As of writing this, I've finished the game as well as started a new character
And I will concede that a significant portion of play time was AFK (12-16 hours)
Furthermore, while I haven't been having performance issues, I know a few people that do, and I can't say why.
Anyways, The game

Elden Ring is a grand adventure that isn't holding back anything. The environments, the sound design, the dungeons strewn about the over world, the legacy dungeons that loom over the areas they reside in, tempting you to come in - it all feels very purposeful and hand crafted, no matter where you are. The bosses can be exhausting but exhilarating to overcome, and the reward is typically close behind that feeling.

Something that struck me while playing is that it was very satisfying to explore everything. With the way that characters progress, you are encouraged to always be looking for better equipment in order to perform better, so if you happen to stumble into something great, it could define your playthrough or your character - much like how in Morrowind, you could happen to find parts of Daedric Armor, which is some of the most rare stuff you can find; in that vein, I think that Elden Ring can satisfy a much similar demographic but in an action oriented RPG, which is a genre I find much more engaging.

As of writing this, I've finished the game as well as started a new character And I will concede that a significant portion of play time was AFK (12-16 hours) Furthermore, while I haven't been having performance issues, I know a few people that do, and I can't say why. Anyways, The game Elden Ring is a grand adventure that isn't holding back anything. The environments, the sound design, the dungeons strewn about the over world, the legacy dungeons that loom over the areas they reside in, tempting you to come in - it all feels very purposeful and hand crafted, no matter where you are. The bosses can be exhausting but exhilarating to overcome, and the reward is typically close behind that feeling. Something that struck me while playing is that it was very satisfying to explore everything. With the way that characters progress, you are encouraged to always be looking for better equipment in order to perform better, so if you happen to stumble into something great, it could define your playthrough or your character - much like how in Morrowind, you could happen to find parts of Daedric Armor, which is some of the most rare stuff you can find; in that vein, I think that Elden Ring can satisfy a much similar demographic but in an action oriented RPG, which is a genre I find much more engaging.