In March 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild released alongside the Nintendo Switch and proceeded to be the most talked about game for a few months. Rather than speculating on who might sit on the Iron Throne, players were discussing that last Shrine they found, the last Tower they climbed, or an absurd encounter they had with a pack of Bokoblins. Although a Breath of the Wild sequel is currently set to drop this year, Elden Ring is up first and looks as though it might achieve the same effect.
RELATED: Rumor: Elden Ring PS4 and PS5 File Sizes Revealed
Elden Ring Has More Possible Boss Strategies Than Ever
FromSoftware games often get the limelight, with the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and Sekiro all enjoying a good deal of critical and fan discussion after release. Much of the discussion around FromSoftware’s previous titles has centered around their infamous series of difficult bosses and what methods players have used to defeat them.
When Dark Souls 3 released, the discussion around that game honed in on the game’s tougher bosses and what classes, weapons, and spells players were using to gain the upper hand. The same can be said for FromSoftware’s latest release Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, with players shifting the focus away from classes and weapons to discuss what consumable items and blocking patterns were best with the game’s difficult bosses.
Elden Ring looks as though it’s going to continue this trend, and expand upon it. While Elden Ring has the same number of classes as Dark Souls, the 10 that players can choose from seem a little more distinct. The variety of weapons in Elden Ring, and how they can be used, also looks to be more distinct than previous FromSoft games with twinblades, daggers, longswords, bows, and multiple types of magic all being present. This should offer a unique moveset that can be changed on the fly.
Weapon arts from Dark Souls 3 also make a return, with each weapon having an alternative attack that can fire a magic blast or perform a devastating move. Power stances from Dark Souls 2 are also featured, allowing players to dual-wield two weapons of the same type and be given a unique moveset that utilizes both at the same time.
These additional class differences, weapon types, and alternative moveset styles all combine to make Elden Ring seem like one of the most varied FromSoftware games, giving it the potential to be one of the most talked about releases of the year as more variation across play-styles means that there will be more strategies than ever
RELATED: Elden Ring Director Hidetaka Miyazaki Couldn’t Resist Putting Swamps in the Game
Open Exploration in Elden Ring
In gameplay footage and a lengthy network test demo sent out a few months ago, Elden Ring has drawn more than just a few comparisons to Breath of the Wild. Some comparisons are undeniable, but that’s not a bad thing.
Elden Ring looks as though it might just capture the same sense of freedom and exploration that Breath of the Wild gave players. From everything fans have seen, the game looks like it’s going to be extremely open with no dedicated map markers showing players points of interest. In the network test, players were able to explore just a small section of the map, but even in this small segment were able to discover a wide range of hidden tombs, caves, and optional boss fights.
After the network test, many players discussed what they found, which revealed that some players had a totally different experience finding areas and boss fights, coming into contact with a variety of different foes. If the network test is anything to go by, Elden Ring’s full release is bound to expand on this ten-fold.
When it releases, Elden Ring is almost certainly going to spark the same discussions that Breath of the Wild did. Players will be talking about the different caves they’ve found, secret bosses, and how they got attacked by a gang of unique enemies. With Elden Ring’s focus on leveling-up and loot, discussions about where to find the best armor and weapons are also likely to occur.
FromSoftware’s Signature Storytelling
FromSoftware has a particular style of telling a narrative, with most of its games’ plot being told through an opening cutscene and then environmental clues and item lore. Those who have deep-dived into Dark Souls’ lore know how confusing, but rewarding, this type of storytelling can be.
Although Elden Ring looks like it may have more of a straightforward narrative, with Game of Thrones’ George R.R. Martin lending his writing talents to the game. Yet it’s certain to stick to its roots, and there’s going to be a whole slew of lore tidbits hidden away in unassuming dialog and item descriptions. As is the case with every FromSoftware title, this is bound to spark years’ worth of discussions on YouTube, and is yet another area in which Elden Ring should achieve that ‘water cooler’ effect.
Elden Ring releases February 25, 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE: The Dark Souls Timeline Explained
