Recent reviews by drgn

a creative take on a timeless classic that says as much about the longevity of the original as it does the innovation of this installment. that said, since beating this one, i don't believe my craving for snake will return any time soon.

this culmination of most of the best features of the previous few games makes for a smoothness and ease that has been sorely missing; they seem to have finally plugged most of the annoying holes in the combat system.

that said, this game suffers from the same poor optimization, anti-aliasing implementation, and graphical style that makes more recent games so blurry and visually bland. if you'd like to obtain a more visually palatable image, do yourself a favor and adjust the following settings:

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upscaling -> disable
anti-aliasing -> fxaa + taa
render scale -> 125-150
texture -> highest you can mange
motion blur -> off
vignette -> off
depth of field -> off

I blame the so called "average gamer" for why we can't have nice games anymore. You know, the types that complain so much about anything difficult or different or less accessible to the point that the character, originality, and artistic intent of games is sucked out and replaced with generic corporate trash or hyper-accessible games that stand for nothing?

All the negative reviews on here can be summarized as one or both of two things:
1. Game run bad waaa
2. Something something game "archaic" and hard

As for the performance side of things, I truly do not believe that anyone who has hardware newer than 3 generations old has anything to complain about. This games runs on my system (void linux btw) at 80+ fps with DLSS or FSR on, and most settings high, with some ultra, some medium. I have a last generation GPU, the glibc on my system is outdated, and obviously I am running the game via a compatibility layer called proton. Sure, the "auto-set" config that was set up for me by default ran at like 40 fps, but 10 minutes in the settings menu later and I more than doubled that with relatively basic understanding of optimization. Sure, this game could DEFINITELY be better optimized (I hate up-scaling because it looks bad and I shouldn't have to use it), but as far as performance is concerned, I am surprised at how much the Moore's law power growth of GPUs has mentally crippled the PC gaming world.

As for the people referring the combat/controls/mechanics as sluggish, archaic, un-fun, floaty, janky, etc., I think you guys are just missing it. The controls in this game are, by far, the absolute tightest controls I have ever handled compared to all of FromSoft's games. Yeah it looks a touch floaty and jumpy, but that's the sacrifice necessary to give ultra-responsive controls. To the multiplayer point: this game is clearly just not a multiplayer-first game. The reduction in vigor gain for summons sounds like a fair way to balance the inherently overpowered nature of multiplayer. That said, the most valid criticism I've seen does, in fact, have to do with the multiplayer. The netcode and connection are built based on connection to the host, and everything must happen on the host's server before it happens for the summons' clients. As of 10/15, there seem to be some issues in the ping filter of matchmaking, and some network instability, this results in rubberbanding, de-syncing, etc. I heard this was due primary to release deadlines being so strict (almost always the fault of the publisher, mind you), that they were unable to complete all of the multiplayer functionalities they had planned. There is a glimmer of hope in the upcoming patches, as the playability of the multiplayer is likely to be greatly improved.

As for the combat, I actually thoroughly enjoy it, and think it is quite good...if a little too easy. I think that this game is a victim of the Dark Souls Effect, where people project their experiences and expectations they picked up from the souls games onto other games, which prevents people from more accurately judging and enjoying said games. Combat in this game is significantly more intentional and disciplined than the souls games, and much closer to sekiro and DS2. DS2 haters are going to read that and think of it as a negative, but I mean it in the most charitable way possible, especially considering that this game lacks most of DS2's biggest flaws such as janky hitboxes and terrible i-frame mechanic (the hitboxes in LoTF are ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ incredible and the dodges are super liberal with the i-frames). Those who came from Demon's, DS1, or even DS3 to DS2 or Sekiro were quickly taught a very important lesson in patience. It's quite possible to get through games like DS3 and Elden Ring simply by spamming whatever weapon you have, and out-healing whatever the game throws your way, assuming your panic dodging works out at least some of the time. But in 2, doing the same would quickly result in you being either mobbed and stunlocked to death, or out-poised by whatever you were fighting. I'm not going to comment on which combat style is "better" or "worse" because I think that would be like comparing apples to oranges. They're just different.

I think that the soulslike community has just gotten to a point where an insane power fantasy is the priority (see the gratuitous anime ashes of war, spells in ER/DS3 DLC), especially over whatever the true intent of the game experience is, to the point of neglecting the truly special essence of a "soulslike." That experience of discovering a new mechanic that radically alters all future combat, or the terror of potentially losing your souls if you don't make it back to where you died (revolutionized in this game with the mechanic of the slayer enemy carrying your vigor), the "ok, ok, I get it now, next attempt...next attempt I got this!" rush of adrenaline and focus that comes with learning a new boss and the disciplining of the impulsive fingers, the spark of creativity that comes in the form of a build idea from the mere discovery of an obscure or new mechanic... all of these things that made the Souls games so special to us as peoples experiencing them for the first time are here in droves, reborn with a more intentional (albeit referential) approach.

TL;DR:
Is this game perfect? No, not by any means, but it is very special and unique. Also, the PC gaming world has been corrupted by capitalism and brainrot.

edit: nvm game sucks

good at absolutely nothing that mordhau is, but much better at a lot of what mordhau is trying to be.

So close, it's so close to being so much better than it is.


I'd strongly recommend it to almost everyone as the majority of any player base is casual and generally unskilled, but it really sort of falls short in expectation when compared to the other souls games. (Don't come at me with "its not a souls game," bs, they've copy/pasted too much from the series not to be judged as part of it. As someone with multiple thousands of hrs of experience over all previous From Software titles, I count myself as qualified to review this one in detail; If you don't, that's fine but at least hear me out.


