Many great video games have earned my respect in one way or another. Elden Ring is different—it demanded, no, compelled my respect. I had no choice but to love it despite the oppressive difficulty and staggering scope it provided, because every single time it kicked my ass? The reward for pressing on was worth it and then some.
I realized pretty early on that I was playing the Best Video Game I’d experienced to date. That’s not to say ER is my Favorite Game, though it’s certainly top 5. But the unbelievable detail, care, and polish this game radiates is unmatched. The open world alone is an absolute feat, impossibly large yet impeccably handcrafted. Anyone complaining about a reused enemy here and there needs to remember—this game is leagues beyond its open-world rivals in attention to detail and variety. Much praise has been said about ER’s sparse map when compared to the question-mark-riddled competition other studios provide. All I will add is that the map can afford to be sparse precisely because of how unique and exciting the world is. Players need no motivation to go new places, because every place is a genuinely new and exciting experience. The best of these experiences are the legacy dungeons, almost all of which are simply immaculate challenges.
The brilliant, unique world design is complemented by an almost-as-diverse cast of bosses. Like for many, ER was my first FromSoft game, so I can only compare these bosses to other titles. Normal games, ya know? Normal games don’t know what a boss is. This game knows what bosses are. I completed all 30 achievement bosses, the other few mandatory ones, and who knows how many others. They are all sick. Some are sick, as in “awesome.” Some are sick, as in “a sick person must have created this.” Most are both. A few were among the hardest things I’ve done in a video game, and a few more left my jaw on the floor. Perhaps above all, I am uniquely proud to have defeated them. Most were a genuine challenge I couldn’t have imagined surmounting before giving ER a try.
That’s not to say I got gud. In fact, I am quite bad at this game. I definitely beat way-too-many bosses with cheese strats. This is because my partner may have rightfully committed me to a mental institution after watching the insanity I exhibited with a few bosses and areas. On day 1, I walked straight up to Margit. The game is clearly designed to have eager players do this, get stomped by him, and say “hmm, that was too hard. Perhaps I should go farm and return stronger.”
No.
Not King Bug.
Instead, I just… kept running at him, over and over again, utterly determined to best him and prove the game wrong, I guess? Demonstrate that Soulsbornes were no match for me? Who knows. I probably died to Margit 50 times on my first day with this game before the Greater Will mercifully let me defeat him. My stubborn ass apparently had to do this game in a quasi-linear fashion. Thankfully, I allowed myself to look at some guides on spellblade builds and where to get key goodies in between bosses, but I ran with this headstrong strategy straight through to a certain massive heat boi, who I definitely died to more times than Margit. I do think that guy is bullshit, but I also finally realized after beating him I was perhaps severely under-leveled at that point (low 70s, around 45 hours in, on a glass cannon INT build no less).
That point, to me, marked and separated the two games contained within Elden Ring (though in retrospect, it probably started at the end of the prior area). One game is the open-world exploration masterpiece, primarily played in the first 2/3 of playtime, which is an experience every gamer should have. Every run of this part will be a unique journey, and it can be played in basically any way a player wants to. This part of the game takes BotW, makes every part of it better, somehow, and is clearly among the great marvels in video gaming history. You will be left in awe.
There is a second game contained in Elden Ring anyone wishing to see credits must play—the later, more linear dungeon/boss marathon. It requires a degree of leveling, skill, or both only attainable through either extensive early exploration or later grinding. Perhaps this is the great Miyazaki ploy to make all players do his bidding; perhaps it is an accident; perhaps it is evil. Regardless, I reckon anyone who was addicted as I was to the first game will need to do the second one, even if they’d prefer to gun through to the end. I gamified the grinding by making a list of key bosses and areas I missed, and ended up having a blast! But, to be clear, I could not have seen the end game without some grinding.
Still, the big guy mentioned above was my biggest challenge, largely thanks to my own stubbornness at that point (and I promise, I only Comet Azur one-tapped Niall, everything else was less cheesed than that). One night I sat down and, uh, possibly did the last 3 legacy dungeons and 8 major bosses in a 6-hour reign of terror over the Lands Between. I was amazed how strong I felt. Part of that is because my character was substantially stronger (and respecced to have some vigor) than when I first pushed nearly to endgame—I finished at level 142. Still, there was no denying some of that strength was intrinsic. Elden Ring made me so much better at gaming. The challenge forced me to be better. That sense of personal achievement and growth (I beat Malenia, dude) is possibly the best gift this game delivers.
And boy, does it deliver gifts. ER rewards the player in droves. The best are conveyed through visual storytelling, complemented by always-serviceable music which occasionally becomes excellent in boss fights (seriously, the Godskin song does not have to go that hard). The world of ER is filled with unbelievable vistas (stepping out into Liurnia for the first time will be lasered into my brain forever). Some boss effects and cutscenes are the best I’ve seen (hello, Starscourge). And, while I know it’s not for everyone, lighter cryptic storytelling woven into excellent gameplay is my preferred style. I like getting dropped into a rich world and not knowing what’s happening, then slowly piecing together your subjective understanding of what’s happening through exploration. The complexity of ER’s narrative is a bit overwhelming and I hate that every important character has one of like 3 names lol, but I loved almost… rushing to understand what was happening in the Lands Between as the weight of destiny began to settle in, like my growing power was outpacing my decision-making capacity.
This game is so damn big, it could be discussed forever. It certainly has a few flaws, and I totally see how it could turn some players off. For me? I love every element of Elden Ring, as it is. The ups and downs, risks and rewards it provides are just better than nearly every game I’ve played and feel wholly one-of-a-kind. It left me in shock, amazement, rage, and a compulsion to keep playing it. An utter masterpiece, one I’m so glad I tried and so proud I finished.
