This review contains spoilers
Okay, this is my favourite game of all time, so this review is going to be very, very long.
Elden Ring is an "souls" action RPG made by From Software genius Miyazaki and co-written by famous author George R. R. Martin. It's well known for it's hard difficulty and punishing gameplay, along with a large open world and excellent storytelling. But thats just the surface.
The world Elden Ring has created tells a story of how a character reborn from death changes the world around them. The way you go from struggling to beat the first boss, to being able to master them all with ease through various training and difficult fights is incredible. You progress from killing a few knights to besting the hardest bosses with ease and I think the punishing and harsh gameplay is incredibly captivating.
The open world of this game is what makes it so wonderful for me. The progression is so seamless and smooth, and the world is so massive with endless areas to explore. Even after five playthroughs you can still find new items, or a hidden cave you never thought to explore. Each run will be different, with literally no two going the same. Another thing about this game I adore is the NPCs. The questlines vary from short dialogue to brutal missions where you play as a hitman killing other tarnished. The way each character tells a very different story , with very real meanings behind them makes the game all the more captivating. I love how you can find such contrasts in its characters, from story's of lost loved ones, to a jar that wants to become a warrior, I love spending time doing quests and getting to know the intricate and lore-filled stories behind each and every character, each telling such vast stories in this massively wonderful world is pure brilliance from From Software.
Don't get me wrong, this game is difficult, pushing the boundaries of both the player and the game. A prime example is Malenia, who is widely regarded as extremely difficult, with difficult to dodge and awkwardly timed, high damage attacks. It can make the player feel defeated at times, broken even, but it the triumph of eventual victory is so worth the hours of trying again and again. You will become better the more that you play, and spending time learning the game is key for progression.
The variety of the game is another reason why its so brilliant. The variety of combat, with hundreds of armour, weapons, ashes of war, spirits, and elements you can change whenever you like, allowing you to play however you want. Want to cast spells? Sure! Brute it out with pure strength? Go for it! Praise a religion and use its various abilities? Why not. This game can fulfill the fantasies of every single person, with a weapon for everyone, each and every single one is viable, and no weapon is truly much inferior to others. I adore the variety, and whilst it can be difficult to understand at first, you'll learn and adapt, bettering yourself as a player every single time you play. You can choose one of six endings, showing how your character can literally start a new age for the world, burn it to the ground, or start a whole new one. I've never seen such beautiful stories and endings in any game except this one.
The depth of this game is truly ridiculous, with small items each intertwining to create stories, and links to the prior games that hardcore fans of the series will notice immediately. The game really encourages you to explore every nook and cranny, leaving no stone unturned to piece together a smaller story. It goes in depth from things like how the land became to be; long great wars; the shattering of society. To much smaller things like how some of the species are endangered, why there are prisoners in evergaols. I truly admire the work the developers put into the story, adding lore to every creature and I'm wildly impressed how everything links together in some roundabout way.
Onto a more personal note now. When Elden Ring first released I was probably around my worst point in life. A lack of self esteem, feeling like everything was to difficult and feeling like overall giving up was how I felt pretty much daily. Now it might sounds stupid or cheesy, but Elden Ring genuinely helped me with all of these problems. I could come home from a tough day, get my shit beat by a powerful boss over and over again, but then, id win. And that feeling is incomparable. It made me realize that everything is possible. This game is punishing, just like life is, with unforgiving obstacles that you're forced to overcome to progress. I feel like Elden Ring for me was less of a game, and more of a message of how anyone, even insignificant, can overcome their fears, taking them head-on and eventually coming out on top, even if that takes hours or days. I feel like it's easy to say, but Elden Ring changed my life in so many ways, it helped me realize you can achieve anything if you try, that you can do anything with perseverance. That no matter how tough or challenging the obstacles you face are, take a step back, take a different approach and try again. I'm not by any means saying this game is a cure for mental health, and it certainly didn't fix the way I felt, but the escape and wonder, the messages and stories this game has are very real, and very powerful. Remember, players. Dont you dare go hollow.
Overall, this game is wonderful, everyone must try it or else you're seriously missing out. I have beaten the game 6 times so far, once without using any health potions and the whole time I've played my opinions never changed. I might find games I enjoy more, but the memories of Elden Ring and the way this game helped me is unparalleled, I am 100% certain that this game will remain in my heart forever. Its my favourite game and itll never change. I'm more excited for the DLC expansion than anything else at the moment, I hope its just as awesome as the game is.
