The Elden Ring shows a new direction, but is as cruel as its predecessors

Although many expected it to be Elden Ring will not be able to meet the huge expectations, the developers have even exceeded expectations. To describe for the hundredth time that FromSoftware’s work has become good is unnecessary, so we approach the gaming experience from a different perspective.

Mijazaki Hidetaka, Head of FromSoftware, Demon’s Soulsa Dark Soulsseries, a Bloodborne and the Ax after that he gave up his head to make a soulslike game again, but instead of a formula that was repeated to the point of boredom (proven to be well-proven by others), this time he twisted one of the usual things. The camp of the fans was divided into two parts: some a Battle of the Thrones writer George R. R. Martin due to the contribution of the Elden Ringet, as the framework of the story and the characters popped out of his head, while others became excited about Miyazaki’s world and the game mechanics he dreamed of. In the end, the representatives of both directions did well, although there is no doubt that the mechanics have undergone quite a change.

Intermediate land and what is behind it

As we have become accustomed to in soulslike games, there is once again a fictional place that is being hit by a cataclysm: the descendants of the deity imprisoned in the golden tree, Marika, are fighting for power that can never be theirs. This can only be won by a Loser (the player) if he collects all the runes from the fighting demigods. If we have everything, we will become Elden Lord and the world will be saved. Or not. It’s simple, it’s great – but we’ve seen it before.

But what is not is the world waiting for us.

But let’s not run so far ahead. FromSoftware’s previous games have given the impression that we’re not in a tube, we can decide the direction. Where we go, who we fight with and how we get to the end of the adventure. All this, however, was only an illusion, as the brutal hardness combat system always indicated that we were not going in the “right” direction.

Sure, we could walk in doors, discover new landscapes, but when even the simplest swordsman sent him to death with a single blow, we knew we were in a very bad place. It was also part of the learning, the comfort of the fights showed whether we were moving in the right direction or wandering into an area where we had nothing to earn yet, and only later, after a good few steps.

This may have given us the feeling that the world of the game is free to explore, but it really only became the end of the adventure when we opened all the doors, gateways, unlocked all the bonfires, bells and whatever we needed. By then, however, it didn’t matter, as we’ve beaten everyone at least once, and the New Game Plus that opens at this time (where we can cut the game from the front with the improved character and equipment) gives a different experience without the experience of discovery.

He gripped big, he caught big

In contrast, the Elden Ring it offers a new formula, a truly open world. It’s like GTAseries, or just the The Witcher 3. We go where we want, do what we want, collect, craft, talk to lots of NPCs, thus launching different quest streams. There are many more of these, and for the most part more understandable than in previous games, where you really had to search for the story threads with a magnifying glass and put together the final big puzzle with pieces that were pretty much fractally complex on every side. The Elden Ringwe got a much friendlier system.

The new benefit of the big world is that the game can now be discovered on horseback, that is, on the back of a torrent (no call!), As it would take ruthless time to roam the vast area on two legs. In addition, the new form of transport results in new methods of combat, and in fact, there are larger enemies that are nearly impossible to defeat on horseback.

Despite its size, the world feels alive, we meet opponents everywhere, we can ride in a variety of locations, and we can find hidden catacombs if we are a little attentive. There are plenty of collectibles, areas to explore and roam, and lots of characters to talk to. We have no choice as to where the conversation is going, but such elements make the whole world seem much more coherent than in previous games.

In addition, we have finally got a map, so it is not necessary to know all the blades of grass and trees to know where to go next.

From all this, it may seem that the developers have made the game easier. After the release, the internet was flooded with funny videos and lyrics that finally made an easy game for FromSoftware. But there’s no question about it: the big area, the collecting, the crafting, and the fact that we don’t die every tenth of a second only gives a false sense of security.

This is reinforced by the map, as we do not get lost all the time, and we also stumble upon step-by-step rescue sites (Site of Grace) where the life bar can be updated and sometimes even shows us direction. Then there are the statues of Marika, where we can be resurrected after a losing battle, the summonable spirit helpers, or the theft, and the near-deadly blow from it – all of which suggest that we will have an easy task here now.

Easy way or just a more forgiving world?

The fact that opponents in the world are perhaps a degree weaker and hit smaller can really create the illusion that we are in control from the start of the game. The reality, however, is that this is still not the case. The basic thesis of soulslike games would be lost if the difficulty were reduced. These games are like this because they have to be that way. If it weren’t hard, fans wouldn’t go crazy for it. It’s no different Elden Ringben neither.

The first few hours will make us believe that wandering the world with a small investment of energy can defeat anyone (except the huge horseback opponents and giants), but those who have played several such games may have a thought in their mind that something is wrong. It’s no coincidence that as we walk into an abandoned place or an area behind a fog wall, it immediately turns out that this game is nothing easier than the previous ones.

The main opponents, the optional bad guys in the catacomb, or the rune-bearing demigods together give a rough mix to the opponents of the great predecessors. They are fast, aggressive, hit hard, and punished immediately and mercilessly for every badly timed attack, every step taken in the wrong direction. And then comes the usual YOU DIED caption, and the age of broken controllers. There are plenty of main opponents in the game, as exemplified by the fact that while the videos summarizing the big battles from previous episodes on YouTube are an hour and a half away, the Elden Ring summary videos don’t really stop in three and a half hours.

It is a relief, however, that this time we may decide to return to the main opponents later. We can roam and evolve before another clash, and the teleport points are close enough to the opponents, so we don’t have to perform as complicated bossruns as before.

Speaking of development. Thanks to the large area of ​​the game, the runes needed to level up are much faster / easier, as you can defeat many more enemies in the explored areas. This makes it easier and more stress-free to reach higher and higher levels. Previously, this could be accomplished by systematically repeating the same opponents and locations for hours, now we can head in any direction in the game world, and once we get the right amount of rune, we can immediately teleport back to where we want to continue our adventure.

Is the direction good?

Yes, the new direction, which was already needed, is definitely good. Developers had to open up, as it is not possible to make games for a long time, but at the same time, those who say that Elden Ring it clashed a lot of FormSoftware’s previous work. There are movements, animations, textures, enemies, basically everything. However, the best parts came in everywhere, and the developers expanded them until they finally had a new experience – which of course includes the old style cues.

We could even call the end result Dark Souls 4but as other games inspired him to make it, and the plan to launch a new series with this program required a new name.

And that Elden Ring it holds up nicely: we got a more user-friendly piece of the soulslike genre in his picture. While it provides a helping hand in some areas so we don’t get lost in a vast but well-assembled world, it sometimes supports and shows direction, but after warming up, it puts you to the test, over and over again, just as we loved in previous developers ’work.

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