I realized pretty early on that I was playing the Best Video Game I’d experienced to date. That’s not to say ER is my Favorite Game, though it’s certainly top 5. But the unbelievable detail, care, and polish this game radiates is unmatched. The open world alone is an absolute feat, impossibly large yet impeccably handcrafted. Anyone complaining about a reused enemy here and there needs to remember—this game is leagues beyond its open-world rivals in attention to detail and variety. Much praise has been said about ER’s sparse map when compared to the question-mark-riddled competition other studios provide. All I will add is that the map can afford to be sparse precisely because of how unique and exciting the world is. Players need no motivation to go new places, because every place is a genuinely new and exciting experience. The best of these experiences are the legacy dungeons, almost all of which are simply immaculate challenges.
The brilliant, unique world design is complemented by an almost-as-diverse cast of bosses. Like for many, ER was my first FromSoft game, so I can only compare these bosses to other titles. Normal games, ya know? Normal games don’t know what a boss is. This game knows what bosses are. I completed all 30 achievement bosses, the other few mandatory ones, and who knows how many others. They are all sick. Some are sick, as in “awesome.” Some are sick, as in “a sick person must have created this.” Most are both. A few were among the hardest things I’ve done in a video game, and a few more left my jaw on the floor. Perhaps above all, I am uniquely proud to have defeated them. Most were a genuine challenge I couldn’t have imagined surmounting before giving ER a try.
That’s not to say I got gud. In fact, I am quite bad at this game. I definitely beat way-too-many bosses with cheese strats. This is because my partner may have rightfully committed me to a mental institution after watching the insanity I exhibited with a few bosses and areas. On day 1, I walked straight up to Margit. The game is clearly designed to have eager players do this, get stomped by him, and say “hmm, that was too hard. Perhaps I should go farm and return stronger.”
No.
Not King Bug.
Instead, I just… kept running at him, over and over again, utterly determined to best him and prove the game wrong, I guess? Demonstrate that Soulsbornes were no match for me? Who knows. I probably died to Margit 50 times on my first day with this game before the Greater Will mercifully let me defeat him. My stubborn ass apparently had to do this game in a quasi-linear fashion. Thankfully, I allowed myself to look at some guides on spellblade builds and where to get key goodies in between bosses, but I ran with this headstrong strategy straight through to a certain massive heat boi, who I definitely died to more times than Margit. I do think that guy is bullshit, but I also finally realized after beating him I was perhaps severely under-leveled at that point (low 70s, around 45 hours in, on a glass cannon INT build no less).
That point, to me, marked and separated the two games contained within Elden Ring (though in retrospect, it probably started at the end of the prior area). One game is the open-world exploration masterpiece, primarily played in the first 2/3 of playtime, which is an experience every gamer should have. Every run of this part will be a unique journey, and it can be played in basically any way a player wants to. This part of the game takes BotW, makes every part of it better, somehow, and is clearly among the great marvels in video gaming history. You will be left in awe.
There is a second game contained in Elden Ring anyone wishing to see credits must play—the later, more linear dungeon/boss marathon. It requires a degree of leveling, skill, or both only attainable through either extensive early exploration or later grinding. Perhaps this is the great Miyazaki ploy to make all players do his bidding; perhaps it is an accident; perhaps it is evil. Regardless, I reckon anyone who was addicted as I was to the first game will need to do the second one, even if they’d prefer to gun through to the end. I gamified the grinding by making a list of key bosses and areas I missed, and ended up having a blast! But, to be clear, I could not have seen the end game without some grinding.
Still, the big guy mentioned above was my biggest challenge, largely thanks to my own stubbornness at that point (and I promise, I only Comet Azur one-tapped Niall, everything else was less cheesed than that). One night I sat down and, uh, possibly did the last 3 legacy dungeons and 8 major bosses in a 6-hour reign of terror over the Lands Between. I was amazed how strong I felt. Part of that is because my character was substantially stronger (and respecced to have some vigor) than when I first pushed nearly to endgame—I finished at level 142. Still, there was no denying some of that strength was intrinsic. Elden Ring made me so much better at gaming. The challenge forced me to be better. That sense of personal achievement and growth (I beat Malenia, dude) is possibly the best gift this game delivers.
And boy, does it deliver gifts. ER rewards the player in droves. The best are conveyed through visual storytelling, complemented by always-serviceable music which occasionally becomes excellent in boss fights (seriously, the Godskin song does not have to go that hard). The world of ER is filled with unbelievable vistas (stepping out into Liurnia for the first time will be lasered into my brain forever). Some boss effects and cutscenes are the best I’ve seen (hello, Starscourge). And, while I know it’s not for everyone, lighter cryptic storytelling woven into excellent gameplay is my preferred style. I like getting dropped into a rich world and not knowing what’s happening, then slowly piecing together your subjective understanding of what’s happening through exploration. The complexity of ER’s narrative is a bit overwhelming and I hate that every important character has one of like 3 names lol, but I loved almost… rushing to understand what was happening in the Lands Between as the weight of destiny began to settle in, like my growing power was outpacing my decision-making capacity.
This game is so damn big, it could be discussed forever. It certainly has a few flaws, and I totally see how it could turn some players off. For me? I love every element of Elden Ring, as it is. The ups and downs, risks and rewards it provides are just better than nearly every game I’ve played and feel wholly one-of-a-kind. It left me in shock, amazement, rage, and a compulsion to keep playing it. An utter masterpiece, one I’m so glad I tried and so proud I finished.