The combat fundamentals are as strong as ever. Veterans of FromSoftware will find themselves at home in Elden Ring quickly. Publisher Bandai Namco and FromSoftware have released performance patches to resolve these issues. Still, these are a nuisance in a game where you want no distractions in its brutal boss battles. It's frozen more than once, too, but it’s not stopped us from playing. While we have run into a smattering of performance issues, these weren’t game-breaking - occasional stuttering and frame drops. There is a heavy metal album cover for every grandiose landscape of somber, mournful contemplation or a giant tortoise who hands out history lessons. The skeletons could have stepped right out of Jason and the Argonauts. The tone shifts between the epic fantasy of Lord of the Rings to popcorn adventure of 80s movies like Excalibur or The Neverending Story. Perhaps a vain hope, but finding out for sure drove us to seek out its far corners.įor all its portent and doom, Elden Ring has moments of silliness, too. Unlike FromSoftware’s other games, set in dying worlds, in Elden Ring it feels like maybe, just maybe, you can save this world. It's a rumination on how the powerful suffocate the world to sustain their reigns. After 70 hours with the game, most of its story still exists as a hazy collection of themes. Exploration leads to real discovery, unraveling the world’s mysteries and machinations. The fact that it's almost impossible to answer the simple question 'what is an Elden Ring?' at the game's start speaks volumes for its intentions. Of course, that's what you're told to do - learning what's really going on and what other paths exist is the real treat of this game. You're a Tarnished, a forgotten warrior tasked with ascending to the role of Elden Lord, to repair the Elden Ring, and maybe restore order to the world. Elden Ring sees you charging over hills strewn with giants under the glow of a skyscraping, glowing tree. It's a rumination on how the powerful suffocate the world to sustain their reigns.ĭark Souls and Bloodborne see you wading through dying streets and sewers. The main menu music sets the stage, starting with foreboding notes before diving into loud brass that conjures up the more grandiose adventure that awaits. While lovers of messed-up fantasy lands will get their kick, Elden Ring is a notably colorful and slightly more friendly place to roam. (Image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment)

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