Praise the Sun!
Elden Ring is an "souls" action RPG made by From Software genius Miyazaki and co-written by famous author George R. R. Martin. It's well known for it's hard difficulty and punishing gameplay, along with a large open world and excellent storytelling. But thats just the surface.
The world Elden Ring has created tells a story of how a character reborn from death changes the world around them. The way you go from struggling to beat the first boss, to being able to master them all with ease through various training and difficult fights is incredible. You progress from killing a few knights to besting the hardest bosses with ease and I think the punishing and harsh gameplay is incredibly captivating.
The open world of this game is what makes it so wonderful for me. The progression is so seamless and smooth, and the world is so massive with endless areas to explore. Even after five playthroughs you can still find new items, or a hidden cave you never thought to explore. Each run will be different, with literally no two going the same. Another thing about this game I adore is the NPCs. The questlines vary from short dialogue to brutal missions where you play as a hitman killing other tarnished. The way each character tells a very different story , with very real meanings behind them makes the game all the more captivating. I love how you can find such contrasts in its characters, from story's of lost loved ones, to a jar that wants to become a warrior, I love spending time doing quests and getting to know the intricate and lore-filled stories behind each and every character, each telling such vast stories in this massively wonderful world is pure brilliance from From Software.
Don't get me wrong, this game is difficult, pushing the boundaries of both the player and the game. A prime example is Malenia, who is widely regarded as extremely difficult, with difficult to dodge and awkwardly timed, high damage attacks. It can make the player feel defeated at times, broken even, but it the triumph of eventual victory is so worth the hours of trying again and again. You will become better the more that you play, and spending time learning the game is key for progression.
The variety of the game is another reason why its so brilliant. The variety of combat, with hundreds of armour, weapons, ashes of war, spirits, and elements you can change whenever you like, allowing you to play however you want. Want to cast spells? Sure! Brute it out with pure strength? Go for it! Praise a religion and use its various abilities? Why not. This game can fulfill the fantasies of every single person, with a weapon for everyone, each and every single one is viable, and no weapon is truly much inferior to others. I adore the variety, and whilst it can be difficult to understand at first, you'll learn and adapt, bettering yourself as a player every single time you play. You can choose one of six endings, showing how your character can literally start a new age for the world, burn it to the ground, or start a whole new one. I've never seen such beautiful stories and endings in any game except this one.
The depth of this game is truly ridiculous, with small items each intertwining to create stories, and links to the prior games that hardcore fans of the series will notice immediately. The game really encourages you to explore every nook and cranny, leaving no stone unturned to piece together a smaller story. It goes in depth from things like how the land became to be; long great wars; the shattering of society. To much smaller things like how some of the species are endangered, why there are prisoners in evergaols. I truly admire the work the developers put into the story, adding lore to every creature and I'm wildly impressed how everything links together in some roundabout way.
Onto a more personal note now. When Elden Ring first released I was probably around my worst point in life. A lack of self esteem, feeling like everything was to difficult and feeling like overall giving up was how I felt pretty much daily. Now it might sounds stupid or cheesy, but Elden Ring genuinely helped me with all of these problems. I could come home from a tough day, get my shit beat by a powerful boss over and over again, but then, id win. And that feeling is incomparable. It made me realize that everything is possible. This game is punishing, just like life is, with unforgiving obstacles that you're forced to overcome to progress. I feel like Elden Ring for me was less of a game, and more of a message of how anyone, even insignificant, can overcome their fears, taking them head-on and eventually coming out on top, even if that takes hours or days. I feel like it's easy to say, but Elden Ring changed my life in so many ways, it helped me realize you can achieve anything if you try, that you can do anything with perseverance. That no matter how tough or challenging the obstacles you face are, take a step back, take a different approach and try again. I'm not by any means saying this game is a cure for mental health, and it certainly didn't fix the way I felt, but the escape and wonder, the messages and stories this game has are very real, and very powerful. Remember, players. Dont you dare go hollow.
Overall, this game is wonderful, everyone must try it or else you're seriously missing out. I have beaten the game 6 times so far, once without using any health potions and the whole time I've played my opinions never changed. I might find games I enjoy more, but the memories of Elden Ring and the way this game helped me is unparalleled, I am 100% certain that this game will remain in my heart forever. Its my favourite game and itll never change. I'm more excited for the DLC expansion than anything else at the moment, I hope its just as awesome as the game is.
Praise the Sun!