Before Elden Ring, I had never played a FromSoft game, and had no interest in their titles what-so-ever, viewing them at their worst, as pretentious and sweaty. I got caught up in the hype and decided to buy. What I have learned is to never let a fan base or reputation shape your idea of a game, or any artistic creation for that matter. Elden Ring is a wonderfully crafted game, with so much intricate and meaningful detail put into both the world and the level design. I was inspired to complete all achievements, which in 20+ years of gaming, I had only done twice before. It was able to inspire awe right up to the very last moment, and leaves me with so many memories and surprisingly complete knowledge of its massive map. After finishing the game, I found myself watching hours of lore content on YouTube.

Despite all of this, I do not view this as a perfect game, and I would not score it a 10 / 10, but it is very close. There are balance issues present, both in player weapon and enemy damage at times, and it can feel bloated. The story telling is sparse and its style is personally not for me, though the lore of the world in itself is interesting. It can, at times, feel extremely punishing, and at others, trivial. It's an odd place they have decided on for difficulty.

At the end of the day, it is a must play for pretty much anyone in my opinion, there's just so much to love. It serves the same purpose as BoTW for the Zelda franchise, bringing fans and non-fans alike into mutual appreciation. I never played Zelda before BoTW, and its sequel has become a day one buy. I never played a Souls game before, but the Elden Ring sequel / any DLC that FromSoft decides to put out, has become a day one buy. Elden Ring made me a fan.

Before Elden Ring, I had never played a FromSoft game, and had no interest in their titles what-so-ever, viewing them at their worst, as pretentious and sweaty. I got caught up in the hype and decided to buy. What I have learned is to never let a fan base or reputation shape your idea of a game, or any artistic creation for that matter. Elden Ring is a wonderfully crafted game, with so much intricate and meaningful detail put into both the world and the level design. I was inspired to complete all achievements, which in 20+ years of gaming, I had only done twice before. It was able to inspire awe right up to the very last moment, and leaves me with so many memories and surprisingly complete knowledge of its massive map. After finishing the game, I found myself watching hours of lore content on YouTube. Despite all of this, I do not view this as a perfect game, and I would not score it a 10 / 10, but it is very close. There are balance issues present, both in player weapon and enemy damage at times, and it can feel bloated. The story telling is sparse and its style is personally not for me, though the lore of the world in itself is interesting. It can, at times, feel extremely punishing, and at others, trivial. It's an odd place they have decided on for difficulty. At the end of the day, it is a must play for pretty much anyone in my opinion, there's just so much to love. It serves the same purpose as BoTW for the Zelda franchise, bringing fans and non-fans alike into mutual appreciation. I never played Zelda before BoTW, and its sequel has become a day one buy. I never played a Souls game before, but the Elden Ring sequel / any DLC that FromSoft decides to put out, has become a day one buy. Elden Ring made me a fan.