What can I say about a game this popular that hasn’t been said before? I guess I can, now having completed it, say that it met the astronomical expectations that I had for it based on other people’s reviews and experiences. It really might be the greatest game of all time and it certainly is an instant classic.

For me, this was my first proper Souls game and I didn’t know what to expect. I used a guide a bit (shoutout to FightinCowboy) to get a head start on things so that I wouldn’t be super overwhelmed by the sheer scale of things. But after those first few hours, I was on my own. And honestly, it wasn’t nearly as bad as some people make these games out to be. In fact, I would say this is far easier than the other Fromsoft game I played, Sekiro Shadows Die Twice. And that stems from so many things such as the generous player notes or the powerful summons that can be used in most boss battles or the sheer variety of builds that can make the game easier to play. It never felt like I was truly stuck on something or that the way ahead was impossible. In fact, the more boss battles I won, the more confident I felt for the next one. Miyazaki builds in confidence for the player in so many ways. He, I believe, wants you to succeed, no matter how intimidating the challenge may be.

And, for the record, I did beat the toughest boss in the game, Malenia, in under 20 attempts (which I consider to be pretty decent).

One aspect that I most appreciate about Elden Ring is that it lets you go from the onset. The world is mine to experience and do with what I will. There are very few limits and hurdles so long as the creativity is there too. And what this creates is one of the most unique and engaging open worlds that I’ve ever experienced, met only by the masterpiece BoTW which no doubt had a large and powerful influence on Elden Ring. There are so many bespoke experiences littered throughout the game which creates an experience that truly never gets dull. There’s always something out in the world that’s new and bold to get into and having that feeling last for so long is a magic trick and triumph of game design.

What surprised me about Elden Ring the most is the characters I met during my journey. Sure, I expected to explore a vast, dark, and mysterious world and beat tough monsters cause that seems like the typical Souls experience (even if ER’s world is far bigger from the typical Dark Souls setting), but I couldn’t anticipate the quality behind the character writing. Just as the world is filled with cool bosses, it’s also littered with equally cool and intriguing people. And so many of them, like Roderika or Rya or my favorite Iron Fist Alexander, are just flat out awesome characters with real growth and interesting story arcs. It’s an amazing and wonderful feat that makes this world feel all the more full.

Elden Ring didn’t just hook me. It consumed me. I beat the game, as vast it is, in under a week. That includes doing many of the characters’ quests, unlocking different endings, and beating nearly all of the major optional bosses. Even now, I want to play more of it. And I now understand the painful and long wait that everyone is experiencing with the upcoming DLC. But I’m so glad that I’ll be experiencing the DLC with fresh eyes alongside everyone. I truly can’t wait.