Elden Ring

 PlayStation 5
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 12214 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9,064 out of 12214
  2. Mixed: 809 out of 12214
  3. Negative: 2,341 out of 12214
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  1. Alias--
    Sep 11, 2023
    7
    It's good, but lacking in replayability compared to previous solus games. Part of that is because of the switch to open world or "open field". Going open world meant sacrificing something special about the formula, the core experience of traversing those tight linear, labyrinthian corridors that defined demon souls, dark souls 1 and dark souls 3. That tight, expertly paced gameplay andIt's good, but lacking in replayability compared to previous solus games. Part of that is because of the switch to open world or "open field". Going open world meant sacrificing something special about the formula, the core experience of traversing those tight linear, labyrinthian corridors that defined demon souls, dark souls 1 and dark souls 3. That tight, expertly paced gameplay and sense of progression is just completely missing from this game.
    Instead of this the meat of the game is the huge but empty feeling open field areas. The sheer spectacle and novelty of horseback exploration of these gorgeous landscapes is enough to get you through it the first time, but this portion of the game really drags on repeat playthroughs.
    When the game does give you a taste of the old school souls level design like in Volcano Manor it just doesn't feel significant enough. Don't get me wrong, the amount of content is well worth the money, and you will enjoy your first time running through, but the experience just doesn't live up to the heights of the genre.
    My hope is that they change things up for the dlc and focus more on fleshing out the "legacy dungeons" rather than pushing for more time spent in huge open areas. Also a patch to change the multiplayer system would be nice, they really botched it this time around    … Expand
  2. letmesoloher
    Sep 10, 2023
    6
    Pros: - Good Atmosphere, the world is quite well built and has some nice visuals. It's really cool to walk around Liurna, and cross with some random caves around. Also, congratulations to whoever came with the idea of Farum Azulla, that whole place is really awesome.
    - No markers, making the discovery experience challenging and rewarding. The map thing is also cool.
    - Well designed enemies    Pros: - Good Atmosphere, the world is quite well built and has some nice visuals. It's really cool to walk around Liurna, and cross with some random caves around. Also, congratulations to whoever came with the idea of Farum Azulla, that whole place is really awesome.
    - No markers, making the discovery experience challenging and rewarding. The map thing is also cool.
    - Well designed enemies - for instance, It's very cool to fight a dragon, and every dragon has it's own power. Just to give an example of how well designed the enemies are, in Skyrim, after you fight a dragon for the second or third time, it just gets repetitive, while in Elden Ring it always feels like a completely new and unpredictable foe. - Good combat system. From souls like games - and maybe from all the games I ever played - I still prefer Bloodborne combat system, but Elden Ring fights, for me, are still much more exciting than the combat from most open world RPG's.

    Cons:
    - Repetitive Bosses. The same bosses are showed over and over again, just changing the name and increasing some of their stats, to make them feel more difficult.
    - Almost no soundtrack on the entire game. One of the main reasons why Skyrim was such a hit in my opinion: It had a great soundtrack, which made It's atmosphere much more immersive than most of It's genre.
    - Unconvincing Lore - why call George R R Martin and ask him to write the whole lore if none of this is even accesible to the public? For me It feels like NPC's are just a detail, with shallow dialogues, and honestly, the tarnished trajectory doesn't convince me at all - maybe if we were presented to whatever was written by George R R Martin, maybe it would convince us, I don't know. After you beat Malenia and the Elden Beast, It simply doesn't make much sense to keep playing this game. In Skyrim you could join the stormcloaks or the imperials, you could also do the dark brotherhood questline, or thieves guild, or even become a vampire - or maybe fight the vampires and join the dawnguard - you could also become a werewolf and join the companions if you wished, or maybe fight miraak.. I mean, the point is, the main quest was just a detail in face of all the other choices and possibilities you could take as a player - And that's why people still play Skyrim to this day. In Elden Ring, after you finish the main quest and kill the main bosses, everything just gets dull and repetitive. I get it, it's a soulslike, but in the end, It simply fails to be a compelling open world game. I liked the game, but would I play it again? Nope, because there's nothing new to see, and the whole story is not even there.    … Expand
  3. IDlkcvjasd
    Sep 4, 2023
    5
    Cannot upgrade all weapons to +25 in NG0. Bad attributes scaling means no scaling after mid-game.
  4. Goldmembah
    Aug 16, 2023
    7
    Es bueno pero para mí está algo sobrevalorado, está bien la libertad que da para explorar pero este juego va al extremo y no te dice casi nada sobre su hulistoriany mundo, a veces se agradece que un juego te presente su historia y lore de un modo más tradicional, creo que se pierde mucho así y se pierde gran parte del trabajo de los desarrolladores y de George Martin.
  5. Dee-Jay_Deli
    Aug 6, 2023
    5
    Redicilously overhyped game by a studio that has been releasing the same game with the same (outdated) engine for the past decade. All they have going for themselves is a ravid fan-base that cum everytime FromSoftware repackages the same game and critics who are excited that the game doesn't have quest icons (or any sort of guidance).

    But how about the 101 of good game-play, such as:    Redicilously overhyped game by a studio that has been releasing the same game with the same (outdated) engine for the past decade. All they have going for themselves is a ravid fan-base that cum everytime FromSoftware repackages the same game and critics who are excited that the game doesn't have quest icons (or any sort of guidance).

    But how about the 101 of good game-play, such as:
    Technically modern game?
    Responsive and fun combat?
    Widescreen support?
    Modern UI that doesn't require a tutorial to navigate?

