➤ Elden Ring review: a new standard 🎮

In this review we will talk about Elden Ring, the new open world action RPG developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco

After a wait that seemed to last forever we finally got to try Elden Ring, the new action RPG branded FromSoftware. In recent years, the Japanese software house has accustomed us to very high standards with its titles and for this reason everyone expects great things from their new game. In this review we will try to tell you about Elden Ring as accurately as possible and, of course, we will not give you any kind of spoilers regarding history and settings.

A shattered world

Elden Ring is set in theInterregnum, a vast magical land ruled by the Queen Mark. Once this place was flourishing but, after the murder of the first demigod, a very violent one was unleashed war that has devastated everything. Now that the world has plunged into chaos it is necessary to elect a new one Ancestral Lord and to fulfill this role i have been awakened Without light, immortal individuals who were once exiled from the Interregnum.

Talking about the history of a FromSoftware title is never easy, as they are mainly based on one silent narration which is not suitable for everyone. The only way to fully understand the plot of the game is in fact to read the descriptions of all the objects and pay close attention to the places you visit. However, whether you like this way of telling a story or not, it is undeniable extremely apt for Elden Ring. Thanks to the scarce presence of videos and scripted sequences it is indeed possible explore the Interregnum at your own pace and without interruptions, something that almost never happens in modern video games.

Elden Ring review: a new standard

An Enriched Formula - Elden Ring Review

Il gameplay by Elden Ring doesn't stray far from that of FromSoftware's Souls. At the base of the game are present as usual all the elements that distinguish Soulslike, such as limited healing, the risk of losing all experience points (Rune) accumulated in the event of death and the presence of checkpoints (Places of Grace) where to heal and perform other actions that bring enemies back to life once used. Furthermore also the combat system is very similar to that of previous From works, as it is once again based on the stamina management and on the correct timing of attacks and dodges.

Obviously, however, in the Elden Ring there are also several new mechanics, Such as il jump. Jumping will be useful to you mainly when exploring, but it will also allow you to perform powerful attack from above able to easily unbalance the opponents. In addition, a new type of counterattack has also been introduced that differs from the classic parry: the counterattack in defense. This technique consists in blocking an opponent's hit with the shield and then immediately counterattacking with a heavy attack, thus inflicting serious damage and unbalancing the enemy.

In addition, a sort of was also introduced in Elden Ring evolution of the Dark Souls 3 weapon skill system. By exploring the game world it is possible to get hold of numerous ashes of war, that is, objects capable of apply new skills to equipment. This new mechanic really adds so much variety to fights and will allow you to create unique combos based on your preferences.

Finally, another very interesting mechanic that comes directly from Sekiro is it stealth. In fact, in Elden Ring it is possible crouch down to move without attracting attention and hitting opponents unaware of your presence from behind. Also you can even take advantage of elements such as tall grass and bushes to hide even more effectively from the sight of enemies.

Elden Ring review: a new standard

Vastness and Density - Elden Ring Review

Now it's finally time to talk about the most important aspect of the game: the structure openworld. In recent years, titles of this genre have accustomed us to immense open worlds which, however, often ended up being empty or full of futile secondary activities. Elden Ring on the other hand does not suffer from this problem at all since, despite the game world it really is very vast, at the same time it is also extremely full of content.

In fact, exploring the Interregnum you will constantly come across dungeons, camps, fortresses, catacombs and many other points of interest. These places are often quite similar to each other in terms of structure, but they are all characterized by particularities that make them unique. They are also always extremely well contextualized in the place where they are located e it will never look like they were placed there just to fill a void. Exploring these places will not be a waste of time, since they almost always hide inside them extremely valuable unique treasures.

In addition to these small surrounding places, there are also several in the Elden Ring Legacy Dungeon. These dungeons generally are important to carry on the main storyline of the game and for this reason they are much larger and more complex than the others. In fact, the Legacy Dungeons are built with so much care that they have nothing to envy to the main levels of the other FromSoftware titles. These places hide within them many treasures, secrets, NPCs and information, and to be able to fully explore them it could take several hours.

Elden Ring review: a new standard

Breathtaking Scenery - Elden Ring Review

As we already said during our preview, Elden Ring is a title that places a lot of emphasis on exploration and the sense of wonder. In fact, the game world, in addition to being extremely vast and full of content, is also incredibly varied and fascinating. In fact, traveling through the Interregnum you will find yourself in front of places and situations that are so different from each other that, although they make perfect sense in the context of Elden Ring, they will almost seem to come from completely different games.

The vast areas of the game are also enhanced by the dynamic weather and a day / night cycle which affects not only the lighting, but also the presence of certain enemies. Furthermore, the whole game world is made extremely alive thanks to the presence of a large variety of wildlife and crafting materials well contextualized. All of these elements can be very difficult to memorize, but luckily you can count on one very detailed map that you can enrich with a large number of tokens.

Furthermore, FromSoftware has devised several very effective methods for make exploration smoother and less frustrating due to the typical difficulty of its games. For example, by defeating large groups of enemies you can restore the uses of healing items and keep moving forward without running the risk of running out of resources. As if that were not enough, you will also find some around statues of Marika, i.e. mini checkpoint which will allow you not to be forced to redo the entire route in case of death.

