Elden Ring is just short of perfection but nothing short of a masterpiece. Visually striking, mechanically competent, and full of life (or rather, the lack thereof). Unlike its predecessors, this story is not just about conquering struggle, but overcoming death itself to relinquish despair to the ether and defeat gods themselves. The world is expansive, ranging from the lush plains of Limgrave to the hell that is the Lake of Rot. The overworld never felt drab, teeming with enemies to slay and collectibles to earn, although the dungeons of the game (more similar to the linear Dark Souls levels) left a bit to be desired. There are a plethora of reused bosses in the game, which are probably annoying to encounter if one was to be a completionist, but a myriad of them vary just enough to not be stale by the time the game ends. The main bosses are demigods not only in description but in power, all of them bringing enough spectacle and dominance to battle that supersedes their reputations in-game. To fight them, you have an arsenal of weapons at your disposal. The game is not monotonous in terms of your approach; you can use a plethora of different weapons ranging from wands for magic to blades that cause tremendous amounts of blood loss. I mainly stuck with a bleed build, as it was very damaging to a great amount of the enemies in the game.

This is the first time I caught the wind of the zeitgeist that are Soulsborne games. Elden Ring delivered on all the aspects that I had expectations for, and then some. Spent so much time exploring, farming, trying to overcome everything thrown my way just so I could dethrone God themself. Some of my favorite boss fights in gaming history are contained here, and even had a fun multiplayer experience at one point in the late game. The game would've been perfect, but there are some bosses in the game that subject you to mental torture (due to their mechanical idiocy) unlike the world has ever seen, so I can't give it a perfect. But I love this game, I'll be playing it for NG+ soon, and I highly recommend it to anyone else who wants to give it a shot.