2 hit combo removal: One of the most necessary gameplay defining traits of most of the previous titles was the installment of a stunlock-til-death protection system. This presented as a buff to the start of the i-frames of the first roll inputted after being hit within a certain amount of time, therefore, being hit twice in rapid succession would nearly always allow you to input immediately afterward, and being hit three times would even further guarantee an input. For the reason of the true combo meta in the 3rd game, this functionality has been removed in Elden Ring, resulting in an even more imbalanced meta, and unfair combat situations.
It is now possible to infinitely true combo someone to death. I've seen it happen, and I've done it myself. In addition, the natural game plan of most plausible pvp builds revolve either around the most damage to be done in one attack, or the ability to stunlock for as long as possible. This instantly renders a large number of the weapon types to obscurity. You may think this is an issue solely presenting in pvp but you would be wrong. In pve the concern is less of the one-combo-kill variety and more of the deprecation in playstyle variety. There is not one encounter in any previous title that myself or my more skilled friends wouldn't feel confident engaging in without a shield, in this one however, nearly every instance of combat strongly compels you to use a shield or get stunlocked by some of the more unreactable attacks. Multiple fights have ended quite unfairly in these fashions. In essence the dependence on one's own skill seems strongly discouraged in favor of homogenized, highly defensive, shield or range based combat. This seems to be a trend with new games, this so intense a focus on accessibility to the deficit of the skill ceiling.

Parries suck now: Quite frustratingly, what is and what isn't parryable now seems to be decided quite arbitrarily, leaning towards the inability to be parried. In previous games what could and couldn't be parried was quite well defined and extended to nearly every single encounter, this led to confidence and a nice reward to anyone with the skill to parry. This shouldn't have been changed, I don't want to sit there and guard counter all day. There should be incentive to get good.

Further discouragement of skill: One fact that has kept me so enamored with the series would be the forgoing of stats in favor of experience/skill. Take for instance the large library of 0 hit boss fights on YouTube, some incorporating hyper glass cannons builds and some recorded as nothing more than a showcase of timing. All of that has been possible thanks to 2 simple traits: The first being the telegraphing of attacks, and the second being the i-frames of the dodge. In Elden Ring I have already run into a handful of attacks that violate these principles. Some attacks are either not sufficiently telegraphed, and some attacks that even dodged at the latest moment, have hitboxes lingering long enough to roll-catch. This feels really really bad and once again, strongly incentivizes the turtle playstyle, yuck. Every single attack must be telegraphed or the dodge roll is essentially useless, everything must be readable or there is a failure in the design.

Soundtrack: Bland and uninspired, maybe two tracks that stand out but mostly orchestral drivel. I implore you to listen to the Demon Souls soundtrack and then explain how this one isn't a disappointing downgrade. Boring atmosphere from a boring repetitive score.

Netcode or choice? Hmmmm: This section applies solely to the pvp side of the game. Try and punish a missed parry with a backstab, I dare you. Try and punish ultra spam (encouraged by the lack of combo system btw), with a backstab. Try even to punish a nearly immobile caster with a backstab. In almost all cases, your grab will fail and you yourself will be punished for your spacing and intuition to punish with a backstab. I have absolutely no clue why they changed this. The Souls backstab has slowly improved to borderline perfection in the third game, taking it nearly away only serves to further imbalance the combat.

Poise and hyperarmor: First and foremost I will state that I am not personally a fan of poise as a mechanic (thanks to the very very stale trade meta in previous games for reducing build/playstyle variety), but I will be further playing my biases aside for the sake of this review. I will not go into detail with example on how broken/unfair/inconsistent it is but will instead refer you to this Reddit post made before the release of the game on several issues that have yet to be fixed.
If this link does not work, simply search "Elden Ring PvP is not ready for the public and here is why" for the well reviewed post.
Other cons detailed in the above link include:

Glitches.

Overpowered Blocking.



The most fantastic level design in any From Software game to date: Oh. My. God. The only thing that seems to have been holding From back from SSS tier level design was the lack of vertical accessibility. Although gimmicky, the jump mechanic has allowed for something truly truly special here.
Incredible graphics and sound design: The attention to detail in the animations and physics in this game are superb. I sat for like a minute watching and listening to a massive banner flap in the wind. To be fair, for my 3070 and 32gb of ram to occasionally experience frame lag, the graphics has better be superb. And superb they are, the particle effects are enchanting and saturated unlike the more desaturated aesthetic of the other games. Makes me think we are now on past the age of gods into the age of man and dark. The sheer scale of this game and your place in it are things it never lets you forget.

Mommy holds you: You'll see.

All the other Souls-exclusive goodness that you must experience for yourself:
Interesting deep lore.

Intensely creative enemy design.

Subtle nostalgic references.

Immersive, somber atmospheres and tones.


There's more to each column but you should see them for yourself; You should definitely buy this game. I just want to warn any reader that this game is for casuals. It is not hard in any sense other than the push to play it in the way that everyone else does.

If you are a casual gamer: summon some friends and spirits and cast spells or guard counter your way to victory in this incredible open world souls-like that actually rewards prep time and exploration.
If you are a several playthroughs in a day challenge run style pvp vet: It's a little disappointing, and maybe your playstyle is now obsolete and maybe your skill doesn't really matter or won't be rewarded. But hey it's more Dark Souls so of course you're going to get it and love it :]

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