I played Elden Ring with my fiancé (okay, and by play I mean I ran around slaying mobs while I handed the controller over to him for the bosses) and playing together definitely elevated the experience because this was not a game that holds your hand at all. Yes, it's a norm in Soulsborne games, but it's frustrating if you get locked out of a sidequest because you decided to progress further in one area without knowing what it cost.

I've always been a fan of the weird and the creepy enemy variety in Soulsborne games, but Elden Ring is definitely my favorite when it comes to variety. Some of my favorites were the Abductor Virgins and the dancing Midsommar ladies near Leyndell. Creepy, yet satisfying! The majority of boss designs did not disappoint, but at times there were too many repeats of the same bosses littered around the world in catacombs and dungeons.