In this review we will talk about Elden Ring, the new open world action RPG developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco
After a wait that seemed to last forever we finally got to try Elden Ringthe new action RPG branded FromSoftware. In recent years, the Japanese software house has accustomed us to very high standards with its titles and for this reason everyone expects great things from their new game. In this review we will try to tell you about Elden Ring as accurately as possible and, of course, we will not give you any kind of spoiler regarding history and settings.
A shattered world
Elden Ring is set in theInterregnuma vast magical land ruled by the queen Marika. Once this place was flourishing but, after the murder of the first demigoda very violent one was unleashed war that has devastated everything. Now that the world has plunged into chaos it is necessary to elect a new one Lord Ancestral and to fulfill this role i have been awakened senzaluceimmortal individuals who were once exiled from the Interregnum.
Talking about the history of a FromSoftware title is never easy, as they are mainly based on one silent narration which is not suitable for everyone. The only way to fully understand the plot of the game is in fact to read the descriptions of all the objects and pay close attention to the places you visit. However, whether you like this way of telling a story or not, it is undeniable that it is extremely spot on for Elden Ring. Thanks to the scarce presence of videos and scripted sequences it is indeed possible explore the Interregnum at your own pace and without interruptionssomething that almost never happens in modern video games.
An Enriched Formula – Elden Ring Review
The gameplay by Elden Ring doesn’t stray far from that of FromSoftware’s Souls. At the base of the game they are present as usual all the elements that distinguish Soulslikesuch as limited healing, the risk of losing all experience points (Rune) accumulated in case of death and the presence of checkpoints (Places of Grace) where to heal and perform other actions that bring enemies back to life once used. Furthermore also the combat system is very similar to that of previous From works, as it is once again based on the stamina management and on the correct timing of attacks and dodges.
Obviously, however, in the Elden Ring there are also several new mechanicsSuch as the jump. Jumping will be useful to you mainly when exploring, but it will also allow you to perform powerful attack from above able to easily unbalance the opponents. In addition, a new type of counterattack has also been introduced that differs from the classic parry: the counterattack in defense. This technique consists in blocking an opponent’s hit with the shield and then immediately counterattacking with a heavy attack, thus inflicting serious damage and unbalancing the enemy.
In addition, a sort of was also introduced in Elden Ring evolution of the Dark Souls 3 weapon skill system. By exploring the game world it is possible to get hold of numerous ashes of warthat is, objects capable of apply new skills to equipment. This new mechanic really adds so much variety to fights and will allow you to create unique combos based on your preferences.
Finally, another very interesting mechanic that comes directly from Sekiro is it stealth. In fact, in Elden Ring it is possible crouch down to move without attracting attention and hitting opponents unaware of your presence from behind. Also you can even take advantage of elements such as tall grass and bushes to hide even more effectively from the sight of enemies.
Vastness and Density – Elden Ring Review
Now it’s finally time to talk about the most important aspect of the game: the structure open world. In recent years, titles of this genre have accustomed us to immense open worlds which, however, often ended up being empty or full of futile secondary activities. Elden Ring on the other hand does not suffer from this problem at all since, despite the game world it really is very vastat the same time it is also extremely full of content.
In fact, exploring the Interregnum you will constantly come across dungeons, camps, fortresses, catacombs and many other points of interest. These places are often quite similar to each other in terms of structure, but they are all characterized by particularities that make them unique. They are also always extremely well contextualized in the place where they are located e it will never look like they were placed there just to fill a void. Exploring these places will not be a waste of time, since they almost always hide inside them extremely valuable unique treasures.
In addition to these small surrounding places, there are also several in the Elden Ring Legacy Dungeon. These dungeons generally are important to carry on the main storyline of the game and for this reason they are much larger and more complex than the others. In fact, the Legacy Dungeons are built with so much care that they have nothing to envy to the main levels of the other FromSoftware titles. These places hide within them many treasures, secrets, NPCs and information, and it could take you several hours to fully explore them.
