If Elden Ring Isn’t Your Thing That Is Totally Okay

thegamer.com:

Whenever an all-encompassing blockbuster rolls around, it can feel like you need to be a part of the discussion, to pick up the game as you try to understand why so many are so endlessly enamoured with it.

I remember when Horizon Zero Dawn launched it was hailed as a PlayStation classic, while all I saw was an impressive open world adventure that failed to innovate, its characters and storytelling unable to carry the weight of an experience that would soon be eclipsed by Breath of the Wild. Failing to understand the appeal of something can make you feel left out, or questioning if everyone around you is merely lying or overhyping a game that is far less than it claims to be. Or, it just doesn’t click with you, and that outcome is totally valid.

Related: 7 Elden Ring Characters You Will Definitely Simp For

Life is filled with games, films, books, shows, music, and so many other things that only appeal to certain people, and for good reason. If we all loved the same thing without a difference in taste or acceptance the world would be a very boring place. Debate and criticism are what makes being a lover of media so interesting, at least when it doesn’t devolve into toxic criticism or harassment purely because you don’t vibe with something.

This is sadly far too common in gaming, a hobby where many have turned a love for the medium into an aspect of their identity so precious that whenever someone seeks to dissect it by unconventional means they are met with vitriol. Yet to be conceived as an artform we must be subject to the same standards, and that means learning to accept when such things happen. We will see it happen with Elden Ring once its fervorous launch has passed us by, with many already hailing FromSoftware’s