    Elden Ring has none of that. Why? Because From is technically complacent...dare I say...lazy? As much as I'd love to join the circle jerk about their open world design, I just can't enjoy it because of the reasons noted above.    … Expand
  6. SpinyKoopa
    Jul 28, 2023
    6
    It's a solid game. But nothing more than a mod. It feels like Dark Souls 3 in slow motion with meaningless encounters. The level design is significantly worse compared to the Souls Games. It feels like someone used an editor and just put mobs into a world and built some sandbox-like dungeons and ruins.
    It is really terrible that you actually can go everywhere but you get just killed in    It's a solid game. But nothing more than a mod. It feels like Dark Souls 3 in slow motion with meaningless encounters. The level design is significantly worse compared to the Souls Games. It feels like someone used an editor and just put mobs into a world and built some sandbox-like dungeons and ruins.
    It is really terrible that you actually can go everywhere but you get just killed in some locations meaning you are wandering around looking for playable content. The Story is even qorse than in the Souls games. And the media is giving 96 points.. total joke for this empty game.    … Expand
  7. Crowolff
    Jul 17, 2023
    7
    this game is good I like that but ...everything is very repetitive from dungeon to bosses and everything And it's boring are they going to open world crap bcz casuals this is nothing new or unique just dark souls 4 open world ..overhyped and overrated
  8. amwazdraws
    Jul 10, 2023
    7
    I really love Fromsoftware and I loved Elden Ring and platinumed it, but this game has some issues. The game is just way too big. I would have prefered a smaller game with good and unique bosses, instead of forgettable minibosses scattered all around the game, placed at the end of the dungeons and mines.
    The bosses in the Late Game are not good and it doesn't feel satisfying to defeat    I really love Fromsoftware and I loved Elden Ring and platinumed it, but this game has some issues. The game is just way too big. I would have prefered a smaller game with good and unique bosses, instead of forgettable minibosses scattered all around the game, placed at the end of the dungeons and mines.
    The bosses in the Late Game are not good and it doesn't feel satisfying to defeat them. Malenia is one of the worst bosses Fromsoftwarte designed. Only a few bosses come close to the quality of the Dark Souls III bosses (Mogh, Placidusax, Rykard...).
    The design of the Legacy Dungeons is a bit weird. Why not just stick with the more linear design of the levels like in the Dark Souls games?
    I mostly enjoyed the startings areas.
    Can't wait for the Expansion and I hope they will improve on the boss quality.    … Expand
  9. dr-kenobi
    Jul 10, 2023
    6
    Доволі overrated, як на мене. При зачистці всіх однотипних нудних дандженів (а як можна очікувати іншого від людей, які грали в соулси), боси тривіалізуються просто до рівня кежуал (навіть без спіріт саммонів, з ними це просто імба). Зрозуміло що це робить тайтл більш accessible для загалу й відповідно він принесе більше кеша, але все ж тоді варто зберегти якийсь баланс для досвідченихДоволі overrated, як на мене. При зачистці всіх однотипних нудних дандженів (а як можна очікувати іншого від людей, які грали в соулси), боси тривіалізуються просто до рівня кежуал (навіть без спіріт саммонів, з ними це просто імба). Зрозуміло що це робить тайтл більш accessible для загалу й відповідно він принесе більше кеша, але все ж тоді варто зберегти якийсь баланс для досвідчених соулс-геймерів, інакше просто виходить класична ґрайнд-бігалка і вся магія соулсборну помирає в зародку. Не варто було й Мартіну віддавати лор, те в чому Міядзакі і команда завжди були дуже сильні. Тепер замість Неймлес Кінга, Лорда Ґвіна, Лотріка, Орфана й інших феноменальних босів, отримали 5 версій Ґодфрі, Ґодріка, Ґідеона, Марґіта, Морґота, Ранні, Рінні, Ренні, Мезим й купу інших імен згенерованих рандомайзером (як власне Мартін завжди робить для свого фентезі і не приховує цього). Істинно гру року варто було віддавати Богу. Єдине, що дійсно заслуговує поваги в цьому тайтлі це левел дизайн (лише не дандженів), те що в білд світу вкладено тони годин кранчів дуже і дуже помітно, але на жаль цього не достатньо, щоб бути досконалою грою.… Expand
  10. Harthik69
    Jul 9, 2023
    6
    Superb game and visuals but difficult to me to play thats why i dont want to play this agian
  11. YZDSA
    Jun 30, 2023
    7
    Still the souls games are weak from the narrative telling factor.. the world are fantastic however the game its not for all the gamers.. its too hard.. nice to try but its not a fun experience for the beginners
  12. sagemilli92
    Jun 26, 2023
    7
    After playing over 100 hours, I can see why people would like this style of game, but I can confidently say this style is simply not for me. The open world was clever and cool at times, but I still have no idea what is going on as far as story goes, which might be part of the schtick but like I said, this style just isn't for me.
  13. Ctbarton
    Jun 16, 2023
    5
    This game is good but definitely not the perfect score that it gets game lack direction and any good story the story is same old one but just told in a different way honestly sounds like a washed up lord of the rings story
  14. Varvein
    Jun 6, 2023
    6
    This game is very unforgiving, but this is kind a problem i have with souls-games in general. The combat is too linear and there is no real movement based combat.
  15. Rubenoso
    May 15, 2023
    6
    Puedo entender porque a muchos les gustó. Su mundo abierto es gigantesco, y tiene gran diseño artistico, pero creo que está muy sobrevalorado,empezando por los bugs que permiten matar a los jefes a travez de una pared, unos menus insufribles, mala optimizacion y un sistema de controles al que no le encontre sentido. Entiendo que a muchos les guste, pero en lo personal es un 6.
  16. CnPx98
    May 6, 2023
    5
    The game is extremely rushed and full of issues which lets the good sides down. For example the Ps5 version still hasn't even got vibration support! The game has been out a year now and they still haven't bothered. Instead they will patch a rune glitch which is slower then killing a bird then resetting at a site of grace. PvP in this game is terrible compared to every single other soulsThe game is extremely rushed and full of issues which lets the good sides down. For example the Ps5 version still hasn't even got vibration support! The game has been out a year now and they still haven't bothered. Instead they will patch a rune glitch which is slower then killing a bird then resetting at a site of grace. PvP in this game is terrible compared to every single other souls game. The ashes of war are extremely unbalanced. It's so easy just to win by doing something completely broken. Summoning has completely killed the game for me. Instead of them being a slight boost to distract the boss for a couple seconds so you can quickly sort yourself out. Instead they grab the bosses agro for ages so you can get half their health down if not more and have little to no risk while doing so?! Because the bosses are built around this mechanicthey are a mess if you don't use them. The open world map was amazing and some of the best work from software has done but the enemies are just copy and pasted several times you get sick of seeing the same ones. Even most of the bosses are just regular enemies with a health bar at the bottom of the screen! Including the same health. You get rats and countless other enemies in some places which have 100 HP and a rat in another place with 1000 with the exact same texture! Why didn't they change the texture to match the environment and then change its health so it feels more consistent. This is across the hole game. Within the 1st couple zones you would have already thought more or less everything with a few exceptions. It's just gonna be different health bars from then on. The story isn't bad. The lore is easier to follow in Elden Ring. I thought the fingers looked cringe thou. Faith has seen a huge upgrade making faith builds actually more viable.
    There is a ton of spells to choose from aswell. Ashes of war seem like a good idea but in practice I think it would have been better if they had a few weapons with a set ash of war that you can't change. That way the weapon would be balanced around it. If you can throw it on anything you get broken weapons that are far to op. All in all Elden Ring would have been good if it wasn't rushed out the door. And they didn't have summoning.    … Expand
  17. Benetka
    May 3, 2023
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Krasse cutscenes … Expand
  18. rp36
    Apr 29, 2023
    7
    The high critic score is a case study in what happens when hype builds for so long. Similarly with all these 10/10 ratings. More and more people simply cannot think for themselves.

    This is arguably the worst soulslike game (better than DS2). The open world is large, but lifeless. The exploration can be good, and really does shine when you come across legacy dungeons, but the open world    The high critic score is a case study in what happens when hype builds for so long. Similarly with all these 10/10 ratings. More and more people simply cannot think for themselves.

    This is arguably the worst soulslike game (better than DS2). The open world is large, but lifeless. The exploration can be good, and really does shine when you come across legacy dungeons, but the open world is such a waste of time. The bosses are a smidge better than those of DS2, but there are so many with so few having high quality. The delayed attacks are so frequent it makes fighting jarring. Not difficult, just jarring and lacking in rhythm.

    I've platinumed Bloodborne, Sekiro, DS3, and DS2 (and completed DeS and DS1)...this is my least favourite by far. Though I can see how on an objective level it's superior to DS2.    … Expand
  19. dangerfar
    Apr 26, 2023
    6
    I'm frankly pretty surprised how widely acclaimed this game is. The huge world is devoid of anything interesting other than battles, the score is terrible other than a few standout bossfights and in the open world score is often bad enough to become actually grating, and there's nothing resembling the faintest bit of interesting story or lore here as there are no concepts in it fleshed outI'm frankly pretty surprised how widely acclaimed this game is. The huge world is devoid of anything interesting other than battles, the score is terrible other than a few standout bossfights and in the open world score is often bad enough to become actually grating, and there's nothing resembling the faintest bit of interesting story or lore here as there are no concepts in it fleshed out enough or given enough background to be even vaguely compelling.

    The combat, though it is wonderfully varied in the way you can approach it, in practice ends up becoming fairly tedious b/c the game is challenging enough that you don't really have time for experimentation/exploration (unless you can stand a lot of repetition), you just need to optimize a build and some builds (particularly magic) are spammy and repetitive. And again b/c of the annoying repetition that comes with wandering around and dying, you end up having to look things up to get sufficient tools to make meaningfully progress to actually open up the places you can go. Thus having such a large open world becomes fairly meaningless as the joy from exploration is sucked out of it.

    On the one hand the open world and and leveling system with diverse possibilities and the very impressive variety of enemies and environments is very attractive and makes me want to like the game, and has driven me enough to spend some 50 hours with it and at times really enjoy the experience (mostly when I was able to explore without dying constantly and the world was still new). But on the other the above detractors end up adding up to a rather drab experience overall where I feel like I'm running around without much interesting to do. Compared with say Skyrim which has rich possibilities to explore the world outside of combat with a sensational score to go along with it, playing games like this just feel fairly empty.

    But I guess they have a large audience. Sadly it seems I'm just not one of them.    … Expand
  20. helloicool
    Apr 25, 2023
    7
    I enjoyed the game it just was not my game of the year and as someone who really loves story games it just was not what I was expecting because it was my first Souls game. The combat is challenging, but it is really enjoyable. It was fun to try something new and I would recommend for anyone looking to mix it up.
  21. MaleniaSucks
    Apr 24, 2023
    7
    I have created my account only to say they Malenia is one of the fromsoftware worst bosses ever made only because of one annoying mechanic. The late-game difficulty, poor balance, and unfair bosses truly make elden ring a shattered masterpiece!
  22. KathyPod
    Apr 21, 2023
    7
    This is genuinely a well crafted game: excellent writing, art, animation, sound, design and music went into it. I truly do respect the game developers behind it.

    But ultimately it is not for me. I found the UI to be cluttered and overwhelming, the multitude of stats and facts felt like a poorly structured info drop, the punishing world was intriguing but the harshness of it made it    This is genuinely a well crafted game: excellent writing, art, animation, sound, design and music went into it. I truly do respect the game developers behind it.

    But ultimately it is not for me.
    I found the UI to be cluttered and overwhelming, the multitude of stats and facts felt like a poorly structured info drop, the punishing world was intriguing but the harshness of it made it impossible for me to continue. I would have loved to see more of its lore, and experience more of the game, but with my poor motor skills and working memory it's simply not possible.

    I know this was not made for gamers like me. It was made clear to me early on. But I wish it had a mode that did. I want to experience more of Elden Ring and I can't, and it's very frustrating.    … Expand
  23. yeastori
    Apr 15, 2023
    6
    Definitely overrated, I just got the Platinum Trophy and just can't for the life of me understand why people think its worth of GOTY. Its good and fun sure but visually aged, and game mechanic is repetitive. Not boring but repetitive. Not worth a buy but maybe a rent or borrow from your friends to try out. Story is really stupid and always nonexistence.
  24. Obi-Jones
    Mar 27, 2023
    6
    I just can't get on with Elden Ring. Not sure the soul's formula really works as an open world game. It's also a technical mess on PS5 (over a year since launch). Bloodbourne was the high point of this genre for me. I keep going back the Elden Ring and I just don't see why this is as highly rated as it is.
  25. darthcooper
    Mar 17, 2023
    7
    My reviews are always based on fun and I did like the game but it is very confusing and very big. It is a massive open-world souls game with a lot of ways to play but you have to grind a lot to level up and there is virtually zero direction. The game runs well and is beautiful on PS5, loading times are almost zero it loads really quickly. However, I felt totally lost after a couple ofMy reviews are always based on fun and I did like the game but it is very confusing and very big. It is a massive open-world souls game with a lot of ways to play but you have to grind a lot to level up and there is virtually zero direction. The game runs well and is beautiful on PS5, loading times are almost zero it loads really quickly. However, I felt totally lost after a couple of hours but continued exploring, grinding, rinse, and repeat. Eventually, I managed to get to the Academy after 40 hours but I spent almost double the hours trying to kill "Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon". There is only so much a person can take doing the same thing over and over again and getting zero results. This game is not as much fun as I had hoped as all your doing is the same rinse and repeat which becomes tedious. If you want a game that doesn't overwhelm you try Bloodborne.… Expand
  26. BlimpyPebbles
    Mar 3, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While Elden Ring is a really good game, it certainly does not warrant the perfect scores it has received.

