After really only relatively recently getting done with Dark Souls III, I won't lie that I was slightly saddened and skeptical when I learned that FromSoftware was moving on from their tried and tested series to something that looked to be completely different. I, although still quite hyped, doubted not only gameplay aspects like the new open-world, but more importantly to me and many, would the story and world live up to its predecessors? After around 110 hours for my first playthrough, I feel I can confidently say 100% yes.

Elden Ring deserves all the praise, GOTY awards and really everything else it’s been getting. I can’t possibly hope to match some of the reviews that are out there, so in short I’ll just say it’s a magical and enthralling experience if you can get past the steep learning curve and learn to take your time to truly appreciate the beauty of the Lands Between, in both lore and aesthetics. In my opinion it is perhaps one of the best AAA games to release in recent years, and if you can afford the price (around $80 CAD) I can’t recommend it enough; even if you haven’t played a souls game before.

Still though, nothing is without its imperfections, and I think here they can stand out even more so since the formula is so new. You will encounter a fair bit of recycled dungeons and bosses, that although have been fitted the best possible, it does still feel jarring. Some bosses, especially towards the end, do feel like they lean a bit towards the unfair; and speaking of towards the end, from just beyond the midpoint it does begin to feel more hollow content-wise as well which just adds to the feeling of a slog rather than the bang it started out with. Granted most of these issues do feel like they are being addressed, or will be in whatever game is next from FromSoftware, with for example spirit ashes to help with difficulty and the implementation of a jump button for movement - and of course the just announced DLC to add content.

Lastly, and feel free to ignore this, I do have a post-game nitpick I wanna voice. With the option to either accept or refuse Melina’s accord at the beginning, the game very much implies that you might have been able to pick other maidens, or at the very least do a true no-maiden run, but in reality this is only an illusion. Sure there is the Age of Stars and Age of Frenzied Flame endings respectively, but out of the six endings those two are the only ones that really differ from the Age of Fracture ending, which is reflected in the only three ending achievements. To me, although I had quickly forgotten the idea of the possibility of other maidens, reaching the hollowness of the end game it was very disappointing to see such little replay value or impact on the main choice of the game. In my opinion I think the end game would have been more impactful if you had a choice between maidens, or even aligned yourself with a demigod like it seemed they had planned early on. Still though I don’t think this is so much of a negative as it is a different design choice, and really has no effect on how much I’d recommend the game.

Anyway, to wrap this all up, I would highly recommend this game to anyone - from the most seasoned souls player, to the most casual gamer. This game will tell a story of perseverance, tragedy and eternal struggle; a culmination so far of FromSoftware’s best works, and one of the true successors to Dark Souls. Oh and if you’re debating between games, remember that Raya Lucaria is much better than Hogwarts any day of the week.

Now rise, ye dead who yet live, for the fallen leaves tell a story of how a Tarnished became Elden Lord…

After really only relatively recently getting done with Dark Souls III, I won't lie that I was slightly saddened and skeptical when I learned that FromSoftware was moving on from their tried and tested series to something that looked to be completely different. I, although still quite hyped, doubted not only gameplay aspects like the new open-world, but more importantly to me and many, would the story and world live up to its predecessors? After around 110 hours for my first playthrough, I feel I can confidently say [b]100% yes[/b]. Elden Ring deserves all the praise, GOTY awards and really everything else it’s been getting. I can’t possibly hope to match some of the reviews that are out there, so in short I’ll just say it’s a magical and enthralling experience if you can get past the steep learning curve and learn to take your time to truly appreciate the beauty of the Lands Between, in both lore and aesthetics. In my opinion it is perhaps one of the best AAA games to release in recent years, and if you can afford the price (around $80 CAD) I can’t recommend it enough; even if you haven’t played a souls game before. Still though, nothing is without its imperfections, and I think here they can stand out even more so since the formula is so new. You will encounter a fair bit of recycled dungeons and bosses, that although have been fitted the best possible, it does still feel jarring. Some bosses, especially towards the end, do feel like they lean a bit towards the unfair; and speaking of towards the end, from just beyond the midpoint it does begin to feel more hollow content-wise as well which just adds to the feeling of a slog rather than the bang it started out with. Granted most of these issues do feel like they are being addressed, or will be in whatever game is next from FromSoftware, with for example spirit ashes to help with difficulty and the implementation of a jump button for movement - and of course the just announced DLC to add content. Lastly, and feel free to ignore this, I do have a post-game nitpick I wanna voice. [spoiler]With the option to either accept or refuse Melina’s accord at the beginning, the game very much implies that you might have been able to pick other maidens, or at the very least do a true no-maiden run, but in reality this is only an illusion. Sure there is the Age of Stars and Age of Frenzied Flame endings respectively, but out of the [i]six[/i] endings those two are the only ones that really differ from the Age of Fracture ending, which is reflected in the only three ending achievements. To me, although I had quickly forgotten the idea of the possibility of other maidens, reaching the hollowness of the end game it was very disappointing to see such little replay value or impact on the main choice of the game. In my opinion I think the end game would have been more impactful if you had a choice between maidens, or even aligned yourself with a demigod like it seemed they had planned early on.[/spoiler] Still though I don’t think this is so much of a negative as it is a different design choice, and really has no effect on how much I’d recommend the game. Anyway, to wrap this all up, I would highly recommend this game to anyone - from the most seasoned souls player, to the most casual gamer. This game will tell a story of perseverance, tragedy and eternal struggle; a culmination so far of FromSoftware’s best works, and one of the true successors to Dark Souls. Oh and if you’re debating between games, remember that Raya Lucaria is much better than Hogwarts any day of the week. [i]Now rise, ye dead who yet live, for the fallen leaves tell a story of how a Tarnished became Elden Lord…[/i]