Elden Ring Review - A Modern Masterpiece That Surpasses All Expectations

thegamer.com:

Elden Ring is a triumphant exercise in fantastical misery. The Lands Between is a landscape defined by its own hopelessness, a splintered kingdom that has long fallen victim to death and decay, with only a few unfortunate souls still clinging onto life.

All in this realm feels lost, so when we step out of the darkness to restore order, the task before us appears insurmountable. We are a small, frail soul in a world dominated by tyrannical rulers and grotesque creatures beyond compare. Each step forward could be our last, a testament to our own futility as we bat away oncoming soldiers while scaling battlements or flee from spiders crawling amidst underground caverns. The vibe is very bad indeed, but even the bleakest of ultimatums can’t stifle the curiosity this game instils within you. It’s unlike anything else out there, an invitation to lose yourself and never look back.

Related: Netflix and Dreamworks Underestimate The Power Of She-Ra

FromSoftware has crafted an open world adventure that somehow surpasses all conceivable expectations. It combines Dark Souls’ natural sense of discovery with the foreboding atmosphere of Bloodborne, while perfecting this combination with a combat system that feels equal parts Sekiro and Demon’s Souls. Elden Ring is an unflinching masterpiece, and a marquee example of what this medium can achieve when it is willing to accept our investment without compromise. Now, step forward and embrace your destiny as a lowly Tarnished.

Elden Ring will be both keenly familiar to Soulsborne veterans while simultaneously providing an experience that feels completely alien. The fundamentals of combat, exploration, and cryptic storytelling remain untouched, but the addition of an open world