    You’re basically playing Dark Souls 4. That’s really what it is. The lack of originality alone has to dock some points. Like I said, it’s a great game but it has issues. Not just all of the technical issues (and there are a ton) but design issues as well. Exploring is both fun and tedious. I was disappointed with the lack of content in the open world and even more disappointed in the boss fights and PVP. A few bosses were fantastic, but most were just blah. They recycle bosses a lot in this game. Definitely quantity over quality there. Combat is what you would expect from a Souls game but the one-shot deaths and overly-difficult bosses left a really bad taste in my mouth. You will need to level up your HP A LOT. As for bosses, to beat them, there are ashes and certain weapons (*cough* Carian Retaliation & Wraith Calling Bell *cough*) that will make rrally difficult fights a breeze. However, the game feels horribly unbalanced. The game can be really unnecessarily unfair but if you get the right weapons/magic, the game becomes hilariously easy. What’s good in the game is good. What’s bad is just plain bad.

    Elden Ring has so much good in it that you will be able to overlook all of the bad. Magic is definitely the way to go in this game. I’m glad Elden Ring exists and I hope they can fix the issues with the game.    … Expand
  27. ZeoN
    Feb 20, 2023
    7
    Tras darle dos oportunidades he llegado a la conclusión de que no es un juego para mí. Veo el mundo abierto muy vacío, y el juego se deja llevar demasiado por lo que es la esencia de la nada de Dark Souls. No me parece un mal título, pero en absoluto creo que sea la obra maestra que muchos dicen
  28. evilzordon
    Feb 20, 2023
    5
    By PS5 standards, the gameplay is mediocre, the visuals are sub par and the story is abysmal. I really don't get this games popularity, I was so bored, so quickly. Play walking simulator (DeathStranding), it's somehow better.
  29. Poioso
    Jan 23, 2023
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the bests games i ever played. You Will lost yourself in this giant world where everyplace you go, theres something to do… Expand
  30. ejoseph
    Jan 22, 2023
    7
    Even though I don’t like the souls genre in general, I can appreciate the awesome open world. I will never like these games though because all you do is fight enemies that are overpowered. I’m 40 years old and like Nintendo games better. If I was 20 something maybe I’d have more interest in killing overpowered enemies. Lol
  31. CoffeeCup99
    Dec 27, 2022
    7
    This game is quite good till near the end where the bosses become over-tuned and a chore.
  32. MLG_MAX
    Dec 27, 2022
    5
    I wanted to love this game so much but once I reached the endgame I couldn't bring myself to play it any longer. while there are many things I love about the game I had become so bored of the repetitive bosses and enemies that I couldn't enjoy the game any longer. I was not under leveled nor did I have a crap build I just could not play it any longer I wished i loved the game butI wanted to love this game so much but once I reached the endgame I couldn't bring myself to play it any longer. while there are many things I love about the game I had become so bored of the repetitive bosses and enemies that I couldn't enjoy the game any longer. I was not under leveled nor did I have a crap build I just could not play it any longer I wished i loved the game but truthfully I can not even play it the bosses became so bad and just borderline unfair that even after taking breaks i could no longer progress. I am not just hating on the game and if you enjoyed it im glad but this game for me is unplayable and insanely boring.… Expand
  33. DongNiko
    Dec 27, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very mixed feelings with this game... ahead of its release, I tried some others FS games (finished Demon's souls remake and Dark Souls remaster), they were both ok but not worth of their reputation in my opinion. I didn't enjoy the gameplay that much. Well, Elden Ring has the same flaws, and even if I was very hyped by the first hours, I started to get bored after Stormveil Castle, and so far I have not completed the game...… Expand
  34. NAYKEN
    Dec 21, 2022
    5
    It's a very delayed review because my monitor broke, but I see that fanboys and those who write reviews with money have raised this fiasco game to the level of unrivaled. Anyway, let's move on to our real unbiased review. Let's start with the mechanics as always, there is no innovation in mechanics, standard soul games, jumping is added and has almost no effect on the game. Open world wasIt's a very delayed review because my monitor broke, but I see that fanboys and those who write reviews with money have raised this fiasco game to the level of unrivaled. Anyway, let's move on to our real unbiased review. Let's start with the mechanics as always, there is no innovation in mechanics, standard soul games, jumping is added and has almost no effect on the game. Open world was added to the game, but mechanically is there such a thing, the answer is no. The game is very big, there are incredibly many castles and dungeons you can visit, but they are all flat and empty inside. Let's start with the castles, when you start the game, you look around and see the incredible map and you start exploring, traveling and wandering around in castles that last a maximum of half an hour, yes, you did not hear wrong, the time you spend in castles is half an hour, including Lyndell! All of those incredibly designed castles are just images, empty castles with no design inside, filled with creatures and left. When I look at the old souls games, designs like DS 1 Anor Londo, DS 2 Drangleic castle are bigger and more detailed than all the castles in the Elden ring game combined. Ds 2 had this success despite being a half-open world, Elden ring is a huge empty world full of creatures. The only good thing about it is that it looks great artistically. I have explained the chapter and map designs together with the mechanics. Now let's look at the small innovations and whether they have an effect on the game. Let's start with the mount, we have a horse-like mount in the game, this mount allows us to travel around the whole world, we can do combat and boss fights in some places and it has no mechanical effect on the game. The things we do with the mount are very limited, don't expect something like Zelda or Shadow of the colossus. When I say Shadow of the colossus, they said that they were inspired by Shadow of the colossus before the game came out, there is nothing about it in the game. Since jumping was added, the platform was expected, which it should have been, but they didn't put it, the jumping mechanics look ridiculous even next to the games 30 years ago. Let's talk about dungeons, there are dungeon designs that are so terrible that they compete with Skyrim. You enter hundreds of dungeons throughout the game and except for a few, they are all similar designs. We have come to the end of our review and unfortunately Elden ring is not a good game at all. The same mechanics, open world game mechanics and design are not reflected in the game, nothing good except for the improved spells. Elden ring is the biggest fiasco of this year. 57/100 if we come to the score… Expand
  35. Mahmoudragheb
    Apr 9, 2022
    7
    Character design 7
    Originality 5
    Gameplay 7
    Story 7
    Sound and music 7
    Visual fidelty 6
    Mechanics ancient except for the jump
    Frame pacing is ugly ..2022 games should feel as premium as demon souls at least
  36. chip1980
    Dec 9, 2022
    5
    I feel this game is massively overrated. It looks like a 2012-2013 game in terms of graphics and world design. The world is big, but not as live and open as you thought should be. Lot of linear caves, and areas only accessible by 1 path, and sadly, that goes in favor of the game overall. Certainly this game is a huge improvement over the Souls formula, but when compared outside the SoulsI feel this game is massively overrated. It looks like a 2012-2013 game in terms of graphics and world design. The world is big, but not as live and open as you thought should be. Lot of linear caves, and areas only accessible by 1 path, and sadly, that goes in favor of the game overall. Certainly this game is a huge improvement over the Souls formula, but when compared outside the Souls franchise with other action-RPG-souls-like games at best its mediocre. Only recomended if you like the Souls formula, because it's the only thing it can offer.… Expand
  37. aln86
    Dec 8, 2022
    6
    The second best game of 2022
    And certainly the first is the master of games
    God of War
  38. yusukeraz
    Dec 6, 2022
    5
    There were so many awe moments. The exploration is huge and it's like I'm writing my own story. The combat has so many ways to tackle all the enemies. Weapons, summons, Co op and character creation have vast options. The game is so much fun, the story is top tier cuz I'm also crafting it as I progress and get stronger. The freedom to do what you want and how to do things is a greatThere were so many awe moments. The exploration is huge and it's like I'm writing my own story. The combat has so many ways to tackle all the enemies. Weapons, summons, Co op and character creation have vast options. The game is so much fun, the story is top tier cuz I'm also crafting it as I progress and get stronger. The freedom to do what you want and how to do things is a great feeling. The epic boss battles, surprises at every corner and the difficulty of every challenge and when you clear it. It feels so rewarding. Elden ring is amazing! I cleared it after 200 hrs. It is very long for those that want to do everything but it is up to the player how long they want to take to finish the game and of you don't. Then that's where it ends. You die and become a tarnished that failed. Like the npc that went hollow in dark souls. They became a hollow and gave in to it, roaming the land in a madness state. So in a way. That was your story. You failed to become elden lord.… Expand
  39. Sinos
    Dec 3, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Las mazmorras se hacen muy repetitivas pero de todas maneras así boss fights son buenas… Expand
  40. Kingcaleb234
    Nov 29, 2022
    7
    This game is definitely awesome, but has many flaws that ruin it. The boss fights are next level, the soundtrack is incredible, and the art style/ atmosphere really is a sight to behold. Even though these things are great there are tons of issues. The content in the world is copy pasted with not that much liveliness to it, (excluding the occasional dungeon in regards to copy and pasted).This game is definitely awesome, but has many flaws that ruin it. The boss fights are next level, the soundtrack is incredible, and the art style/ atmosphere really is a sight to behold. Even though these things are great there are tons of issues. The content in the world is copy pasted with not that much liveliness to it, (excluding the occasional dungeon in regards to copy and pasted). The world just feels dead overall. The issues with the framerate on the current gen consoles is also frustrating. As for mechanics of the game there is nothing that makes it feel like it has been perfected or gotten better in any way. The combat and movement is still pretty clunky and janky. The tutorials are not helpful enough especially for players who are newcomers to the "Souls" type series. The menu and crafting system, and item use can be confusing as far as what the items do and what the purpose is. Compared to Sekiro's combat it feels like it is missing something. Also, sadly a lot of the same combat animations are used from Dark Souls 3. It just feels like the 10/10 ratings are all hype. I would say it is more likely in the 6/10 - 7/10 range. Although, that is just my opinion. The game just feels the exact same as all of the older FromSoftware titles including the older ones. If it is not broke don't fix it I guess, but there needs to be exciting new features and mechanics added.… Expand
  41. Timsen375
    Nov 23, 2022
    7
