Elden Ring almost felt like a mythical game we’d never get our hands on but, as we approach the end of an unusually busy month of February, the gates to the Lands Between are finally ready to open.
Elden Ring could have easily relied solely on the tried and tested recipe developer FromSoftware improved over the years with its Dark Souls series and games like Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. But, while a lot of that DNA is still present, it moves things forward by turning the Lands Between into a sprawling open world.
Dotted with many beautiful vistas, points of interest, resting places, and dynamic encounters that may feel familiar to veteran Soulsborne players, the open parts of the Lands Between connect to dungeons which offer a more traditional style of gameplay.
This is where devious traps and challenging enemies seek to put an end to your journey as you push on in an attempt to recover the rewards that await within.
There’s a lot to discover and you have the freedom of choosing where you go, which certainly comes in handy when you run into a boss that you can’t immediately wrap your head around.
FromSoftware games are notorious for their difficulty and, while Elden Ring does introduce a handful of checkpoints to make certain deaths more forgiving, you’ll still encounter your fair share of hurdles.
Mastering your own moveset, and understanding that of the many enemies you’ll face are both key to reaching the end of its dungeons and getting past the nasty beasts that ambush you while out in the open world.
Class and gear customization also return, giving you the option of playing as a warrior brandishing a massive sword, a nimble samurai, a mage that prefers fighting from a distance, or mixing and matching elements belonging to several combat styles.
Triumphing over challenging foes and opening loot chests are also not your only rewards, since environmental storytelling lets you gradually piece together what happened to both the world and its inhabitants.
If you want to discover all of Elden Ring’s secrets for yourself, you can grab it from Fanatical, where it’s discounted by 16%, bringing its price down to €50.39 or your regional equivalent. The game is due out on February 25 but you should be able to pre-load it right away, regardless of platform.
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