Elden Ring made me a From Software believer

techcrunch.com:

Elden Ring isthe latest game in the storied tradition of punishing, mysterious titles by developer From Software, following fiercely-loved hits like the Dark Souls series and Bloodborne. I’ve wanted to love these games for a long time. I’ve followed the releases, watched precision speedruns and read treatises on their intricate level design. But something didn’t click.

Not for lack of trying, some combination of the bleak aesthetic, boringly elitist community (enjoying a popular video game franchise is not a personality!) and relatively on-rails gameplay experience put me off. I hoped Elden Ring would be different, that its unique blend of roving exploration and enticing esoterica would finally capture my attention.

So far it’s delivered and then some.

Note: Possible minor spoilers follow for the first two or three zones of the game. 

Since Elden Ring launched a few weeks ago, I’ve been slowly picking my way through its rolling hills and spooky marshes, nudging the story forward here and there. Because I wasn’t convinced I’d wind up sticking with the game past the first few hours, I uncharacteristically crashed through the character creator instead of agonizing for hours over what class to pick, settling on the confessor, a sort of grim nun with a penchant for pyromancy.

Forty-plus hours later, I’m alternately resisting my deranged urge to spoil Elden Ring’s obscure secrets and savoring the game’s long, slow journey. It’s a blast.

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As a longtime JRPG and MMO player, my favorite games tend to have big, colorful environments. Life is dreary enough as is and I’m generally hesitant to spend too much time in bleak, colorless worlds. Elden Ring doesn’t break