    Vorab möchte ich sagen, dass ich Elden Ring nicht schlecht finde. Wenn ich aber ehrlich zu mir selbst bin, ist das für mich die Enttäuschung des Jahres und ich würde am liebsten weniger Punkte vergeben. Objektiv betrachtet macht das Spiel aber auch einige Sachen richtig und das möchte ich nicht zu extrem bestrafen. Ich würde, trotz das ich großer Fan von Bloodborne, Ds3 oder Sekiro binVorab möchte ich sagen, dass ich Elden Ring nicht schlecht finde. Wenn ich aber ehrlich zu mir selbst bin, ist das für mich die Enttäuschung des Jahres und ich würde am liebsten weniger Punkte vergeben. Objektiv betrachtet macht das Spiel aber auch einige Sachen richtig und das möchte ich nicht zu extrem bestrafen. Ich würde, trotz das ich großer Fan von Bloodborne, Ds3 oder Sekiro bin nicht sagen, dass meine Erwartungen zu hoch waren. Ich habe mich zwar grundsätzlich auf den Titel gefreut, wirklich gehyped war ich nicht. Ja, Eldenring bringt ähnlich wie Zelda BotW oder Ghost of Tushima einen frischen Wind in das Open World Gerne. Jedoch ist man hier irgendwo auch über das Ziel hinausgeschossen. Ingesamt stören mich 6 Themen sehr. 1. Die Open World selbst: So toll der Ansatz der Freien Wahl und Erkundung ist, sie ist lange nicht so gut gemacht wie es oft dargestellt wird. Die ganze Welt macht einen trüben und leblosen Eindruck, nicht zuletzt wegen der schlechten Technik. Die Welt soll ja verlassen und trostlos sein, aber sie fühlt sich trotzdem nicht lebendig an. Zelda BotW hat dieses Problem deutlich besser gelöst. Da waren auch nur ganz wenige NPCs über die Welt verstreut und einige große Städte, trotzdem war ein großer Teil der Welt leer, sie hat sich aber nie so angefühlt. Zum großen Teil ist hier auch das Sounddesign bei Zelda dafür verantwortlich, dass nie solch ein negatives Gefühl zustande kommt (und nein ich meine nicht die Musik). Alles in Elden Ring fühlt sich tot an. Hinzukommt, dass ich mir immer mega umständlich einen Weg suchen muss, anders als bei Zelda. Wenn ich in Zelda einen interessanten Ort sehe, kann ich da einfach hin und durch einige Tricks dir Ausdauer beim klettern regenerieren. Dadurch fühlt sich diese Freiheit gar nicht so frei an. 2. Die Seelenasche: Die Darksouls Reihe hat einem immer wunderbar beigebracht am Ball zu bleiben und die Mechaniken und die Gegner zu studieren. Man wusste immer wenn man gestorben ist, dass man selber dafür verantwortlich ist. Die Seelenasche nimmt das aber zum großen Teil. Außer der Mana Anzeige gibt es kein Limit durch andere Attribute, weshalb das für mich eine zusätzliche Mechanik ist. Eine Mechanik die aber dafür sorgt, dass wen ich bei einem Boss sterbe das Gefühl habe, nicht effektiv genug gekämpft zu haben. Ja irgendwo ist es eigenes Versagen, aber zum anderen schwingt immer das Gefühl mit, nicht optimal gekämpft zu haben. Man muss es nicht einsetzten, aber die Hemmschwelle ist auch sehr gering sich doch mal Hilfe zu holen. 3. Die besten Momente sind nicht in der Open World selbst: Am stärksten ist für mich Eldenring immer dann, wenn man in die größeren Dungens kommt. Hier kommt für mich die volle Stärke zum Vorschein, die Darksouls schon immer ausgemacht hat. Diese Dichte beklemmende Atmosphäre ist eine Riesen Stärke der Serie und durch die Open World kommen viel längere leere Phasen dazwischen, in denen gar nicht so viel passiert. Ja hier und da gibt es was nettes zu sehen, aber das ist zum einen nur selten belohnend, je nachdem welchen Spiele Style man priorisieren, zum anderen aber auch nicht sehr spannend gemacht. Ja es gibt Highlights, aber zu selten. 4. Der fehlende Fokus: Ich hatte zwei mal die Situation wirklich nicht mehr voran zu kommen. Das Spiel gibt einem manchmal so wenig Anhaltspunkte, wo es den jetzt wirklich weiter geht, dass man ewig lange in der Open World am suchen ist. Das ist vor allem dann ärgerlich, wenn man ein paar Tage nicht spielen konnte. Spätestens dann geht das Konzept nicht mehr auf und man muss googeln und das frustriert. Auch das hat Zelda besser gelöst, indem die wichtigsten Punkte markiert sind und der Rest man einfach irgendwie machen sollte. Zelda war hier zwar nicht ganz so frei, dafür deutlich fokussierter und auch irgendwo logischer. 5. Die Bosse: es gibt ein paar außergewöhnliche und sehr gute Bosse, dass kann und will ich nicht absprechen. Jedoch gibt es auch einen Haufen nicht so guter Bosse, die sich auch gerne wiederholen. Gerade bei den größeren Bossen ist die Kammera eine Katastrophe (Feuerriese) und machen deshalb auch nicht so viel Spaß. Vorherige FromSoftware Titel haben das alles deutlich besser hinbekommen. Hier sehe ich echt einen Rückschritt. 6. Die Technik: Ich habe hier definitiv kein Grafikwunder erwartet, aber wie manchmal die Texturen nachladen müssen ist einfach nur schlecht. Es kommt zu keinem Zeitpunkt ein Next Gen Gefühl auf. Fazit: Ich kann mir die teils hohen Wertungen nur so erklären, dass viele Leute wirklich keine guten Erfahrungen mit der Open World der letzten Jahre gemacht haben. Alles was Eldenring ausmacht gibt es in besser. Ghost of Tushima und Telda BotW bleiben meiner Meinung nach deutlich besser, selbst wenn solche Sachen wie die Charaktergestalltung eingegrenzter ist.… Expand
  42. Senjiro
    Nov 21, 2022
    7
    I have been playing from software games since I was a kid< and I am a big fan of souls game. But this game is the only soul game that I have not played after finishing it. The game mechanics does not fit the open world concept, the animations takes too long especially the healing, and repetitive of the mini bosses is boring. Let alone the concept of collecting souls ( runes) to level upI have been playing from software games since I was a kid< and I am a big fan of souls game. But this game is the only soul game that I have not played after finishing it. The game mechanics does not fit the open world concept, the animations takes too long especially the healing, and repetitive of the mini bosses is boring. Let alone the concept of collecting souls ( runes) to level up and just hit and dodge feels so out dated, ESPCAILY after SEKIRO. And the lack of story REALLY does not fit the open world sitting, I found myself feeling so bored....I can accept this lack of story things in the previous titles, but not here were it's a big open world.… Expand
  43. Jackward1
    Nov 20, 2022
    5
    (First of all, I have never played any souls game before Elden ring came out, so my opinions are probably not as reliable as others.) I think that this game is a good game, but it's just repetitive a lot of the time. When I bought this game I was expecting to have a massive world that I could explore and go anywhere that I want. The world is big, but you can not explore it easily, and many(First of all, I have never played any souls game before Elden ring came out, so my opinions are probably not as reliable as others.) I think that this game is a good game, but it's just repetitive a lot of the time. When I bought this game I was expecting to have a massive world that I could explore and go anywhere that I want. The world is big, but you can not explore it easily, and many areas are restricted. In my opinion, I think being able to just go anywhere on the map easily would benefit this game, similar to Zelda. On a positive note, I do think that the gameplay and difficulty are perfect, despite how hard it is. I do think this game definitely has its moments, especially when you are fighting a boss. This game probably has the most variety in terms of enemies and biomes, but a lot of the biomes are just bland and ugly. Another complaint I have is that the weapon/armor system is horrible. There is just way too many weapons that it becomes incredibly overwhelming to choose a good one that fits you. If someone were to ask me if they should buy Elden Ring, I would tell them that it really depends on the type of games that you like to play.… Expand
  44. MisterMartins
    Mar 4, 2022
    6
    I mean , I don't think Open World works well for Souls games and it doesn't look that good either. I wish they could just stick with a more linear world like they used to do. Hence I cannot give a high score . 6 is a decent. Would have given more if it was like the predecessors.
  45. kkjjfa
    Nov 17, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Didn't live up to my expectations personally, really hoped the game would be much better than this… Expand
  46. AmaroXD
    Nov 16, 2022
    5
    El juego de base evoluciona el tipo de juego de los anteriores souls tiene muchas historias, gran mundo y buena ambientación etc
  47. diogomatsumoto
    Nov 16, 2022
    7
    This was my first Souls game so I needed to play a good amount of hours to understand most of the mechanics and how the game works...
    In the beginning I was very frustrated for some reasons, I just wanna play but I needed to create my character... For one side I really appreciate the amount of things you can do to edit your character but it's so complicated that I just skipped even not    This was my first Souls game so I needed to play a good amount of hours to understand most of the mechanics and how the game works...
    In the beginning I was very frustrated for some reasons, I just wanna play but I needed to create my character... For one side I really appreciate the amount of things you can do to edit your character but it's so complicated that I just skipped even not liking the standard ones. I later found out that you can't barely see him in your playthrough...
    The graphics aren't what I was expecting, especially for your character and NPCs and the lack of lip sync make it worst. The landscapes are good but I didn't feel impacted by them as I feel I should. For a PS5 game I was expecting another level in graphics and environment.
    One of the worst things about this game is the story driven or the lack of it.... I almost finished the game and don't know what I'm doing and why I'm doing. NPCs are randomly in the map and you can miss them very easy if you don't explore.
    The exploration part of the game is the best thing about this game along with the amount of weapons, spells and incantations you can use. The dungeons are fun but can be very similar though.
    Talking about the combat system, I feel like it's very frustrating at some times since you are punished for pressing a button in the wrong time and the inputs can have a delay to be executed or not to be executed at all... Enemies can hit you though walls... You'll be hit in the back by an enemy that has no sound... Also the lock system can be a pain for large enemies.
    You need to manage the equipment you carry as it can impact the speed of dodging and your attributes are important as well, mechanics that can be advanced for casual players.
    I got a lot of frame drops during my playthrough... even 7 months after it's release not all bugs and issues were fixed.
    Elden Ring is a good game at the end of the day but it's not for everyone. It's a evolution for the Souls games but nothing revolutionary for the game industry. The combat is fun at times but it's unbalanced bosses and some annoying enemies can ruin your mood to play it specially in the late game.    … Expand
  48. gh0st123
    Nov 16, 2022
    5
    Good but failed my expectations, the 5 is for the boss fights and the music, I didn't like the other stuff much, the exploration was good but I just felt weird and empty playing it something wasn't right, bloodborne is the best souls game in my opinion. I don't think it will win GOTY, I think Ragnarok will get it.
  49. edgard1axl
    Nov 16, 2022
    6
    Eu achei o jogo fraco na parte de história, gráficos simples e jogabilidade igual de 10 anos atrás, mas respeito o jogo por ser muita querido.
  50. FrostyMcNugs
    Nov 15, 2022
    6
    I played this game in like March so it's been a while but this game is just more of the same from developers FromSoft. This can be good in some regards but it still doesn't match up to the standards that Bloodborne or even Sekiro set up for the company. Even with GRRM on the writing team, the story is absent and the music score is forgettable. Overall a little disappointing but still aI played this game in like March so it's been a while but this game is just more of the same from developers FromSoft. This can be good in some regards but it still doesn't match up to the standards that Bloodborne or even Sekiro set up for the company. Even with GRRM on the writing team, the story is absent and the music score is forgettable. Overall a little disappointing but still a decent game for the first 30 hours or so.… Expand
  51. Leafarsas1991
    Nov 15, 2022
    7
    Elden RIng é um jogo incrivel mas é um caos em vários aspectos técnico que vai de frame rate dropando a gagueira , as texturas são bem abaixo pra Jogo de 2022 , A versão de PS5 tem inumeros problemas e tive que optar em desistalar e instalar a versão do PS4 .
    os pontos positivos do jogo vão ao mundo aberto projetado para impactar os jogadores a descobrir o que os seus olhos veem ,    Elden RIng é um jogo incrivel mas é um caos em vários aspectos técnico que vai de frame rate dropando a gagueira , as texturas são bem abaixo pra Jogo de 2022 , A versão de PS5 tem inumeros problemas e tive que optar em desistalar e instalar a versão do PS4 .
    os pontos positivos do jogo vão ao mundo aberto projetado para impactar os jogadores a descobrir o que os seus olhos veem , variedade de inimigos , ambientação e conteudo ingame .    … Expand
  52. korku
    Nov 15, 2022
    5
    I don't know why I didn't like it, but I fell asleep while playing. These kind of games are not for me Elden Ring taught me that :D. It was still a good experience.
  53. CPFantastic
    Nov 14, 2022
    7
    The game is mediocre and mainstream media outlets once again proved that they are irrelevant and trash.