Breathtaking Scenery – Elden Ring Review
As we already said during our preview, Elden Ring is a title that places a lot of emphasis on exploration and the sense of wonder. In fact, the game world, in addition to being extremely vast and full of content, is also incredibly varied and fascinating. In fact, traveling through the Interregnum you will find yourself in front of places and situations that are so different from each other that, although they make perfect sense in the context of Elden Ring, they will almost seem to come from completely different games.
The vast areas of the game are also enhanced by the dynamic weather and a day / night cycle which affects not only the lighting, but also the presence of certain enemies. Furthermore, the whole game world is made extremely alive thanks to the presence of a large variety of wildlife and crafting materials well contextualized. All of these elements can be very difficult to memorize, but luckily you can count on one very detailed map that you can enrich with a large number of tokens.
Furthermore, FromSoftware has devised several very effective methods for make exploration smoother and less frustrating due to the typical difficulty of its games. For example, by defeating large groups of enemies you can restore the uses of healing items and keep moving forward without running the risk of running out of resources. As if that weren’t enough, you will also find some around statues of Marikathat is, mini checkpoint which will allow you not to be forced to redo the entire route in case of death.
Maximum Freedom – Elden Ring Review
Exploring the world of Elden Ring is a truly satisfying experience and it is not only for the reasons we talked about in the previous paragraphs, but also and above all for the total freedom offered to the player. In fact, from the very beginning of your adventure you can jump on the back of your trusty steed e go wherever you want at your own risk. As you play Elden Ring, you will soon discover that the restrictions imposed on the player are very minimal and that even many Legacy Dungeons will not necessarily be explored to reach the ending.
All this freedom makes Elden Ring a game extremely replayable, since with each new game you will have the possibility to follow completely different paths. Furthermore, the possibility of not having to face certain dangers immediately is able to greatly simplify the experience of new players, since they will always have the possibility of reaching new areas to strengthen themselves. Certainly there is a risk of ending up in extremely difficult places soon but, given that you can teleport at any time to any uncovered Place of Graceyou will never end up getting stuck.
Waves of Bosses – Elden Ring Review
The Interregnum is certainly an amazing place, but it is also filled with lethal dangers. Every place you visit will be haunted by a large number of insane soldiers or nightmare creatures who can’t wait to kill you in the most brutal way possible. FromSoftware titles have always been famous for theirs difficulty above average and obviously Elden Ring is no exception. The common enemies that are usually encountered on the streets of the kingdom are dangerous enough, but the biggest threat you will face are obviously the bosses.
In previous FromSoftware works, the bosses represented a very important aspect of the game. Every bossfight was an extremely tense moment which left the player with a feeling of unique satisfaction at the moment of victory. This aspect is obviously also present in Elden Ring, but unfortunately suffers a little from the huge number of bosses that you will encounter during your adventure.
In the interregnum they are present lots of bossfights both inside and outside the dungeons and often you will also find yourself fighting the same enemies multiple times. Such an abundance of bossfights over time ends in diminish the role of bosses, making them little more than just powerful adversaries. Obviously this problem is not particularly serious since however, there are many bossfights of great impactbut in any case we think it is going to hurt the experience slightly.
The usual multiplayer – Elden Ring review
Basically the multiplayer by Elden Ring is extremely similar to that of the other Soulslikes by FromSoftware. Players can communicate with others by leaving messages on the ground preconstructed able to help or mislead other people, and of course they can also interact more directly. Leaving the appropriate ones on the ground golden or red marks it is indeed possible to be summoned into another player’s world for help him or to face him in a duel. However, these summoning marks will not always be visible and to find them you will have to use a specific consumable item. It is also possible if you want invade another player’s world to try to kill him, but in this case there are small differences. In fact, in Elden Ring it is only possible to invade the game of someone who is already playing in cooperative.
In Elden Ring there are also several improvements designed for make online gaming more comfortable. For example, it is now possible to set more than one password for your game and send your summoning signs to specific hotspots where there is a large presence of players.
Unfortunately, however, the multiplayer of Elden Ring also carries with it all those problems that were present in the old games. Once again in fact when …