world
+ the visual design is outstanding and the atmosphere is involving
+ architecture and dungeon design are on par with the best of the series
+ hub area is small but effective and a counterbalance to the open world
+ huge draw distance makes identifying items, buildings and enemies from a distance possible
+ lack of loading zones gives the overworld a unified appeal
+ progress on the overworld is not tied to specific routes or boss battles
+ sites of grace serve a triple function as waypoints, save zones and guiding lights
+ large variety of playstyles, builds and character customization options
+ combat feels difficult but fair, with perfect hitboxes and feedback
+ Ashes of War and Summoning Bells are smart additions that deeply affect combat
+ Flask of Wondrous Physick provides fresh options for approaching challenges
+ huge amount of diverse loot to collect at every turn
+ new gameplay elements such as sneaking and jumping liven up the DS formula
+ anti-frustration features are welcome additions: tool tips, stamina system, Stakes of Marika etc.
+ compass and map are necessary and helpful tools for traversal
+ items can be picked up from the horse
+ most of the jank and physics issues from previous entries have finally been fixed
+ dynamic soundtrack adequately accentuates each moment
+ most boss battles feel grand and carry true weight
+ NPCs are beautifully voiced and designed with great care ...
Cons:
- ... but their quests, journeys and arcs often seem random and lead to narrative dead-ends
- the obfuscating storytelling is still a hot mess that you either hate or love
- late game progress makes completing most quests impossible without warning
- reused assets, systems, weapons and enemies make the world feel smaller than it is
- controls are frequently cumbersome, especially two handing and swapping weapons on horseback
- legacy dungeons feel small and simpler in comparisons to previous Souls games
- catacomb dungeons and caves are copy-pasted and lack identity
- Great Rune system provides new gameplay options but is explained badly
- enemy attacks clipping through walls is still present after all these years
- invisible floors (and walls) fly against the logic of the architecture design
- overworld teleporters seem misplaced and make the overworld seem less coherent
- map and crafting menu cannot be accessed while in combat
- crafting system is inconsequential to the game at large
- item management is still pretty cumbersome and time consuming
- poise stat has practically no effect on gameplay and makes some builds unviable
- horse mechanics are clumsy: health cannot be checked, boost is useless, gravity deaths are frequent
- horseback combat is overpowered and trivializes most overworld challenges
- boss fights suffer from input reading and short reaction times (see Joseph Anderson on this)
- not all builds are viable with all late-stage bosses (such as Malenia)
- soundtrack can get annoying with its near-constant epicness
- final stretch of areas overstays its welcome and feels overlong
- final bosses are underwhelming compared to their peers
- ending sequences feel like afterthoughts and not adequate considering the hard work they required
Playtime: 130 hours for one playthrough. Single player only, with all main bosses and almost all optional bosses killed.
Build: Dexterity build with some bestial incantations and my trusty crossbow.
Best Boss Fights: Radahn, for its apocalyptic feel and huge stage. Astel, for its grandiose attacks.
Worst Boss Fights: Any repeating ones, especially Godskin and Dragonkin soldiers.
Best Area: Miquella's Haligtree. A true successor to the best dungeons of the series.
Best Ashes: Marionette Soldiers, my best buddies throughout the game.
Verdict:
With Elden Ring, FromSoftware once again defend their title of one the best studios around and releases another incredible addition to their roster of action RPGs. As an open world action game, its breadth and width is remarkable, with a constantly motivating gameplay loop that emphasizes exploration and the constant struggle between risk and reward. The overworld is a giant, complex area with surprises and secrets at every turn and undoubtedly stands among the best ever created. The possibilities of approaching bosses and dungeons are effectiveley endless, thanks to a wide range of physical and magical combat options that make diverse builds possible. As an RPG and an epic journey through a war-torn world, however, the game shares all of the problems that plagued the Souls series since its inception: it not only suffers from weak, unclear quest design with obfuscating dialogue, but also from fragmented storytelling and unsatisfying, abreviated endings. Even though some of the characters and their designs are memorable, their journeys seldom intersect with the players' in meaningful or comprehensible ways, and watching hours of explanation videos should not be mandatory to fully enjoy the arcs of NPCs or the story of a game.
However, beyond any mere criticisms of its gameplay and narrative design, the impact of Elden Ring on the industry and its practices cannot be understated. FromSoftware again proves that games can still be fully realized, complete works of art and entertainment without reaching into players' pockets at every turn, and for that alone, it should be recognized and cherished. Play it, love it, hope for a DLC.