    One of the things that Sekiro did the best for souls games was adding posture and finishers which made the bosses 10 times more epic than Dark Souls and Bloodborne. Now all of a sudden they just scrapped that and downgraded it to the first souls game. You kill those mediocre bosses    The game is mediocre and mainstream media outlets once again proved that they are irrelevant and trash.

    One of the things that Sekiro did the best for souls games was adding posture and finishers which made the bosses 10 times more epic than Dark Souls and Bloodborne. Now all of a sudden they just scrapped that and downgraded it to the first souls game. You kill those mediocre bosses and they just vanish that's it, nothing special. Yea there's some kind of a posture still in Elden Ring but it's nowhere near as good.

    Another thing is the fantastic storytelling which Sekiro had and all of a sudden they felt that they need to not make a story and give us text as a lore. You should sit on your chair and read text... uninteresting af. Yea there's some cutscenes here and there but again, it's not nowhere near as good as Sekiro.

    Graphics and animations are PS3 or mid PS4 level, even Bloodborne which is a 2015 game has better graphics than Elden Ring 2022.

    Uninspiring map, level design and bosses which are the same as previous FromSoftware games with no innovation and improvements, basically more the same.

    They just milking the formula. Mediocrity on every bit of the game.    … Expand
  54. VeryGoodReviews
    Nov 14, 2022
    7
    It looks awesome there are many cool bosses but whenever I try to kill something my character just starts swinging wildly because there is no lock on system.
  55. Cooky85
    Nov 12, 2022
    5
    Platinum the game, game is abit of a drag, no story, no direct narrative, constantly looking at internet as no hint or explanation to what’s going on, but I couldn’t have the game saying 57%. Repeating so I had to complete it. Very glad when I could put blu-ray back in the case.
  56. Lorenlp90
    Nov 12, 2022
    7
    El juego es maravilloso, pero no es para todos los tipos de jugadores, le he echado en falta más profundidad en la natación de los protagonistas. Lo que verdaderamente engancha es la dificultad del juego
  57. TheConsoleman23
    Nov 11, 2022
    5
    The best game of the year and one of the best of all time! I’m a souls enthusiast and this is THE best Fromsoftware has made. A true gem and a must play. If you’re a gamer and haven’t played this… what the heck are you thinking? Go play it!
  58. STNXD0
    Nov 11, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Disappointing.

