FromSoftware is known for making games that are extremely difficult. They make the kind of games that either make you break your keyboard, or punch the monitor screen. Despite this, they are still fun and are considered some of the best video games of all time. Their Dark Souls series is extremely popular in the gaming world. And now, they have finally released a new RPG game, Elden Ring.

Elden Ring was easily the most anticipated game of 2022. From the moment it was announced, everyone was eagerly waiting to play it. Now that the game has finally been released, we managed to get our hands on it to try it out. And I must say, the developers have outdone themselves.

Story

Elden Ring is FromSoftware‘s attempt to introduce a game that is similar to their Souls games but is better than them. They have introduced a new open world that is fun to explore. And when it comes to enemies, the developers haven’t disappointed us in that aspect as well as there are plenty of bosses for you to take down; that is if you manage to defeat the other enemies first.

The story of the game revolves around the actual Elden Ring which was destroyed during the downfall of the Lands Between. You get to know more about this during the intro of the game, where you discover that the burden of collecting and putting the broken pieces of the ring back together has been placed on your shoulders. It is now your duty to explore a world filled with darkness and save it from further chaos.

Character Customisation

After you get done with the intro, you get the luxury to customize your character’s appearance and assign it to a specific class, similar to what we have already seen in Dark Souls 3. While the names of the classes are different, they are still the same as the ones we see in Souls games. Therefore, if you have previously played the Souls series, then you’ll pretty much enjoy customizing your character.

The classes from which you can choose include Vagabond, Warrior, Bandit, Hero, Prophet, Astrologer, Samurai, Wretch, Confessor, and Samurai. You also get the luxury to choose the Name, Body Type, and Age of your character.

While you’re at the character creation screen, you will also need to pick your keepsake. For those who don’t know, a keepsake is an item that provides you with a specific benefit, such as more health or making you receive less damage from enemy attacks. There are a total of nine keepsakes to choose from, which include Golden Seed, Lands Between Rune, Crimson Amber Medallion, Stonesword Key, Cracked Pot, Fringed Imp Ashes, Shabiri’s Woe, Boiled Prawn, and Bewitching Branch. Keep in mind that a keepsake will either make you or break you. Therefore, make sure to select the right one that suits your needs. Otherwise, you’ll be missing out on a lot.

The Open-World

The biggest difference between the previous Souls games and Elden Ring is the massive open-world introduced in their new title. In the Souls games, we were thrown into a world where we had to follow patterns in order to reach a location. But in Elden Ring, you’ll dive into a huge open world that is filled with amazing locations. No matter where you go, you’ll encounter new structures, enemies, and much more. In other words, you will never get bored and tired of exploring. While playing the game, you’ll also get your mount called Torrent. Thanks to him, you’ll be able to explore different parts of the map quickly and easily.

FromSoftware has focused on making players explore the map so much that you won’t get to see missions or any sort of direction on the screen. It will be up to you to find out what the next task is by either visiting structures, or whatever seems worth visiting.

Combat

When it comes to combat, it’s similar to what we experienced in Souls games; but better. You get to choose from a range of weapons that you can use against different types of enemies. You can use Daggers for close combat, Greatswords or Katanas for times when things get serious, or Bows when you want to stay at a safe distance while attacking your enemies.

Elden Ring allows you to upgrade your weapons by customizing them. You can boost their stats by using Ashes of War items. These items can be either found in chests or can be obtained by taking down monsters. Customizing a weapon is pretty important in Elden Ring. This is because as you progress through the game, you will encounter more and more tough enemies. And if you have weak weapons in your arsenal, then you will get eliminated quickly.

Tough Enemies

As you might have already guessed, the enemies in Elden Ring are tough and not something that you can take down easily. The worst part is that you won’t be able to tell how strong the enemy is without engaging in a fight with them. This kind of means that you will most likely get killed during most of your fights. And oh, make sure you’re always prepared for surprise attacks.

There are more than 50 bosses in Elden Ring, and each one is a big headache. Thankfully, some of them are avoidable as you’ll encounter them only in sidequests or dungeons. However, in order to progress through the story, you will need to take down a handful of them.

The Spirit Ashes

Furthermore, to make things a little easier for you, FromSoftware has also included a new feature in the form of the Spirit Bell. This is something that you’ll acquire as you progress through the game and thanks to it, you will be able to summon Spirit Ashes to fight alongside you. These are AI-controlled allies, and they come in different forms. When you acquire the Spirit Bell, you’ll have a single Spirit Ash. However, you can unlock more of them by further progressing through the game.

Crafting

Crafting is also a big part of Elden Ring. You will need to get familiar with it you want to survive in a world full of monsters. Through it, you can craft different items that can provide you with health or can boost your stats. Furthermore, you can also craft arrows and bolts. This is a major improvement considering in the previous Souls game, many avoided using Bows because of expensive it was to craft arrows. But in Elden Ring, this isn’t a problem. As for the crafting materials, they can be found throughout the map.

Verdict

Overall, Elden Ring is easily the best game FromSoftware has made to this date. The game is bigger and better than the previous Souls games in every way. Even though you will find a bunch of similarities between the two, the experience is still unique and fun. FromSoftware has done a remarkable job with creating a game with such an amazing open-world environment.