Elden Ring is the latest creation by From Software the creators of Bloodborne, Demon Souls, and Dark Souls. However, if this game matches that level of greatness I am still not sure of it. Elden Ring is a total change of form.

Something Old Something New

Elden Ring follows much of the combat flow of Dark Souls, and the transition between the two is relatively seamless. Despite this, Elden Ring flips the formula on its head by creating this incredibly fascinating, traversable open world. This is probably the best Open World created since Breath of the Wild in 2017.

Exploring never felt like a chore, but instead was a challenge and a part of the game’s strategic elements. In the Soulsborne style of games everything is a threat, and Elden Ring expands this to the world itself.

Encountering world bosses or end-game enemies is oddly not that hard to do right out of the gate. However, this makes this an extremely hard entry point to the series. FromSoftware has developed its own language that the player must learn.

The biggest change in the game is the addition of a jump and a horse you can ride. This makes it so you can really explore anywhere. Your horse torrent also opens the doors to some really interesting boss fights.

An Amazing First and Second Act

The opening of Elden Ring might be one of the best in video games. Entering the world, and going through Stormveil Castle will likely be the best moments of the year in games. The level design is dialed to 10, and the two bosses are some of the best in the series.

This continues on to the next two main subcontinents in the game, and likely the best boss in the whole series is the final area boss of this hellscape continent. Despite this, the game starts to show some of its problems at this point.

Elden Ring does have an intentional way to go through the game despite being open world, and if you buck this you are punished. The design does railroad you in the sequence that makes the most sense, but forgetting whole areas is very easy. If you go to the peninsula before the first boss it is engaging, but if you skip it then it is laughably easy.

Besides this, the first three continents and the first walk through the capital city is amazing. Despite this, the game starts to fall apart on Act three.

A Clumsy Finish

Act three is not great. From this point on I will be dropping heavy spoilers. Once you go to the Mountaintops of the Giants the problems start to show a lot. The bosses from this point on start to feel unfair, and have incredibly dumb attacks. The Fire Giant is the first true “giant” fight in the series, and it lives up to that.

The problem is that unless you have a perfect build or learn how to the cheese the bosses then you will have a hard time from this point on. Elden Ring is best when you are discovering the world on your own, and by planning out and creating the “perfect build” you are missing some of the greatness behind this game.

The worst boss in the series might just be the final boss in the game. The Elden Beast feels incomplete. The boss fight feels like it should be on horseback, but you are just stumbling through the giant area. The Elden Beast has any kind of BS attack you can think of, and is just extremely tilting to play against.

Spoiler Free: The Game is Extremely Rewarding

Despite the negative last section I still love the game. Some of the best Boss Fights and dungeons in any game are in this. Most of the bosses are fair, and I feel like I overcame a challenge when I defeat them.

The weapon and build diversity in this game are also in the series. I think some of the build types are half-baked, but I do have to give them props for attempting to give the player base this kind of replay value. I used a Moonveil Dex/Int build, and it was one of the most fun builds I have played in soulsborne.

In Conclusion

The most engaged I have been with a game this year, but isn’t my favorite from this studio. The game feels like an amalgamation of all of the previous soulsborne games, but sometimes misses the best parts. I adore the game, but the frustrating and clumsy last act brings down the experience.

9.1

Potentially the From Soft game that will make it click for you. Challenging yet rewarding. However, it may not be a game for everyone.