Elden Ring’s new patch throws a grenade into a culture war

digitaltrends.com:

Anyone who’s tried to critique Elden Ring in the past month has found themselves playing the most punishing game of all. The game launched on February 25 to nearly unanimous praise from critics and FromSoftware fans alike, but not everyone was won over. Some took to social media to voice their displeasure with certain parts of the game, like its lack of accessibility features or obtuse UI. Fans seemingly had an excuse for every quirk, insisting that everything was the product of intent and that addressing any quality of life complaints could ruin what makes the game special.

That argument has imploded with a simple game update. Elden Ring’s 1.03 patch brings several bug fixes and balance tweaks to the game, but one change in particular is catching players’ attention. NPCs will now be marked on the map after players meet them, allowing fans to better keep track of their previously obtuse quests. It was a quality of life update some players were begging for, but an opinion that was met with discourse and ridicule.

With stalwart supporters having no choice but to change their tune, the Elden Ring patch spotlights the most frustrating aspect of gaming right now: Everything is a culture war that leaves no room for nuance.

Arguments over Elden Ring were heated before the game ever came out. The Souls series has always been at the center of a debate that’s had some asking for basic improvements to make the experience accessible to more players. That ballooned into a nasty discourse, with fans arguing that people who don’t (or can’t) play FromSoftware’s games should just shut up and play something else.

That cruel streak has continued with Elden Ring but has gotten even broader. With the game scaling the basic philosophy of Dark