A fantastic secret filled zelda-like game. Discovering mechanics I could have done at the beginning of the game from a new collected page of the in-game instruction manual is a very satisfying feeling. I freaked out a little when I finally figured what the holy cross was.

Only major problem with the game is that the combat isn't very good. It's not bad, it's just subpar, which is disappointing when so many games of this style have come out recently with great combat like Unsighted and Hades. Since the combat isn't great, the couple difficulty spikes in the game are a tad frustrating, but never felt impossibly difficult.

This game has a true ending of sorts which I have not gotten (and I don't think I will). It requires you to unearth like 30 secrets in the game using the instruction manual. I did a bunch of them and its quite fun and satisfying to solve these, however it starts to feel like a chore. Some of the things the game asks you to do take far to much time (e.g. the puzzle to open the door at the top of the mountain) and just don't feel worth it to me. That said, if you like hunting down secrets in video games, you are going to have a great time in Tunic.

This game is absolutely delightful. So friggin cute. The music is amazing. The is just fun to play. Its like any great Kirby game, but in 3d which is so incredibly fresh.

The game isn't always stupidly easy either. Every level has hidden waddle dees to find and challenges, which are never difficult but kept me engaged. There are also little optional speedrunning challenges in the game centered around specific copy abilities and mouthful modes which can be quite challenging to complete. Also postgame stuff can get challenging as well.

Incredible open world that is extremely dense and fun to explore. Unlike many other open world games, this game forces you to find everything in the world. So it doesn't litter your map with a million icons, nor does it give you an extensive quest log. This makes exploring the world much more rewarding. It helps that you will constantly be finding new things.

Despite the game being open world, From Software still find ways to incorporate their classic level design in the game. This is largely done through legacy dungeons, which are extremely well designed classic Dark Souls levels. These levels constantly double back on themselves and are filled with little hidden paths to find.

Combat is pretty standard Dark Souls, but refined. There is now an attack you can do when you block an attack, which feels very good and is a very welcome addition. Now that there is a jump button, you can also do jump attacks which is really useful for closing distances. The new addition that brings the entire combat system together is that every enemy now has a hidden poise meter of sorts. This meter can be dropped with any attack, but strong attacks/strong jump attacks are necessary for dropping it to zero. Once dropped to zero, you get a critical hit on the enemy. All these additions make the combat much more strategic and fun, than the Dark Souls games.

From Software's titles are known to be quite difficult, and Elden Ring isn't any different. You should expect to die many times going into the game. However, this game isn't nearly as punishingly difficult as some may have you believe. Most of the game is very doable, but if you run into something too difficult, you can just go off and do something else. You can summon NPCs or other players to make the game significantly easier. The game also adds in items called Ashes which allow you to summon various characters into battle. The game doesn't have an easy mode, but you can absolutely make the game much easier for yourself through summons and through building your character certain ways like going for sorceries instead of greatswords.

Elden Ring not only great Souls game, but also one of the best open world games ever made. The combat is very fun and satisfying. The world constantly surprises with new and unique things, which makes exploration rewarding. Overall, I highly recommend Elden Ring anyone who doesn't hate souls game.