    Combat : 6/10
    Story : 9/10
    Free roam : 5/10
    Multiplayer : 8/10
    Creativity : 7/10
    Is it he superior souls they claim it to be? No    … Expand
  59. Eduarzinho2305
    Nov 8, 2022
    7
    O jogo como um todo está longe de ser ruim, mas infelizmente ele é genérico.
    Inserir Soulslikes dentro de um mundo aberto sempre foi algo pedido, porém essa foi a única mudança relevante.
    O primeiro mapa (Lingrave) é simplesmente perfeito, tudo é bem detalhado lindo, se todas as áreas fossem únicas como ela iríamos ter o jogo do ano, mas aquilo que tornava ela única só foi sendo    O jogo como um todo está longe de ser ruim, mas infelizmente ele é genérico.
    Inserir Soulslikes dentro de um mundo aberto sempre foi algo pedido, porém essa foi a única mudança relevante.
    O primeiro mapa (Lingrave) é simplesmente perfeito, tudo é bem detalhado lindo, se todas as áreas fossem únicas como ela iríamos ter o jogo do ano, mas aquilo que tornava ela única só foi sendo reutilizada em TODOS os mapas seguintes.
    O desining dos inimigos, Bosses, as músicas, me parece que tudo foi muito inferior aos apresentados em jogos antepassados da desenvolvedora, além de utilizar as mecânicas de outros jogos de maneira muito inferior (tirando o powerstance do Dark Souls 2, esse sim foi melhorado, mesmo eu achando mais condizente o do 2), agora o stealth e postura do Sekiro poderiam ter sido muito melhores.
    Mas onde o jogo errou completamente sem sombra de dúvida foi na repetição, TODAS as dungeons são idênticas, raramente uma possui mecânica diferentes e seus mais de 200 Bosses são na verdade 50 repetidos diversas vezes, chegando ao ridículo de até Bosses de suma importância para a lor do mundo serem utilizados como se fossem uma versão criada pela força de StarWars, 2 exemplos são Godrick e Godfrey, respectivamente.
    Um jogo incrível, mas infelizmente muito superestimado e decepcionante, sou um fã da saga Souls, em especial os games da saga original e sem dúvidas gastar meu dinheiro neste jogo não foi o mais triste, mas sim ter platinado ele só para completar mais um dos meus games, diferentemente de seus antecessores onde eu tive de farmar pactos (mecânica que sinceramente odeio) e não me senti estressado ou com preguiça, já em Elden Ring, me senti realizando uma tarefa de escola.
    Espero que o próximo jogo da saga seja o que eu havia interpretado a alguns anos quando veio seu anúncio " Nosso maior projeto, tanto da Fromsoftware, quando da Bandai" o game que não será "finalizado" com algo que nenhum outro Souls fez com tanta força que foram a pressa e falta de criatividade.    … Expand
  60. Tsuibatsu
    Nov 7, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A strong adventure game that just doesn't measure up to its predecessors in the fromsoft catalog, enjoyed it for what it was but what the game is struggles with what it wants to be too much for my taste… Expand
  61. DeezNutzZ
    Nov 6, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's you vs Pinatas once you summon a spirit. What a way to make the game easier but making it boring at the same time. Get Gud.. … Expand
  62. Ave_Fenix
    Nov 6, 2022
    5
    A lot of Creepy & Terrifying monsters but the open world did not do much for the game because it's literally a Bloodborne game in an open world.
  63. gabriicara
    Nov 3, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's a good game,but really nothing special,is literally and the dark souls story taken remodeled but trying to tell the same basic thing by changing everything else by pretending it's something else.Some are new implementations such as the methods of movement even if the fighting on horseback is not I'm who knows, moreover what they call "innovations" are just corrections that they should have already put from dark souls 3,then to say that it has good ost, nice graphics and a nice artistic sector, because it must be said that it is beautiful, but this is not enough, in my opinion it cannot get more than an 8 giving a nine would be more subjective than anything else… Expand
  64. vitalyx
    Nov 6, 2022
    6
    More of the same in a good and bad way. Great gameplay and fairly interesting world (though not their best). Poor ass graphics for 2022, saved to an extent by artistic direction. Too spread out. I got bored and stopped playing. Bloodborne was better. All subjective, of course. No need to get pissed if you disagree.
  65. Paodequeijo011
    Nov 5, 2022
    5
    O jogo e muito bom,o mundo e muito grande com muita coisa pra explorar e a jogabilidade.
  66. Lordofmas
    Nov 5, 2022
    7
    I can't really fathom all these 10/10 scores, i feel like you all played a different game. Like sure the bosses are fun, sure there are some cool loot in this game. Here is the thing though, recycling. Too much and and it's boring, too little and you have a 20 year project. Personally i felt it was too much, same boss in some random dungeon like 3 times, didn't feel rewarding in the least.I can't really fathom all these 10/10 scores, i feel like you all played a different game. Like sure the bosses are fun, sure there are some cool loot in this game. Here is the thing though, recycling. Too much and and it's boring, too little and you have a 20 year project. Personally i felt it was too much, same boss in some random dungeon like 3 times, didn't feel rewarding in the least.

    Main issue is the balancing, you could easily just balance the weapons so that there isn't such big gaps. First playthrough i died on average 60-90 times per boss, because i like short duel-wielding weapons, makes me feel cool. I had no idea that here you cant do that because the bosses are scaled to handle op magic casting sh*t, which took me a long ass time to figure out because nobody knew anything yet. Playthrough number 2 3 4, im just cruising through the bosses like it's nothing. is it because i "got gud"? No, it's because i found op **** and scaled hp, because scaling anything else is almost useless. The best strat is getting a good weapon and just getting enough stats to cover the weapons needs and then only level vitality.

    I leveled from 20-40 in dex just to test this theory on a boss, i went from 350 per hit to 409, rather useless if you ask me. So my issue isn't that it's "too hard" or "too easy", it's that without knowledge it's too hard, and with knowledge it's so boringly easy that it's hard to concentrate. A lot of people take pride in this difference and say "it's because i explored so well" "i got good", when that's not the case.

    Prime example is if you start samurai: basically easy mode, if you go bandit: hard mode. There has never been this much difference between classes at the start. You could always "out-skill" the boss with well timed doges in ds3 but here that is less of a factor and your starting gear matters more, which i think is a huge issue.

    The only thing here is the awesome bosses that carry the whole game, some cool moments at the end after boring, tiresome, and repetitive gameplay, which to be honest made them feel more grand, so i'll give them that.

    But it's not a masterpiece, not in the slightest. It's too repetitive, very bland scaling system that makes no sense, poorly scaled armor, and an overvalue of the vitality stat. If these where fixed ye then i would agree it's a masterpiece.    … Expand
  67. Mohamed_Bahr
    Jul 14, 2022
    7
  68. SplitMind
    Nov 4, 2022
    7
    Elden Ring has received much praise and critical acclaim elsewhere, so in my review I'd actually like to tackle some controversies and areas where I took exception to Elden Ring, despite enjoying it for nearly 70 hours.

    The graphics are the best that the Souls genre has to offer and at present are being added to via patches to make them even more stable. My main gripe with them was the    Elden Ring has received much praise and critical acclaim elsewhere, so in my review I'd actually like to tackle some controversies and areas where I took exception to Elden Ring, despite enjoying it for nearly 70 hours.

    The graphics are the best that the Souls genre has to offer and at present are being added to via patches to make them even more stable. My main gripe with them was the framerate dipping sometimes but this was not often or harsh enough to hinder my enjoyment.

    Elden Ring on one hand is possibly the most accessible Souls game so far, but on the other hand it could easily be a complete nightmare if it's your first Souls game One or two of the early bosses are clearly designed for you to pass and come back to later when you are stronger, however non-Souls players won't know this and could easily be frustrated.

    The biggest gripe I have with ER and Souls games in general is that an online guide is an essential if you want to progress without constantly hitting barriers. This is doubly evident in ER where we are advertised an open-world, but in reality you will be crushed quickly if you wander too far off the expected path. The game is more like a series of smaller open areas which then become a huge open world by the end, which isn't really a problem as each area gives you plenty to do and explore.

    Another issue I take note of in ER in particular is this seems to be the Souls game with the cheapest enemies, bosses in particular. I noticed that when enemies do a combo there always seems to be one or two additional attacks that are less intuitive, as if designed to simply catch you off-guard. Added to this was the fact that I ran the tankiest strength build I could conceive of (without going through complex guides) and many later enemies were doing serious damage still, so it makes me hesitant to play as any other build.

    This brings me to another issue I had with ER. It's simply too big and too long. When I was on hour 69 and beating the final boss I breathed a sigh of relief rather than satisfaction, glad that it was finally over. This doesn't inspire me to replay the game and amazingly I still didn't complete some additional quests and optional bosses as I'd simply become fatigued of the game by this point, especially as the harder optional bosses such as Melania are simply cheap two-stage bosses.

    Many fans lord over the quests in Souls games but these are one of my most hated areas of the game. They are obfuscated by design, intentionally not giving you obvious or clear instructions. I find it quite bizarre that Fromsoftware would barricade some of their best content and make it very easy to miss - many quests are time or context specific so you can miss an opportunity to complete them altogether. Again, some fans love this but I'm not one of them and disagree with this design.

    On that note, I'll also give my two cents on another hot topic - difficulty. I fully believe Souls games should have adjustable difficulty levels. Again it baffles me that Fromsoftware would barricade the game itself away from potential fans, although judging by recent sales they don't need to worry about that as much. I just believe that in general we should identify where barriers exist in games and look at whether they need adjusting, and this is already something From is aware of as they have nerfed some weapons and bosses already.

    Tied to the quests we also have the overall story. Elden Ring is probably the most coherent of the Souls games I've played in terms of story, but again leaves a lot of it in the backseat in favour of gameplay. This is one thing I am in favour of, as I found that when cut-scenes did happen I was much more interested and engaged.

    Despite my criticisms above, Elden Ring is in the top-tier of games I have played throughout my life and will likely remain a favourite as it shows exactly how an open-world can be done, throwing a gauntlet in the face of games such as Assassins' Creed and Far Cry. It baffles me that developers look at Elden Ring's success and still insist on their exploitative live services.