Elden Ring review: a new standard

Maximum Freedom - Elden Ring Review

Exploring the world of Elden Ring is a truly satisfying experience and it is not only for the reasons we talked about in the previous paragraphs, but also and above all for the total freedom offered to the player. In fact, from the very beginning of your adventure you can jump on the back of your trusty steed e go wherever you want at your own risk. As you play Elden Ring, you will soon discover that the restrictions imposed on the player are very minimal and that even many Legacy Dungeons will not necessarily be explored to reach the end.

All this freedom makes Elden Ring a game extremely replayable, since with each new game you will have the possibility to follow completely different paths. Furthermore, the possibility of not having to face certain dangers immediately is able to greatly simplify the experience of new players, since they will always have the possibility to reach new areas to strengthen themselves. Certainly there is a risk of ending up in extremely difficult places soon but, given that you can teleport at any time to any uncovered Place of Grace, you will never end up getting stuck.

Elden Ring review: a new standard

Waves of Bosses - Elden Ring Review

The Interregnum is certainly an amazing place, but it is also filled with lethal dangers. Every place you visit will be haunted by a large number of insane soldiers or nightmare creatures who can't wait to kill you in the most brutal way possible. FromSoftware titles have always been famous for theirs difficulties above average and obviously Elden Ring is no exception. The common enemies that are usually encountered on the streets of the kingdom are dangerous enough, but the biggest threat you will have to deal with are obviously the bosses.

In previous FromSoftware works the bosses represented a very important aspect of the game. Every bossfight was an extremely tense moment which left the player with a feeling of unique satisfaction at the moment of victory. This aspect is obviously also present in Elden Ring, but unfortunately suffers a little from the huge number of bosses that you will encounter during your adventure.

In the interregnum they are present lots of bossfights both inside and outside the dungeons and often you will also find yourself fighting the same enemies over and over again. Such an abundance of bossfights over time ends in diminish the role of bosses, making them little more than just powerful adversaries. Obviously this problem is not particularly serious considering that however, there are many bossfights of great impact, but in any case we think it is going to slightly damage the experience.

Elden Ring review: a new standard

The usual multiplayer - Elden Ring review

Basically the multiplayer by Elden Ring is extremely similar to that of the other Soulslikes by FromSoftware. Players can communicate with others by leaving messages on the ground preconstructed able to help or mislead other people, and of course they can also interact more directly. Leaving the appropriate ones on the ground golden or red marks it is indeed possible to be summoned into another player's world for help him or to face him in a duel. However, these summoning signs will not always be visible and to find them you will have to use a specific consumable item. It is also possible if you want invade another player's world to try to kill him, but in this case there are small differences. In fact, in Elden Ring it is only possible to invade the game of someone who is already playing in a cooperative.

In Elden Ring there are also several improvements designed for make online gaming more comfortable. For example, it is now possible to set more than one password for your game and send your summoning signs to specific hotspots where there is a large presence of players.

Unfortunately, however, the multiplayer of Elden Ring also carries with it all those problems that were present in the old games. Once again, in fact, when you try to summon someone you always risk running into very boring ones errors. Not to mention the invasions, which they very often suffer from severe desync which makes PVP extremely frustrating.

Pure Art – Recension Elden Ring

Overall from the point of view technical Elden Ring performs quite well. Our test took place on PS5 and from the options you can choose between a mode that favors graphic quality and one that instead focuses mainly on performance. Unfortunately, even with the performance mode which is supposed to guarantee a stable frame rate, the game ends up suffering in several areas of FPS drops. Luckily we have never seen serious drops like those of the CNT but, considering that Elden Ring is a cross-gen title, we expected much greater stability.

Despite some technical problems, the game still manages to shine thanks to a truly stunning artistic direction. FromSoftware titles have always boasted enormous care for the artistic sector but, considering the size of Elden Ring, this time we were truly speechless. Every single element of the game, from the structures to the equipment, is dealt with a cure that is really difficult to find in an open world, especially considering the very large variety of settings present in the title. Not to mention the enemies, all extremely varied and with gods design inspired to say the least.

Elden Ring review: a new standard

Conclusions

Now the point of our review where we sum up the Elden Ring has finally arrived. Among all the titles developed by FromSoftware over the years, this is certainly the largest and most complex. The gameplay of the game is really hilarious and, despite taking a lot from the other FromSoftware games, it differs with some simple additions that make it much more fresh and dynamic.

The biggest selling point of Elden Ring however is the way it is managed l’open world. The game world really is immense and at the same time it is also full of extremely well-finished and different contents. In fact, during your adventure you will come across countless different situations, places and adversaries that will continue to leave you speechless even after many hours of play. In short, Elden Ring certainly is one of the best open world titles of recent years and we're sure it will keep players glued to the screen for hundreds and hundreds of hours.

Elden Ring is now disponibile per PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One e Xbox Series X | S. If you are interested in staying up to date with all the news on the world of video games and much more, then continue to follow us here on {marca_origen}. Furthermore, in case you want to buy some games at an advantageous price, we suggest you take a look at the many offers on Instant Gaming.

9.8 A new standard for the open world