Elden Ring

I find the Soulsborne gameplay loop and challenge level extremely rewarding despite all the technical flaws, so there was no way an open-world version of the exact same formula could disappoint me. I still think FromSoftware games are getting a little stale with the possible exception of “Sekiro”, but I am mostly satisfied with my experience with “Elden Ring”. It’s nowhere near the technical standard for double-A games, but it can be a great entry-level Soulsborne for new fans. For veteran players, the overwhelmingly vast open-world setting is the only noticeable innovation, as many enemies and world-building elements have been obviously recycled from the previous games.

The graphics and gameplay felt incredibly outdated after having just played the “Demon’s Souls” remake, but it’s never been too much of a problem. The art direction might not be the most inspired in the series, but it’s definitely what makes the game look so fascinating despite all the technical issues. I can’t believe that you can still get hit from behind walls and doors like in an early PS3 game, but on the other hand, quality of life has drastically improved for little actions like picking up items, customizing equipment, or fast traveling from one location to another. Proper jumping and stealth have also been introduced from “Sekiro”, even if the mechanics are still quite clunky. The only thing that really pissed me off was how random fall damage can get, especially on the horse.

The open-world map doesn’t offer much variety in terms of activities you can engage in, but the pacing is remarkably good. Dungeons only take a few minutes, and boss fights are mostly straightforward. The best thing about From Software games is that they cut on story and dialogues but are still able to create a fascinating atmosphere through art direction and game design elements. That way you will be able to keep concentrating on the gameplay while still feeling like you are living a real adventure in another world, without useless fillers or verbose dialogues just for the sake of it. Of course, there is still a lot of flavor text for the ones into lore studies.

There is no way FromSoftware could have stuck with the same level of detail of their previous game in an open-world setting. The catacombs and tunnels in particular felt like more of the same, even though they were probably conceived as additional grinding areas. Before we used to repeat the same areas to farm souls, now at least we are exploring new locations each time.

Even though the difficulty is about the same as any other Soulsborne, it’s much easier to overlevel before a boss as the player is given more chances to naturally grind and level up through the exploration of optional areas. Checkpoints have also become much more frequent and easily accessible, to the point you will rarely use all your runes in the middle of an area. The only bosses to give me serious problems were Godrick at the beginning and Malenia at the end, while the rest usually took me a couple of attempts.

About the items and equipment, we have again a vast selection of weapons and buffs to choose from regardless of the build and approach you have chosen for your character. I hardly used anything else than my flasks for my vanguard noob, but I guess that less straightforward builds will result in a more satisfying use of the inventory. The battle system can be spiced up by customizing your build and equipment, but most bosses will revolve around the same old roll/roll/hit/rehash formula.

Navigating through NPC quests still gives me a headache though. It’s about time we get a quest log or at least some clear directions. There’s no way I can remember the cryptic dialogue I exchanged with an NPC on the opposite side of the map 20 hours earlier. Especially for the quests than unlock a different ending, I was hoping for something a little more rewarding.

Overall I enjoyed all 104 hours of my first run, even though things start to get a little repetitive after reaching the Royal Capital. If the game were half as big and have more variety instead, it could have been the best in the series so far. Combat relies more on leveling rather than getting good, but the same could be said for most action RPG's.