    One final thing I have to say is that I actually regret buying ER day one as there is still a lot of updating and patches being brought out by Fromsoftware, so I would actually recommend waiting a few months or for the inevitable GOTY edition as DLC is sure to follow also. This is one game you cannot afford to miss.    … Expand
  69. MIROMATO
    Nov 4, 2022
    6
    The game was amazing and the bosses fine but Im its like a dark souls 6 so i didn't like it alot
  70. Pichonix
    Oct 28, 2022
    5
    There's a huge amount of Bosses that look amazing and creepy but the Gameplay & Inconsistency of the bosses gets a bit annoying overtime.
  71. Darkyurem
    Oct 21, 2022
    7
    Es un gran juego, pero abusa de reciclaje de bosses, las texturas le cuesta de cargar y la dificultad oscila de forma un tanto errática y sobretodo las quest son horrorosas de seguir y sin sentido, aun así, horas de entretenimiento aseguradas
  72. Alfihurt99
    Oct 17, 2022
    7
    Fps drops a lot on ps5 even of performance mode. The game is either way too hard (without spirit summons) or way too easy (with spirit summons). An easy fix would be to just increse the bosses health when using them. Except for that, the atmosphere and the exploration = amazing. The legacy dungeons felt a bit lacking and short but overall i would for sure recommend this game. A great firstFps drops a lot on ps5 even of performance mode. The game is either way too hard (without spirit summons) or way too easy (with spirit summons). An easy fix would be to just increse the bosses health when using them. Except for that, the atmosphere and the exploration = amazing. The legacy dungeons felt a bit lacking and short but overall i would for sure recommend this game. A great first playthrough experience.… Expand
  73. rding0207
    Oct 12, 2022
    5
    Please fine tune your physics engine before releasing. No one will blame you if you put less content in it with higher quality.
  74. Agl_12
    Oct 10, 2022
    6
    Dark souls 3 with open world. It seems like another one big DLC of Dark souls 3.
  75. davy420
    Oct 9, 2022
    7
    Its a good game, not the greatest game, or maybe its just not my thing. The game gets a little repetitive, and boring. People complained about the Breath of the Wild shrines, well these mini dungeons are even worse. Not to mention they keep using the same enemies over and over again.

    PS: I hate Malenia
  76. Kir1to
    Oct 6, 2022
    5
    Melhor mundo aberto dos últimos anos! Apresenta uma imersão gigantesca e um sentimento de exploração absurdo. É o tipo de jogo que dá prazer de explorar
  77. Taiyu
    Oct 3, 2022
    7
    The game was made with such a poor engine, I think if From Software continue to use this kind of outdated engine for their next soul game, game reviewer would not be so kind.
  78. adrianompo
    Sep 29, 2022
    7
    Played it at release on PS5, got the Platinum in one month or so (playing slowly and steadily), but writing my thoughts just now. Elden Ring is a very good game, but not the masterpiece that the mainstream media made it look like.

    First, the lore. It's the same poor storytelling inherited from the Souls franchise, with very few NPCs and lore based on item descriptions. While this was    Played it at release on PS5, got the Platinum in one month or so (playing slowly and steadily), but writing my thoughts just now. Elden Ring is a very good game, but not the masterpiece that the mainstream media made it look like.

    First, the lore. It's the same poor storytelling inherited from the Souls franchise, with very few NPCs and lore based on item descriptions. While this was never a problem with Dark Souls, this time they marketed a lot that partnership with GRRM, so I was expecting the best of the two worlds, and it never happened. It felt like a waste of potential.

    As an open world game, From did a soiid job but it did not set the bar higher in the genre. In fact, there are quite a few bugs that don't break the gameplay but harm the immersion. On that aspect (immersion), the first 10 hours or so are a huge WOW, but as the ending approaches the experience is already getting dull, with many bosses and sub-bosses repeating themselves needlessly. The final boss, by the way, was the most anti-climax enemy I've seen in a long time.

    The endgame is weak, there's little reason to go for the NG+. I actually enjoyed the experience overall, but I'd be lying if I said that I'll remember it for a long time. When the credits started rollling I was like "so, that was it?".

    Let's be fair: it's a must play, but still inferior to Sekiro. My problem with Elden Ring is not what it is, but what it could have been.    … Expand
  79. Thegamesup
    Sep 26, 2022
    5
    The game is very good and beautiful as the scenery and there are several chapters or you can create your own character. The enemies and bosses are diverse, but there are negatives such as the insect and its large world and the complexity of assembly and the game is important for exploration, assembly and development and this is negative like assembly and development, but the game is worthThe game is very good and beautiful as the scenery and there are several chapters or you can create your own character. The enemies and bosses are diverse, but there are negatives such as the insect and its large world and the complexity of assembly and the game is important for exploration, assembly and development and this is negative like assembly and development, but the game is worth buying. And the game is not suitable for those who do not like an open world

    Game rating 8.5    … Expand
  80. aoh
    Sep 9, 2022
    5
    sdjfsdklfsdgagfadfgsdfgsdfgsdfgsdfgsdfgsdfgsdfgsdfg dfgsdfgsdfgsdfgdfsgsdfg
  81. True-Gaming1
    Sep 2, 2022
    6
    Super overrated game when compared to the rest of the souls games. Open world hurt this game massively as it’s too big, boring, empty and repetitive.
  82. Arturos
    Mar 7, 2022
    6
    the only open world game of 2022 that deserves to be played unfortunately day one it had a lot of bugs on ps5, loss of data, framerate, boss that bugs and no online for some players on ps5 as well as Xbox but unfortunately the best place is on Xbox serie X, the game is improving even if it still has a little bug but less framerate bug but still present...
  83. eriatarka
    Aug 9, 2022
    6
    Elden Ring is an entry in the catalogue of From Software of extremes. I felt immense joy discovering new zones. I felt excitement at new weapons and spells and armor and talismans. I felt disappointment at recycled enemies and dungeons. I felt absolute dread at the forward directions of games they're going to release at many of the boss fights. As such Elden Ring has to have some of theElden Ring is an entry in the catalogue of From Software of extremes. I felt immense joy discovering new zones. I felt excitement at new weapons and spells and armor and talismans. I felt disappointment at recycled enemies and dungeons. I felt absolute dread at the forward directions of games they're going to release at many of the boss fights. As such Elden Ring has to have some of the lowest low points of any souls game, even lower than pre-SOFTS DS2.
    I've played these games since Dark Souls 1, and played every entry, and I'm confident in saying its the worst entry. This comes about not because the game is bad overall, but because where the game is bad it's atrocious.

    positives of the game: the open world is gorgeous and huge, the ashes of war system is brilliant and adds a great deal of variety, the art direction has never been better only being out by bloodborne in my opinion, the story feels more present and well written, there is a lot of stuff to do, inclusion of duplicating remembrances is convenient, bell bearings are also super convenient, theres more emphasis on elucidating some of the games more opaque features than in previous games

    negatives of the game: endgame bosses don't feel like they've been playtested, poor balancing of many things like endgame areas, dungeons outside of the legacy dungeons feel very hastily thrown together and cut and paste, horseback mechanics (which were a big part of the marketing) feel like an afterthought that was glued on after most of the game, drop rates are very abysmally low , spirit ashes don't feel like they were well balanced, platforming still feels like an afterthought, graphical performance leaves something to be desired, the tediousness of some side dungeons make them super easy to skip on subsequent playthroughs, there's very little incentive to collect great runes because they offer nothing if you don't use a rune arc (despite the fact that the item description misleads the player into thinking it does), enemy variety plummets significantly after the capital, item crafting seems half thought out and becomes irrelevant late game, many enemies feel like they were designed with sekiro in mind but were just ported into elden ring, still glitchy in areas that should have been ironed out by now

    Elden Ring is basically Dark Souls 4, for better and for worse, with every step forward in design there seem to be two steps back, for a game described as being more RPG oriented and more open world it feels like much of it is still oriented very much around the combat, which in itself isn't bad, but even the combat has changed for the worse. ultimately many promises were brought with the game and some of them just were not fulfilled. an open world of untold proportions was promised, and for the first three zones it is, but the late game areas become increasingly empty and bland, the horse combat was promised to be new and fun but it seems so poorly optimized its hard to imagine it wasn't just tacked on at the end. Difficulty is incredibly schizophrenic. Boss fights in the late game seem poorly designed and become less challenging battles and more of tests of patience for when their year long combos will end. all in all more of the same and different in the worst ways.

    A good game marred with incredibly low lows, but a good game for people who are more about the souls-like brand. an incredibly polarized game for an incredibly polarized age.

