Elden Ring is a masterclass in storytelling and world building.
This game resonates super hard with me. The mythology is rich and deeply intriguing. The story is layered. The heros are flawed. The game itself is ridiculously fun. Also equally frustrating. But then you beat that challenging area and it was worth it. Visually, the game is stunning. Just nails the aesthetic. It's quite literally perfect in my opinion.
(Image credit: FromSoftware) | Updated:
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Game
The director of Elden Ring, Hidetaka Miyazaki, creates games that are known to be difficult. His Dark Souls series, for example, has a reputation for being very difficult games. They are indeed challenging but they are fair games. No challenge the game presents to you is insurmountable. You practice, you get better, you win. Meeting the challenge is part of the experience, especially since overcoming the challenge unlocks more of the world. You sort of develop a deep connection as you traverse the world and challenge yourself, defeating boss after boss, and navigating more beautiful and challenging areas.
Gameplay is an action RPG where you fight enemies with a sword or magic. Each encounter almost feels like a rhythm game. You learn the timing of that enemies moveset and counter with your own. Learn when to block, when to strike, when to roll away. It's almost dance like. Unless you are me and are franticly mashing buttons because the game gets too intense!
If you are familiar with Super Mario Bros, then I can think of no better comparison. In that game you progress forward in a level, navigating challenging obstacles, and maybe die to a turtle or fall down a hole. When you die, and you die a lot in Super Mario Bros, you try again, now with more knowledge than before. It's literally the same thing in Elden Ring (and Dark Souls for that matter). Move forward, learn from your mistakes, meet the challenge, your character gets stronger, repeat. The loop is fun.
Story
The game takes place in world called "The Lands Between". The rich backstory of the world was developed by George R.R. Martin. You know, of a Song of Ice and Fire fame. The impact of his world building can been felt, from the the politics of the waring factions, the complex and ancient history of the cultures, and the overall weightiness of the world. The Lands Between feels alive. Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of the game, also has a reputation for creating immersive and rich worlds. Miyazaki's design philosophy enables a sort of "show" don't "tell" approach to storytelling in game. If you pay attention to the details of the world, the story and depth of the game reveals itself.
A deep sadness permeates every environment. There is a quiet dignity on display, of characters standing tall in the face of their world ending. The musical score reinforces this feeling. Each area of the game has its own mood. As you navigate the soundtrack changes. Moving from the somber and quiet melancholic mood of the starting area, Limgave, you may work your way east into the deeply rotted land of Caelid. The music changes from this dark and eerie, and actually quite peaceful ambience, into something more chilling and unsettling. The soundtrack is also rather subtle, it is never the main subject.
The color palettes change. Limgrave is warm, almost summer like. Caelid is consumed by this rot and is red and menacing. Liurnia has a deeper palette, more saturated. The capital area is bathed in warmth, in gold light, and feels of autumn, which is extremely fitting as the golden leaves fall the order of the land is also withering and falling. The game is beautiful in how it builds mood with music and color.
That vibe changes when you enter boss fights and the music takes center stage. Becoming an intense orchestral piece accentuating the intensity of the fight and what may be at stake. You can listen to it all on YouTube.
There are these small moments when you are exploring that stand out. Quiet moments that tell a story without a word being spoken. It's the environmental storytelling that makes the world so rich and immersive. Every aspect of the game feels methodically crafted and thought out. No stone is left unplaced. For example one of the earliest experiences in the game is navigating south towards the Weeping Peninsula. As you cross a bridge you meet a blind woman named Irina. She is sitting alone among the bodies of soldiers. They were killed attempting to get her out of their castle after a rebellion. If you just run through here you may not even notice. Slow down and look at the details around the space and you will see a story unfolding. Speak to her character and get some more information. Her father is still at the castle. She asks you to deliver a note.
There are these odd very large structures littered all over the starting area. You can see that the architecture of those giant structures do not match the architecture of the surrounding area. The castle design is different, the bridges, the towers, nothing match these broken structures. As you progress far into the game you arrive at a location that looks eerily similar. You realize that place, called Crumbling Faram Azula, is literally falling apart. Those giant structures are part of the crumbling city. And you learn they are much older than the current civilization.
Community
Content creators
For some incredibly deep dives into the lore of the game check out Vaatividya youtube channel.
I bought the game not knowing it was a Fromsoftware game. I saw a marketing image and that it was written by George R.R. Martin. Bought it blind. Realized what I did once I started it. But was enamored immediately. Anyway, I also watched Day9 stream the game live in it's entirety when I wasn't playing. You can watch his entire playthrough on YouTube.
Challenge and Speedrunners
BingoBrawlers to watch speedrunners compete in a randomized competitive mode.
Websites
The wiki - https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Elden+Ring+Wiki
Recently I have discovered the Tarnished Traveler. Really good website with lots of guides and information. Most interesting to me is the challenge generator.
Screenshots from https://imgur.com/a/elden-ring-environment-screenshots-RwjHWF4.
