Elden Ring's Map is a Good Step for Soulslike Titles, but Needs More

gamerant.com:

The intertwining worlds of the Dark Souls series have become such a staple for the series that it has extended into the entire Soulslike genre. However, in FromSoftware's most recent title Elden Ring,the open field has made its world too large to be fully explorable without a comprehensive map to help players find locations and weapons like the Jar Cannon.

This new map is a welcomed addition toElden Ring, as the game makes a solid step toward being more of an open-world title as opposed to following the contained design of older titles. That being said, the minimal communication of this map still leaves plenty to be desired when compared to other open-world games which previously defined the genre.

Artist Combines Pokemon's Ursaring and Corviknight With Elden Ring Monsters

There is a lot that Elden Ring's map shows players, especially once they've learned how to interpret some of the markings that are scattered across the Lands Between. One example would be the various mines marked by red circles on the map, which show where players can get a large supply of the smithing stone upgrade materials, as well as the bell barrings that unlock these stones for sale. Players can also find where main roads will lead, and even the locations of undiscovered maps in darkened areas.

On top of the smaller things that players can see from the map, this also becomes the menu where Sites of Grace can be tracked and instantly warped to. It makes exploring new areas convenient, especially as locations like caves, ruins, and churches are marked onto the map when discovered. Alongside these conveniences, players are given the ability to mark their maps on their own, helping them find Elden Ring's merchants and revisit difficult areas that may