So this was my first "soulsbourne" game. I had tried Demon Souls and later Bloodbourne but never got more than a few hours in before giving up in frustration due to lack of progress. I guess the more open-ended nature of Elden Ring let me run around killing minor enemies to gain levels.
I did end up using a guide to help figure out a few of the more labyrinthine dungeons and to make sure I was attempting a boss at an appropriate level or was I just in the wrong area for my level. Overall, I didn't find the progression too frustrating, though I did leave 1 optional fight unfinished. I didn't feel I needed the rewards for winning and it was just too frustrating so I just moved on.
I think that option is what I liked most about it. I felt like I was really exploring the world and if I felt I was stuck I would just wander in a different direction for awhile and put a pin on the map to come back to it after a few more levels or with better equipment.
To contrast it with another open-world game I played about a year ago Assassin's Creed Valhalla this was just a huge step up from that. In Valhalla I felt like I was just going through the motions and while I had some agency in where I went I still felt constrained and once I did choose a location, uninspired by the sameness of the world.
The story of Elden Ring was surprisingly weak but maybe I just missed some more explanatory NPCs or something. The music too was pretty lackluster. Nothing memorable. The sound design was pretty good though but nothing to really make note of.
As a whole, I thought the game was pretty great. I look forward to whatever is next from From and plan on giving their back catalog a second serious try. High recommendation for those looking for a fair challenge and a ton of content.
I did end up using a guide to help figure out a few of the more labyrinthine dungeons and to make sure I was attempting a boss at an appropriate level or was I just in the wrong area for my level. Overall, I didn't find the progression too frustrating, though I did leave 1 optional fight unfinished. I didn't feel I needed the rewards for winning and it was just too frustrating so I just moved on.
I think that option is what I liked most about it. I felt like I was really exploring the world and if I felt I was stuck I would just wander in a different direction for awhile and put a pin on the map to come back to it after a few more levels or with better equipment.
To contrast it with another open-world game I played about a year ago Assassin's Creed Valhalla this was just a huge step up from that. In Valhalla I felt like I was just going through the motions and while I had some agency in where I went I still felt constrained and once I did choose a location, uninspired by the sameness of the world.
The story of Elden Ring was surprisingly weak but maybe I just missed some more explanatory NPCs or something. The music too was pretty lackluster. Nothing memorable. The sound design was pretty good though but nothing to really make note of.
As a whole, I thought the game was pretty great. I look forward to whatever is next from From and plan on giving their back catalog a second serious try. High recommendation for those looking for a fair challenge and a ton of content.
cowboyjosh
1 year ago