'Elden Ring' is the most complete RPG in years: review
It’s nearly 1 in the morning, and I’m still exploring Limgrave, trudging through waters to the west, more exploring with wonder than searching for anything in particular. Sometimes, it’s fun to do that in "Elden Ring."
And then it’s not. Turns out I’ve awakened a giant dragon from its slumber, and suddenly, flames are being spewed in my direction. I turn tail and run, and it’ll be days before I return to that area. I need to get stronger before I take on that dragon again.
Thankfully, in "Elden Ring," there’s plenty else to do and explore, and plenty of ways for me to evolve my Tarnished character. From Software’s latest action role-playing game is its greatest triumph, seamlessly marrying the brutal difficulty of prior games to a vast and instantly accessible open world that’s built for the curious gamer. "Elden Ring" is the most complete RPG I’ve played in years, blending classic ideas with unprecedented freedom.
A key part of that is the openness of the Lands Between, and the way the entire landscape is almost completely accessible to you from the very get-go. Sit through a cutscene and fight (and fall to) a boss you have no hopes of beating, and then you’re on your way, starting in Limgrave. Instantly, you can traverse almost the entire gaming world, a stunning landscape with a massive golden tree off in the horizon.
Instantly, you realize that there’s no wrong way to tackle "Elden Ring," and there’s no incorrect way to go. From Software doesn’t force you into any particular style or quest, instead permitting you to explore the entire world as you see fit. With my first character, I accidentally skipped the entire built-in combat tutorial, which takes place after your first death. Then I stayed close to a road, stealthing past enemies and going after only the occasional kill, as if trying to “progress.” Barely two hours in, that landed me in combat with Margit the Fell, one of the game’s five chief antagonists. I lost quickly, but the swiftness of that encounter speaks to the freedom you get to explore and make mistakes in "Elden Ring."
That exploration is key. From "Dark Souls" to "Demon Souls" to "Sekiro," games of this style have always pushed you to explore a good bit. But all those titles feel linear compared to the beauty and completely open access of "Elden Ring." Areas are vast and runes, items and NPCs lurk all over. All of this is also magically seamless on next-gen consoles, making for an even more pleasant experience. There’s nary a load time on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and the PS5 delivers a lush, beautiful visual experience to boot. I encountered some light texture pop-in on the Xbox, though, and some more prominent glitches on PC; despite all that, every version keeps load times to a minimum.
This encourages you to take your time working through "Elden Ring"’s lands, and several small tweaks seem built for exploration. Like all "Souls"-style games, "Elden Ring" hands you nothing, forcing you to earn everything. There’s no map until you discover it, and, save an early cutscene, the story remains cryptic and NPCs aren’t always clear. It’s on you to follow the story and find progress, although the game gives you the tools to do that. You’ll level your character up at sites of Grace, and once you find each of them, you can travel between them. That, and a spectral steed you get early on that you can summon at almost anytime, helps make world traversal efficient, preventing you from running about as if this were some ancient PC game.
Combat, meanwhile, is as good as it’s ever been, with plenty of versatility between characters. My favorite is the Astrologer, who blends the use of magic with standard combat. No matter who you choose, you get the ability to jump, something that was present in "Sekiro" but had been glaringly absent from "Souls" games until now. That jump comes with an ability to deliver a heavy attack down towards the ground, which can briefly stun a baddie. And apart from combat, that jump (as well as the double jump you can do with Torrent, your spectral steed) is useful as you traverse and explore the world.
It’s all terrifically done, especially when coupled with the story, which is full of mystery and plenty interesting. "Elden Ring" gets the little things right, too; the music that backs your journey is some of the best (and most well-utilized) in gaming. And every enemy feels distinct; you’ll face plenty of soldier-types, but the dragons and wildlife and the giant ogre-types that pepper certain lands inspire plenty of awe.
That awe dissipates the more you play, though, as you level your Tarnished and grow increasingly capable of downing the dragons and ogres and mounted nights. This is a game that grows with you, and it finds a unique sweet spot among "Souls" games when it comes to difficulty: As you level up, there’s always a new challenge, but never does a challenge feel unfair.
The game’s blemishes are few, and the most prominent is less criticism and more hope: I wish this game had a consistent coop mode. As it stands, you can “summon” other players in moments, a solid mechanic. I’d love to play this game for hours upon hours, though, with a partner.
Either way, I’ll keep playing it — at least until I’ve taken down that dragon.
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'ELDEN RING'
5 out of 5 stars
Available on Xbox platforms, PlayStation platforms, PC
Reviewed on Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, PC
