Everything We Know About Elden Ring
Dark Souls x Game of Thrones
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We’ll get the obvious factoid out of the way. Though it isn’t talked about much these days, one of the biggest pieces of info that originally got us hyped for “Elden Ring” was the involvement of George R. R. Martin, the author of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” fantasy novels, or “Game of Thrones” as we know it on TV. The thing is that Martin’s involvement was not as heavy as many of us were anticipating. Martin only helped build the world and write up the lore. That itself is no easy task, but as far as the main narrative we’ll experience in the game, it’s all FromSoftware.
Different in Design
Hardest Elden Ring Bosses
Anyone who has played “Bloodborne”, “Sekiro”, or the “Souls” games is already familiar with FromSoftware’s usual approach to world design. There are occasionally some bits of non-linearity, but for the most part, navigating from world to world is a straight shot. “Elden Ring” aims to break that tradition by going mainstream and giving us an open world. Now, you’ll be able to take whatever foes you want and explore in any direction you choose. Of course, death lurks around every single corner, but the massive scope of “Elden Ring” means you’re going to spend a lot of hours looking behind every nook and cranny for new gear and treasures.
Choose Your Destiny
Past “Soulsborne” games (as well as the games that copy the formula) have usually required players to know how to play specific classes. You choose a weapon during character creation or early stages of the game, and that’s what you play with for the remainder. “Elden Ring”, on the other hand, will allow players to use multiple weapons, meaning you won’t necessarily have to invest all of your skill points into whatever benefits a weapon’s playstyle the most. If you wanna switch between using greatswords and bows to maces and axes, you can do so. As for where to explore, you can place your own waypoints on your map and mark places in case you want to explore them later. Of course, you’re probably not going to find everything on your own, so be sure to collect map fragments to uncover hidden areas of the world.
Navigation
As much as we’d love to see the grappling hand from “Sekiro” return, “Elden Ring” is giving us a new way to navigate the world - the Spirit Steed! With a simple input, you can summon your Spirit Steed to help you get from point A to point B much quicker. And don’t worry about having to do so much climbing; “Elden Ring” will have a few geysers in lower areas to help you reach greater heights with very little trouble. So, don’t fret if the next place you want to go is too high up.
Enemies & Bosses
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Obviously, we wouldn’t expect anything different from FromSoftware when it comes to combat. They have arguably perfected their own formula of dodges, parries, and stamina bars. So, you can safely assume all the usual tricks like ambushes and mobs ganging up on you. However, one thing to note about “Elden Ring” is that there are a wide array of bosses waiting to challenge you in addition to the six main bosses, far more than any of the “Soulsborne” games have featured. Needless to say, be prepared to engage in a lot of duels! And if you’re worried about blasting through flasks, don’t worry - your flask will refill a bit before combat encounters and refill afterwards. And if you don’t want to take enemies head on, you can utilize stealth to get the jump on them.
A Connected World
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Speaking of combat, veteran “Soulsborne '' players can expect the same online functionality that’s been featured in FromSoftware’s other titles. Yes, players can still possibly invade your game and bring your journey to an end. For those not wanting to experience the game alone, you’ll be able to embark on your quest with up to three other players. Of course, if being online isn’t your cup of tea, you can still experience all that “Elden Ring” has to offer by yourself. So, experience the game by yourself or with other folks - the choice is yours!
Summon Help
One key difference between “Elden Ring” and FromSoftware’s previous titles is the focus on Summons. Past “Soulsborne” games have usually stuck with players being able to summon each other to offer support in boss fights. This time around, summons act as a sort of spell. You can call in ethereal warriors to aid in a fight where you’re outnumbered or raise giant skeletons to ambush some poor soul and smite them. It all depends on the souls you’ve collected from your enemies’ remains.
Now For The Technical Side…
Every Class In Elden Ring RANKED
This is all well and good, but what about “Elden Ring’s” performance standards? Thankfully, publisher Bandai Namco came out with details about the game’s expected targets. The PC, PS5, PS4 Pro, and Xbox Series XS versions will all support ray tracing and come with “Resolution” and “Performance” settings, allowing you to choose whether to experience the game at thirty or sixty frames per second. In “Resolution” mode, PS5 and XS will run resolutions up to 3840x2160p while PS4 Pro will run at 3200x1800p. However, “Resolution” mode will expectedly lower the framerate to thirty frames per second.
Launch
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After waiting for this game for what felt like ages, “Elden Ring” finally has a release date, and please, for the love of god, do not delay it before we publish this video! Though originally slated for a January 2022 release, “Elden Ring” will launch on February 25, 2022 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series XS, and Xbox One. Unfortunately, February is looking to be a crowded month of games with “Elden Ring” launching remarkably close to “Dying Light 2”, “Saints Row”, and “Horizon Forbidden West”. It’ll certainly be an interesting month for sales and an expensive month for avid consumers.
