FromSoftware has made history more than once with the amazing titles it has released over the years. However, I’d argue that few had the cultural impact of Elden Ring. The game combined the elements that were already great about the Dark Souls franchise, while also allowing players to explore a vast, open-world full of dangers and wonderful things to discover.
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Granted, Soulslikes are not for everybody, as some people lack the patience to face a boss dozens of times only to learn its attack patterns and emerge victorious. But for those of us who live for the unmatched feeling of satisfaction that comes after so much punishment, games like Elden Ring are just what the doctor ordered. Here are some elements about the game that completely changed the expectations for other titles in its genre.
9 Minimal HUD Elements
It’s More About Relying On Your Eyes
Many open-world RPGs are heavily reliant on flashy HUD elements to help guide you through the experience. Whether it is a massive GPS in the lower right corner, or displayed text as you walk around, there’s always something being thrown at you. And while it can sometimes be useful, the lack of said elements is one of the things I love most about Elden Ring.
By not having many of the classic HUD elements you’d expect to find in a game like this, you have to rely on your eyes and your sense of adventure. Sure, you have the map, but you have to access it. If you’re lucky, with enough exploration, you’ll eventually find some of the best optional bosses in the game.
8 The Underground Layered Experience
Levels Upon Levels of New Areas to Discover
There are all sorts of areas in Elden Ring. I’d classify them into three different categories: pleasant, beautiful, and hellish. Areas like Limgrave, Leyndell, and the Altus Plateau would fall into the pleasant category, whereas I’d place Caelid and Farum Azula into the hellish one. As for “beautiful”, I’d give that rating to areas like Nokstella, and the Siofra River—especially the latter. And I think it’s no coincidence that they’re both underground.
Elden Ring has a lot to offer on the surface, but as you dive deeper into The Lands Between, there are even more places to discover that feel like a completely different world altogether.
7 Map Interconnection
A Cave Might Lead to Somewhere You Don’t Expect
This isn’t something exclusive to Elden Ring, nor is it something that the game invented. However, few titles have managed to deliver the same level of interconnection without it feeling forced. One moment, you’re being teleported into a crystal cave by a magic trap chest, and the next, you’re finding that the exit leads to the outskirts of Caelid.
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And the same goes for several other dungeons, mines, and caves. There are several different ways to reach the same destination, and you can, more often than not, choose the one that suits your needs best. Depending on how much you’ve explored, you might already know that some caves are inhabited by deadly enemies and fearsome bosses. Luckily, if you’re like me and love squishing enemies like bugs, there are some amazing Strength weapons in Elden Ring that will make short work of most foes.
6 Ashes of War
Immense Weapon and Build Flexibility
Back in the days of the Dark Souls franchise, there was a more primitive version of this concept, and you’ll probably know what I’m talking about if you’re a veteran Souls player. In the olden days, you could infuse your weapon so it was Sharp, Raw, Refined, Poisoned, and more. Each one had different benefits and scaled better or worse with a few attributes.
Ashes of War in Elden Ring took this one step further not only by putting more options on the table, but also by allowing you to change them as you see fit. In most titles, you have to commit to a specific weapon modification, whereas in Elden Ring, you can always change your mind. And if you want to maximize the effects of your Ashes of War, you should definitely look into the best talismans in Elden Ring. Rest assured, you’ll become a force to be reckoned with.
5 Stakes of Marika
A Most Welcome Breath of Fresh Air
Changing the famous Bonfire resting points from the Dark Souls franchise, for the Sites of Grace resting places, was, in my opinion, a solid call. Especially considering that they work a lot better with the aesthetic of The Lands Between. That said, the concept remains the same, and sometimes, Sites of Grace are too far from a challenging boss, forcing you to repeat a tedious run multiple times.
This is why the Stakes of Marika, where available, are a godsend, as they save you a considerable amount of time, and make the experience of running back to a specific boss much less frustrating.
4 Torrent’s Vertical Traversal
Horseback Riding Taken to a Whole New Level
Horseback riding as a form of transportation was a part of open-world RPGs for decades prior to Elden Ring‘s release. However, this title did break the mold in terms of how traveling on horseback worked. Instead of just hopping on top of Torrent and going from point A to Point A to Point B horizontally, Elden Ring added the possibility to use air streams to travel vertically in order to discover new horizons.
Granted, this can sometimes backfire and be more of an inconvenience if you’re not careful—after all, it is a FromSoftware game, so even a game mechanic like this will have its peril and can cause you to fall to your death. But that’s exactly why we love titles like these.
3 Complex NPC Questlines
Easy to Miss, Yet Often Greatly Rewarded
NPC questlines have been around since the early days of FromSoftware. However, with every new title that the developer has released, there seems to be an upgrade in their complexity and variety. Given how vast Elden Ring is, there’s a very high chance that you’ll miss more than one questline during your first playthrough—especially considering how sometimes, even the tiniest mistake or miscalculation in timing can impact the overall outcome.
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Sure, there are many other open-world RPGs out there that also offer NPC questlines, but in my opinion, none can compare. NPC questlines often yield handsome rewards, such as the Bull-Goat Armor Set, which is part of Patches’ questline, and one of the heaviest armors in Elden Ring.
2 Time-of-Day Exclusive Encounters
Some Enemies Only Appear at Certain Times
As opposed to its much more linear predecessors in the Dark Souls franchise, Elden Ring features a day-night cycle that works not only as a way to make The Lands Between feel more realistic, but also to determine when certain enemies can be encountered. A great example of this is the Night’s Cavalry bosses in Limgrave, the Weeping Peninsula, the Altus Plateau, the Dragonbarrow, the Consecrated Snowfield, and a few other locations. They are completely optional, and only appear at night.
Time-of-day exclusive enemies are a great way to randomize the traveling experience and offer or remove a challenge from players’ paths depending on when they cross a certain area. The Night’s Cavalry bosses are not that challenging, but if you’re ever struggling to beat them, be sure to check out some of the most overpowered builds in Elden Ring.
1 Alternative Routes
Not All Roads Lead to a Challenge
Alternative routes are the cherry on top of the cake when it comes to Elden Ring. While most open-worlds also allow you to have a certain degree of freedom when it comes to how you can discover the world and which enemies you can choose to face, I find that Elden Ring takes this one step further.
For example, Margit and Godrick are the first two real skill-checks in the main game. And while I definitely recommend you try to beat them to prepare yourself for the challenges you’ll face further down the line, you can also choose to skip both of them using alternative routes. You can do the same with some of the hardest bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree, such as Midra, but again, I recommend you don’t skip anything to get the full experience.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
