I see this as FromSoftware's Greatest Hits game. It's every Soulsborne rolled into a single work.
...which is also precisely why for me, it's the most decidedly flawed work they have done in this series of games. So many different design ideas pulled from every past game worked into one core game and so much of that ends up in conflict with itself. The general design philosophy that FromSoftware is known for and then breaking open into an open-world game is itself in conflict with how they design levels and their encounters.
It's the same issue I have with the new God of War games but I still think Elden Ring manages its goal a far bit better overall and the experience outweighs the issues overall that I have. It's in equal measure a game of breathtaking experiences moment to moment; frustrating and messy and bloated in others.
...which is also precisely why for me, it's the most decidedly flawed work they have done in this series of games. So many different design ideas pulled from every past game worked into one core game and so much of that ends up in conflict with itself. The general design philosophy that FromSoftware is known for and then breaking open into an open-world game is itself in conflict with how they design levels and their encounters.
It's the same issue I have with the new God of War games but I still think Elden Ring manages its goal a far bit better overall and the experience outweighs the issues overall that I have. It's in equal measure a game of breathtaking experiences moment to moment; frustrating and messy and bloated in others.