Elden Ring provides one of the most complete video gaming experiences available on the market. Gameplay, aesthetics, lore, practically everything is firing on all cylinders at all times.
The level of replay ability provided by its simple but diverse character building system is immense. Every player will get something totally different out of it on their first playthrough, and half the fun is finding out what ludicrous build your friends have developed.
From an art design standpoint, few games match up. It somehow feels as though every single point in the worldspace was designed to evoke the sensation of viewing a painting. The world is eminently readable, providing the player a clear sense of direction at all times without resorting to many intrusive UI elements. The art itself is familiar to those familiar with From Software, but in this entry seems to have taken on a more baroque appearance, focusing so much on detail and clarity.
All of the improvements to gameplay are greatly appreciated. The ability to jump, guard counter, and ashes of war increase the depth of each encounter greatly.
The game struggles somewhat with boss design. While by and large most bosses are wonderfully designed (and indeed, many are among the greatest Fromsoft have ever designed, Malenia included) repetitious reuse of bosses, and, to an equal extent, the dungeons they are found in, dampen the enjoyment of these fights.
While the game lacks a main story, instead, as per previous Fromsoft works, there are multiple stories that play out over elaborate quest lines. These stories range from beautiful to boring, and unfortunately the best of these ended up being cut from the game. That being said the implied story is so massive and so hidden that I find it almost more intriguing than a traditional narrative.
Overall this game is easily the pinnacle of From Software, which itself is a seemingly impossible accolade for a studio that rarely releases even mediocre titles.
The level of replay ability provided by its simple but diverse character building system is immense. Every player will get something totally different out of it on their first playthrough, and half the fun is finding out what ludicrous build your friends have developed.
From an art design standpoint, few games match up. It somehow feels as though every single point in the worldspace was designed to evoke the sensation of viewing a painting. The world is eminently readable, providing the player a clear sense of direction at all times without resorting to many intrusive UI elements. The art itself is familiar to those familiar with From Software, but in this entry seems to have taken on a more baroque appearance, focusing so much on detail and clarity.
All of the improvements to gameplay are greatly appreciated. The ability to jump, guard counter, and ashes of war increase the depth of each encounter greatly.
The game struggles somewhat with boss design. While by and large most bosses are wonderfully designed (and indeed, many are among the greatest Fromsoft have ever designed, Malenia included) repetitious reuse of bosses, and, to an equal extent, the dungeons they are found in, dampen the enjoyment of these fights.
While the game lacks a main story, instead, as per previous Fromsoft works, there are multiple stories that play out over elaborate quest lines. These stories range from beautiful to boring, and unfortunately the best of these ended up being cut from the game. That being said the implied story is so massive and so hidden that I find it almost more intriguing than a traditional narrative.
Overall this game is easily the pinnacle of From Software, which itself is a seemingly impossible accolade for a studio that rarely releases even mediocre titles.