Recent reviews by Bubzer02

pile bunker :)

TLDR: This is my favorite game of all time, and I think you should try it. :)

(Below includes a few details like mechanics, but does not mention any spoilers for major events, locations, or characters)


[Gameplay]

- Freedom of choice -
Choice in Elden Ring is abundant. The game begins with the ability to select a class, each including different armor, weapons, and starting stats. Picking any one of these DOES NOT lock you into a specific playstyle for the rest of the game, they merely give you your choice of starting gear to begin your journey. As you progress, you will be able to find and equip different armor pieces, weapons/combinations of weapons, skills that can be applied to most weapons, and spells/incantations. Despite these being the basics of defense and offense, there are many other ways you can play that include things like sneaking, a flask you can mix ingredients into that have many varying effects, craftable temporary throwing weapons, horseback combat, spirits you can summon into battle, and many more. Most importantly to me, you can use your environment to your advantage such as destroying explosives, knocking enemies off ledges, ambushing, etc. Choice may also be applied to how you finish the game, as there are multiple ending you can achieve in wildly different ways. Some of these endings are straightforward and easy to find, while others I know for a fact I would never have found if I didn't hear about them. Being an open world game, it becomes obvious that you have multiple paths that you can go at any given moment, but Elden Ring does it very well. MOST OF THIS GAME is content that isn't needed to finish the story, and there are entire locations that are hidden off the beaten path with ZERO indication of their existence.

- Difficulty -
It's no secret that this game is difficult. I have played multiple games made by this developer that are just as infamous for their difficulty, and I still had a hard time getting through it. If difficulty is something you don't enjoy, then this might not be the game for you, but I suggest you at least finish reading the rest of this segment. Difficulty in this game does not vary with an "Easy, Medium, or Hard" set of modes, but instead, the difficulty comes from choice and circumstance. The playstyle you choose may make some parts of the game more difficult and some more easy. I found that in order to make the game easier or harder comes purely from how you limit yourself. The multiplayer mechanics of this game can mean that you don't have to lift a finger to win this game. Doing a challenge run where you limit yourself in specific ways can make it a run that isn't humanly possible. If you feel that the game isn't hard enough, then you can subtract certain elements of the game to make it a more challenging and fulfilling game. Another thing that makes the game more difficult is after beating the game. When you finish the game, you have the choice to "Start Journey 2" which bring your character, armaments, level, and all, to do the story again, but the enemies hurt more and have more HP, but also drop more runes for leveling. Each cycle that you do amplifies these things up until Journey 8, which is as hard as it gets, but you can still restart the game with the same character endlessly if you wish. Benefits of starting a new journey with the same character also include trying new endings, and doing/getting things in case you missed them last time. But if you want the game to be easier for you, you have multiple options. You can summon up to 2 players at a time to aid you or use spirit summons in areas they're allowed. You can also go somewhere else to grind for levels so that you stand a better chance in an area. You can even look up enemy weaknesses if you'd like, as there is a massive community for this game that has knowledge about it all.

- Friends and Foes -
There are multiple ways to interact with other players within the game. The first thing to note is that there aren't other players simply walking around in this open world, but instead, you see messages and bloodstains. The messages are written by other players using a small list of words. These messages can be helpful, funny, pointless, or deceitful, but generally it's a good idea to read them on your journey. Bloodstains can be interacted with to show a red phantom of another player's last moments before death, which can show you how dangerous an area is. White phantoms can sometimes be seen phasing in and out of your world. These phantoms are other players as they simply play the game, and they're a nice reminder that others are doing just as you're doing. Summon signs can be placed down so that you can be summoned into another world to help another player. Up to 2 players can be summoned by the host at once, and once at least one has been summoned, your world can be open for invasion. An invasion is when a player uses an item to search for worlds to invade so they can kill the host. Red summon signs can be placed to to bring another player into your world so you can fight them. If you want a fair pvp experience, there are 3 colosseums throughout the land that have their own sets of rules to play by or choose from. Lastly, if you are invaded, you can use an item to call for help so you have an ally summoned to rid the invader.

No matter how you want to play this game, the right way is the way YOU choose.


[Design]

- How the design affects the gameplay -
Elden Ring has a massive amount design elements that merge amazingly with the gameplay. The developers of this game are known for environmental storytelling. By surveying your environment, you can get insight into the story of the game, or know if an area is dangerous. But many of the design elements of the game can influence a player's decisions. I suggest that you pay attention to your environment as you travel. :)

- Music and Ambiance -
If the visual elements don't make a good enough of an environment for you, I found the ambiance to be perfect for every area I visited. The songs are elaborate and beautiful, and fit each situation very well. I haven't had a single issue with audio choice.

- Story -
If you're a fan of lore, I have fantastic news for you. There are pieces of lore in just about every corner of the game. Weapon descriptions that give crucial detail on a specific character or location, the architecture implying the origins of a place, enemies being in specific places.


[My Thoughts]
- My Experience -
I have always been a fan of titles like The Elder Scrolls, Destiny 2, Call of Duty, Pokémon, Dark Souls and such; games that give you an abundance of choice so you can play however you wish. Elden Ring to me is the best game I have ever played. The care put into it is immense, and I consider it a masterpiece. I can see myself playing it for years to come, trying new things or reliving the experience. Subjectively, it's a 10 out of 10 for me, because the shortcomings pale in comparison to the strengths, and that's how I think. Objectively, there is no such thing as a perfect game. There will always be imperfections and issues a game will have, but I can see Elden Ring as being one of the top games of this decade.

- Is this game for you? -
Regardless of what games mean to you, I suggest that you try it out for yourself to see if it's for you or not. Generally, if you like open world, challenge, choice, multiplayer, and stunning graphics, I would say it's likely you'll enjoy Elden Ring. Issues that I saw from myself or other friends that played the game, it's a pretty demanding game when it comes to your PC specs. Often times a friend of mine would have FPS issues and needed to turn the graphics down a bunch, and it ended up looking pretty rough. Although lag is an issue in every pvp experience, it was especially frustrating to me in Elden Ring because much of the core gameplay revolves around timing your inputs, and any delay is a big difference.