Elden Ring. Oh, Elden Ring. Anticipated beyond belief, showered with praise aplenty, and grossing an equal amount in sales, the latest in From Software's signature line of dark fantasy RPGs sends players to the Lands Between, an embattled open world brimming with danger and secrets for the intrepid to overcome and discover on their quest to become the ruler of these sacred grounds. As Tarnished, you will take up the fight against Elden Ring's vast array of enemies and cement your legacy as Elden Lord (a title that has finally entered my grasp mere weeks after everyone else in my friend group had already claimed theirs).

From Software's prowess as world builders and combat designers shines as bright as the light of the Erdtree, a feat that seems almost improbable given how many times and how many ways they have remixed and refined their formula over the years. The typical trappings any other triple-A developer would fall into while designing such a massive game are fairly non-existent in Elden Ring, an experience that prides itself on being more than just a checklist of objectives for players to sluggishly trudge through.

Despite its scale, Elden Ring remains intimate in its moment-to-moment gameplay and stuns with the detail and precision of the game's progenitor series, Dark Souls, offering a balanced blend of nail-biting combat and heart-stopping wanderlust that made the latter series a household name. Only time will tell if this is the apex of From Software's pedigree or the start of something spectacular for the team that constantly reminds its audience how much fun can be found in overcoming the insurmountable. At the very least, Elden Ring has changed the game, a game it has spent decades mastering. Arise, ye Tarnished! And prepare to die.

4.5 out of 5.

Behold! The Loathsome Dung Critic!