‘Elden Ring’ Review (PC)
Dark Souls games can be daunting for people who are not a fan of the series’ high learning curve and form of combat. For those that deep dive into them though there is a world full of lore and epic battles to be had, against other players and the enemies out for your blood. Elden Ring is a new gateway to these games with some new changes. The question is does it help the less experienced players to enjoy it more?
In Elden Ring you are one of the Tarnished on the quest to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord of the Lands between. In this world, which is ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal there are more than 80 bosses to be beaten and demigods to do battle with.
Instead of “souls” this time you collect runes, which can be collected and used as currency and to level up your character. This is the tried and trusted method that the fans will know well. There is a vast variety of armour and weapons that are dependent on certain attributes being applied to the character, and this pushes you to level up in a certain way.
The punishing gameplay of Elden Ring could put people off very easily, but unlike many other Dark Souls type games, there is a wealth of options of what to do at any time. Grace can be found on the map which will not only give you a resting point and a place to level up, but also provide directions on the map for which way to go next. You don’t have to follow this path of course and many hours can be spent doing side missions and beating side bosses.
One thing that is good for players is the ability to farm, and there are a few spots where this can be ridiculously easy. This is not a negative point though as for many people levelling up this way will allow them to continue their journey and keep enjoyment in the game. My experience with Elden Ring is that there is never a moment when you truly feel there is no way to go, and there are plenty of places to find that are noted down for later to come back to when strong enough.
What the open world has brought to Elden Ring is exactly what the Dark Souls games have needed and that is much more options and ways to continue the experience without truly being out skilled by the game. The ability to level up, even if it is done by farming helps to keep the game fun and interesting.
At this time of writing it is important to note that there are some bugs that do hinder the PC version of the game somewhat, but they are not truly game-breaking. My games machine is not the most powerful, but doesn’t really struggle to play the game, but of course to enjoy the game at its best, the more powerful the PC the better, but that goes without saying really.
Having put many hours into the game I felt I was ready to give my initial review. While I’ve not fully completed the game, I will manage to do so and if my thoughts change will update the review. To me though Elden Ring is the best Dark Souls game to date and even makes me want to revisit the past games to replay them.
**** 4.5/5
Elden Ring is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox, PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, and PC now.
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