Navigating The Lands Between is made a breeze through the inclusion of an in-game map and compass - a first for these sorts of games by the Japanese developer. Yet another masterclass in art design and direction from FromSoftware. All have their beauty, though, and it's an engrossing trek venturing through them all. Some locations bask in the golden energy of the sun while others look like they've been pulled straight out of the grungy depths of the Valley of Defilement in Demon's Souls.
Meanwhile, the closer you get to the Erdtree in the north, the more magical the locales become. To the east are the toxic swamplands of Caelid, with a redraw sky hanging overhead. However, what was included in last year's Closed Network Test is just the tip of the iceberg.īeyond the comparatively ordinary borders of Limgrave lie otherworldly areas that wouldn't look out of place during the Blood Moon phase of Bloodborne. You could lose dozens of hours to the region alone, exploring its underground dungeons, scavenging for new items and upgrades, and fighting the weird and wonderful enemies that inhabit it. Limgrave sets the scene, with its rolling green fields, dilapidated buildings, and the imposing Stormveil Castle sitting atop its cliffy perch off in the distance. Stumbling upon high-level areas, toppling optional boss fights, discovering secrets and hidden quests, spotting strange but captivating enemies and locations off in the distance: Elden Ring wholeheartedly fulfils that fantasy of an open world FromSoftware experience, triumphantly fusing difficulty, freedom, and intrigue. A surprising amount of the world is open right from the off, allowing you to either take the main path or ride off into the sunset in any direction you see fit.Īnd those opening, explorative hours are nothing short of gripping. The Japanese developer hasn't let up on its commitment to difficulty in the slightest, and now you have the freedom to source that masochism from almost anywhere on the sprawling map of The Lands Between. If it wasn’t for the few too many disappointments under the hood, Elden Ring would already have most Game of the Year awards under lock and key.įromSoftware can still be incredibly proud of its achievements here, though, as it successfully translates the Dark Souls formula to an open world setting. It’s an astonishing feat, as Japanese developer FromSoftware adapts its wide but ultimately linear levels of the past to suit open-ended exploration and discovery. You can feel it the moment you push open the set of double doors looking out onto the opening area of Limgrave and begin exploring the vast open world at your feet. Elden Ring is a special, once in a generation type of game.
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