I don’t think it’s an understatement to call Elden Ring one of the best games ever made. Easily eclipses all of FROM’s previous titles, unless Bloodborne gets a 60fps PC port, and will likely overshadow games media for the next decade. Dark Souls of x being the crutch of many poor games journalists will now become Elden Ring of x. Much like how Dark Souls spawned an entire genre of game based around stamina, bosses, punishing combat and difficulty, I expect Elden Ring to cause a multitude of changes in open-world games that are made over the next decade. So many design choices in this game dwarf countless open-world titles that came before it, so much so that I can’t really see myself playing another in quite some time.

Combat is easily the best in the series, iterating and improving on Dark Souls III’s fast paced action combat and adding features from past titles; Sekiro’s jumping and stealth, Dark Souls 2’s power stancing, Bloodborne’s visceral attacks and new additions to the combat system such as: great runes, mounted combat, ashes of war, and increased combo animations. The toolbox for combat encounters has never been bigger, refreshing, or more interesting. A knowledgeable player or souls vet won’t struggle with this game as long as they take advantage of the bevy of systems that allow one to make the game easier, while a newer player unfamiliar with the systems will likely struggle at first. It’s simultaneously the hardest game in the series and the easiest. There are many bosses that can stonewall you for hours, but you also have the option to simply walk away. A lot of players will slam their head against Margit for hours, not realizing that simply exploring the zone around him for the same time would make the fight vastly easier.

In summary, Elden Ring is likely going to be FROM’s crowing achievement, and best success for years to come. Expect it to sweep every awards show, for games journalists to not shut the ♥♥♥♥ up about it, and for people you’re friends with to not stop playing it. Every time I started playing this game, I’d easily lose at least 6 hours in a sitting, just enraptured in the game world, unable to stop exploring. I’m a few achievement away from 100% the game, making it the first game I’ve ever done that for. 11/10, deserves all the praise it’s getting.