Elden Ring

An adventure soulsborne action game set in a dark fantasy world, from the creators of the Dark Souls series, with the participation of the author of “Game of Thrones.” The focus is on a dying world where only warriors who have lost their blessing are trying to bring it back to life. Players can look forward to a wide selection of weapons and magic; an improved combat system that gives greater control over the character; and new role-playing elements compared to previous From Software games.

How the world of Elden Ring came to be, and what it is like, remains a mystery. The game introduces only a small part of it: the Lands Between, a continent in the middle of the ocean. The Outer Gods—powerful, bodiless beings from space, beyond the grasp of human logic—are fighting for influence there.

It all began at the turn of an age, when a god known as the Greater Will took an interest in the Lands Between. It drove out the patron of the Dragons who ruled there and began building a new, “golden” order based on the Elden Ring and a set of lesser and greater Runes (commandments), as well as growing the Erdtree, which still towers over the land. The Erdtree governs everything that happens and allows the souls of the dead to be reborn into new life.

The Golden Order spread through violence (the inhabitants of the Lands Between rose up against the outsiders), while the Fingers and the Readers drew in new followers. It was ruled by Queen Marika, a perfect vessel for the god’s power. Over time, she showed that she had a will of her own: she interfered with the Elden Ring and removed the Rune of Death from it, becoming Marika the Eternal—a god and ruler of the Lands Between.

This explains the abundance of lifeless beings in the game’s world. Those who fell out of favor were deprived of “grace”—the life-giving substance without which they were considered cursed—and became “Tarnished.”

After hundreds of years of constant battles, with all those who resisted either conquered or wiped out, Marika’s Golden Order was established, but the age of peace and prosperity did not last long. The queen began to doubt the Path and the means used to achieve it, shattered the Elden Ring into separate runes, gave them to her descendants, and disappeared. The children quickly fought for supreme power, plunging the Lands Between into an age of conflict.

There were no victors in the war. Each of the bearers of the runes suffered physically or mentally, and the united kingdom became fractured and weak. Hundreds of years passed, and decay spread across the Lands Between. The Greater Will stopped relying on Marika’s remaining descendants and, through the grace of the Erdtree, summoned the Tarnished to gather the Great Runes and restore the Elden Ring. Marika also returned, hoping to influence the Tarnished so that one of them would change the world for the better.

Elden Ring’s storytelling takes a step forward compared to previous Souls games: a well-written, if confusing, story; varied and lengthy NPC quests; more substance in the dialogue; and improved cutscene direction. All of this is supported by rich lore hidden everywhere.

The main and side stories are so closely connected that skipping the latter may mean missing story arcs and many important details, which can affect the ending. There are six endings in total: one bad ending, one alternative ending, and four variations of the main ending.

All NPCs have well-developed motivations and backstories, sometimes in great depth, but to understand them, you’ll have to complete each one’s personal quest. The same can’t be said of the protagonist. The main character is one of many Tarnished who have returned to the Lands Between. Their backstory doesn’t matter, and their story unfolds before the player’s eyes.

The result is a deep, multi-layered story that reveals events from different perspectives and lets you make choices. This isn’t typical “dark fantasy,” but a rich tale with room for simple joys and reflections on eternity, touching and oppressive moments, friendship, and betrayal.

To understand it, you’ll have to read all the notes and item descriptions, listen carefully to the dialogue several times, study your surroundings, and so on. But, as in Hidetaka Miyazaki’s other games, the story and NPCs come second. You can finish Elden Ring without delving into its lore.

The world is truly enormous, featuring 6 completely different biomes, each with its own landscape and flora: sunny, forested plains, foggy swamps reeking of smoke, fantastical mountains, and more. There are also gloomy castles, winding dungeons, and secret locations. And beneath this world lies another one, underground. Everything has stunning art design with a dark fantasy aesthetic.

Because of its scale, the world suffers from sparse content, with the same enemies and wildlife appearing repeatedly, and some areas feeling copy-pasted. At the same time, the Lands Between are home to many unique, carefully crafted areas where everything revolves around the player. Fast travel is possible with the help of a horse or through Sites of Grace (bonfires), where you can restore your strength and do more besides.

You have complete freedom: go anywhere right away, do whatever you want—there are no markers or mandatory activities. However, because areas are divided by difficulty level, exploring the world won’t be easy. You’ll need to search every inch: the world of Elden Ring is full of secrets containing valuable loot and experience. Once the hero finds a hub location, they’ll discover important characters, several interesting quests, and new mysteries.

The world is inhabited by many different peoples who are unlike one another: giants, living crystals, flying hawks, beastfolk, visitors from alien worlds, and, of course, humans. Here and there, you’ll come across merchants, blacksmiths, travelers, and other characters.

Elden Ring has 10 character classes, differing in 8 attributes and their selection of suitable weapons and armor. Your class only affects the first few hours; after that, you can develop your character however you like to suit your preferred playstyle: a Samurai can become a Mage, who can then become a Prophet or Wretch.

Leveling has been carried over from Souls games with minor changes. You can rebuild your character from scratch. Some useful skills and spells can only be learned by training with friendly NPCs. Armor cannot be upgraded, but weapons can be upgraded in various ways. The dynamic change of time of day also affects gameplay.

Crafting is comprehensive and even excessive:everything from arrows and swords to grenades and weapon greases can be crafted yourself, though it takes some effort to gather the required resources in the open world, such as plants, animal remains, and loot from defeated enemies and chests.

The combat system takes into account character progression, skills and attributes, and all your equipment. The impact of health, stamina, and dexterity stats has been rebalanced. Checkpoints before bosses, the ability to summon spirit allies, basic stealth, and the ability to jump and run (sprint) have been added. Mechanics from previous games have returned, such as the poise system for enemies and bosses, Power Stance, and more.

Combat has not changed: you learn enemy patterns, defend against or dodge their attacks, and strike at the right moment. Bosses, both story-related and optional, still have multiple phases, each with its own movesets, attacks, timings, and minions. Some bosses can only be defeated while mounted. Your weapons and equipment should take each boss’s weaknesses into account. Enemy AI is still rather dim-witted, and the engine’s hit detection draws complaints even after patches.

Multiplayer is available after enabling it in the settings and activating summon signs.