Even though I’m not a huge fan of Souls-likes, nor particularly fond of the community (from an outsider’s perspective, it often feels unnecessarily toxic and gatekeepy), Elden Ring is, without a doubt, one of the greatest games I have ever played. This game is pure art.

The Lands Between radiate an atmosphere unlike anything else. From the festering wastelands of Caelid, teeming with grotesque monstrosities, to the war-ravaged fields before Leyndell, all the way to the eerie, fog-cloaked Consecrated Snowfield, every location tells a story, immersing you in its beauty and decay. The moment you step out of that cave and gaze upon the vast world before you, an irresistible urge takes hold: you must explore. You need to see what secrets lie beyond the horizon.

The story, while cryptic, is fantastic, if you can piece it together yourself or dive into lore videos. Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin crafted a world that feels ancient, layered, and filled with enigmatic characters. Every NPC and boss brims with personality, their cutscenes a spectacle to behold. Their placement within the world feels meaningful, and the use of archaic English in dialogue only adds to the game’s overwhelming sense of myth and grandeur.

Combat is just as impressive, offering a staggering number of weapons, spells, and playstyles to experiment with. You truly have the freedom to approach encounters in countless ways. However, one of my few frustrations is how certain enemies demand very specific counters (bleed, sleep, etc.), yet the game provides little to no guidance on this. The difference between an "impossible" boss and a laughably easy one often comes down to knowledge the game itself refuses to share. Additionally, the quest design can be frustratingly obscure. While I appreciate a game that doesn’t bombard you with quest markers, Elden Ring takes it to an extreme: NPC dialogue is often so cryptic that you might not even realize a quest exists. Worse still, progressing through Leyndell and the later burned capital can lock you out of certain bosses, quests, and even legendary items required for achievements. In an era where min-maxed builds and day-one guides dominate the gaming scene, this kind of design almost forces players to keep a walkthrough open. Something that shouldn’t feel necessary in a game built around exploration and discovery.

Many praise Elden Ring’s open world and visually, it is nothing short of breathtaking. But when you strip away the artistic presentation and analyze it purely from a gameplay perspective, it actually follows a “familiar Ubisoft formula”, just without the map markers. Instead of climbing watchtowers, you collect map fragments. Instead of checklist objectives, you have caves, forts, Evergaols, overworld bosses like the Tree Sentinel and Night’s Cavalry, and golden seeds—repetitive open-world activities, much like in any other modern open-world game. Moreover, the world isn’t truly "open" from the start; major areas are gated behind story progression. A imo more fitting approach for an open-world Souls-like would have been a world where you could venture anywhere right from the beginning, facing the consequences of your choices without artificial barriers.

That said, my criticisms are nitpicks in the face of what Elden Ring accomplishes. It is, without exaggeration, a masterpiece. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone, whether they consider themselves a "gamer" or simply appreciate great game design. This is an experience that everyone should have at least once.