    TLDR: not the worst game in the world, not the best    … Expand
  84. Wences
    Aug 4, 2022
    5
    I don't want to start like many people by saying that I'm a veteran of the "Souls" games, but I am. I bought this game only when I had the time to really enjoy it. After a first few hours a bit stressful in which you get the mechanics the game became a delight, just what everyone says. But this relationship was broken after 70 hours, when you reach the final stretch of the game. ThatI don't want to start like many people by saying that I'm a veteran of the "Souls" games, but I am. I bought this game only when I had the time to really enjoy it. After a first few hours a bit stressful in which you get the mechanics the game became a delight, just what everyone says. But this relationship was broken after 70 hours, when you reach the final stretch of the game. That friend you think you know changes and shows his true nature. The game gives way to despair with enemies and areas completely unbalanced. No matter if you have gone slowly and exploring, as in my case, you are not able to defeat any boss without throwing away hours. Sickening stuff. The game is in its final stretch completely unbalanced. Unless you play with a specific class and build it is impossible to advance naturally. What's worse, you stop caring about the story and stop appreciating its amazing design. A pity after all those good times I had at the beginning. It's impossible for me to recommend such a thing to anyone. Have all those who call it game of the year really passed the game?… Expand
  85. RayOjoGames
    Jul 28, 2022
    5
    I like it but not the best for me. not every player can playing like sousborne
  86. FindersFees
    Jul 21, 2022
    6
    This is it, i'm finally have to admit to myself these games just aren't for me, I just don't enjoy it, let hype get me but this will be the last time.
  87. Inhanzt
    Jul 18, 2022
    5
    Way too big and boss quality varies wildly. Crypt dungeons are clearly from soft trolling. Most later game bosses are just poorly done.
  88. Spell_666
    Jul 18, 2022
    5
    Terminado con 100 horas de juego y nivel de personaje 125. La sensación general del juego es que se ha intentado innovar en la formula Souls metiendo el mundo abierto con la esencia y mecánicas de los Souls. El resultado final no es satisfactorio ya que en muchos aspectos falla.

    El diseño de los enemigos y jefes es feo y poco inspirado. A mi personalmente no me han gustado y creo que se    Terminado con 100 horas de juego y nivel de personaje 125. La sensación general del juego es que se ha intentado innovar en la formula Souls metiendo el mundo abierto con la esencia y mecánicas de los Souls. El resultado final no es satisfactorio ya que en muchos aspectos falla.

    El diseño de los enemigos y jefes es feo y poco inspirado. A mi personalmente no me han gustado y creo que se podrían haber trabajado más a nivel artístico. Los paisajes en cambio si se ven mejor y son de mayor calidad. Además se han reciclado descaradamente de juegos anteriores enemigos y jefes. Las invocaciones de las cenizas eran una idea buena pero está mal ejecutada ya que no tiene sentido que solo se puedan utilizar en ciertos momentos y no estén disponibles siempre. El caballo lo mismo, hay veces en los que no aparece disponible sin ninguna justificación. El caballo y las invocaciones deberían ser compañeros de aventura y deberíamos ser libres de utilizarlos siempre que queramos y no solo cuando el juego quiera. El crafteo de materiales para la creación de objetos se utiliza muy poco y es algo que se nota que está poco trabajado.

    La historia y el lore es muy completo y profundo como en todos los Souls. Como siempre tendrás que investigar tu ya que el juego no te cuenta nada de forma directa. Las localizaciones y situaciones que se producen durante el juego al final se repiten y dan ganas de dejar el juego. Los castillos, los campamentos de soldados, las torres, las ciénagas, cuevas y las mazmorras se repiten por todo el mundo cambiando solo pequeños detalles. Tienes muchas historias paralelas de los NPC que jugar y misiones secundarias que alargan la duración del juego y eso es de lo poco positivo del juego.

    El multijugador es como en todos los Souls, lo utilizas cuando se te atasca algún jefe final como fue en mi caso. Solo lo utilicé para las 2 últimas peleas de jefes finales. No hay ninguna novedad al respecto.

    Yo personalmente fui a completar directamente la historia principal para pasarme el juego lo antes posible ya que se me estaba haciendo muy largo y quería terminarlo contra antes. Una vez me lo he terminado no me dan ganas de retomarlo para completar las misiones secundarias que me faltan. Me he pasado Demons Souls, Demons Souls remake, Dark Souls 1 y Bloodborne. Este Elden Ring para mi está un escalón por debajo de todos ellos y creo que el hecho de ser un mundo abierto le ha hecho más mal que beneficio. La formula original de los Souls se pierde en parte y se difumina bastante.    … Expand
  89. era82
    Jul 10, 2022
    5
    It's a sad state of affairs if this is what apparently passes for a masterpiece. It's just a sandbox game where you wander aimlessly around. If you are not watching the mandatory 100 YouTube videos that let you make sense of this mess of a game, then you have very little chance to complete any quest at all. And that also goes for the story, which by the way is the dumbest **** I have everIt's a sad state of affairs if this is what apparently passes for a masterpiece. It's just a sandbox game where you wander aimlessly around. If you are not watching the mandatory 100 YouTube videos that let you make sense of this mess of a game, then you have very little chance to complete any quest at all. And that also goes for the story, which by the way is the dumbest **** I have ever heard.

    A story where you would have to collect tax from Marika would make more sense than this mess.

    The bar is now so low, that an OK game at best is hailed as a masterpiece. Tragic.    … Expand
  90. Madbert
    Jul 9, 2022
    5
    Feb 27, 2022

    Menuda hostia me he pegado con el juego, me siento un poco engañado dijeron que este juego sería más accesible y no lo es. Me he gastado 70 euros para nada. Tiene cosas buenas, la ambientación me gusta. Aunque tiene varios problemas, a veces me mareo porque el framerate no es ni de lejos estable, las físicas en el mundo son prácticamente nulas y la IA de los enemigos que me    Feb 27, 2022

    Menuda hostia me he pegado con el juego, me siento un poco engañado dijeron que este juego sería más accesible y no lo es. Me he gastado 70 euros para nada. Tiene cosas buenas, la ambientación me gusta. Aunque tiene varios problemas, a veces me mareo porque el framerate no es ni de lejos estable, las físicas en el mundo son prácticamente nulas y la IA de los enemigos que me persiguen en masa me parece ridícula, la falta de doblaje por lo que siempre penalizo a los juegos. En fin que no me ha gustado, se ha hablado muchísimo de él, me lo han vendido y NO es lo que me habían vendido    … Expand
  91. Enkindled
    Jul 1, 2022
    7
    OK. I never thought I was going to give this game any score below 9, but I am. Hear me out.
    I have the platinum for all FS games, and I got the one from Elden Ring. I can safely make a review and tell you the good and bad. In a nutshell, there are various innovations, but also a myriad of features that were recycled, unpolished, and repetitive. Bing objective, buy the game, is amazing BUT    OK. I never thought I was going to give this game any score below 9, but I am. Hear me out.
    I have the platinum for all FS games, and I got the one from Elden Ring. I can safely make a review and tell you the good and bad. In a nutshell, there are various innovations, but also a myriad of features that were recycled, unpolished, and repetitive. Bing objective, buy the game, is amazing BUT be aware of what I list below.

    There are numerous positive sides:
    1) There are numerous beautiful places that are an eye feast. 2) The multiplayer changed, which I liked. Now, you can only be invaded if you already started a multiplayer section (i.e., summoned a co-op). Thus, it feels fairer, since before you could get invaded and mobed by the invader and the monsters. 3) Boss fights are epic. 4) Faith build FINALLY is good and viable for TRUE combat. Now faith builds have multiple options for attacks and heavy blows, not just some boosts and healing. 5) Amazing choices for unique weapons with unique attacks. 6) The world is absurdly big. To fully explore everything (and do some grinding) it took me around 130h in a single playthrough. 7) A lot of things to randomly do and explore in the open field. 8) You do have an absurdly amount of choices of possible builds. Like..a lot. 9) Crafting: now you can craft things instead of just buying them or looting, great. 10) 'Rune" mechanics is way better than "humanity", you will see. 11) Possibility of concocting your own custom potion for special effects. 12) Leveling takes fewer "souls" per level. 13) Way more charges for your HP/Mana recharge. 14) The game is full of bosses, not just major ones. 15) Overall fun and addictive. 16) Multiple chances of respecting your stats to try new builds!

    The negative:
    1) Unbalanced fights. You will feel like you are always behind the game. You will NEED to grind some levels. You will be 20 levels above the game area, and you will have powerful weapons for the area, but you will fight a boss and feel that you are just slowly chopping down a tree. Some bosses have an absurd amount of health. I rarely called co-operators in DS1-3, Demon Souls, and Bloodborne. I rellied a lot in co-ops in Elden Ring. 2) I felt that the AI is not polished. It is not about AI like the other FS games, it is about taking insane amounts of damage and infinite chains of combos. I counted, some "elite enemies" can make a 12-15 hit chain. It is like all enemies are Hunters from Bloodborne. 3) Monster looks like it wights 50000 Kg? It will be fast. Does Knight use heavy armor and a massive sword? He will be fast. The enemy is not fast? He will have fast projectiles. 4) Being sincere, the graphics are not better than DS3. However, this is a PS5 game, and the graphic did not change. It doe snot bother me, but you expect differently. 5) You have hundreds of choices of builds, but you will eventually choose one with bloodloss because bloodloss is just broken in Elden Ring. Combine bloodloss and frostbite and you will be playing the game as easier as it gets. 6) Some regions are just too frustrating. I am not kidding, some regions of the game will just not be enjoyable at any level - neither visually, nor in terms of loot, nor it will be cool to fight enemies; 7) Numerous enemies and bosses have recycled moves from other FS games. I understand devs doing that, but man, it is a lot of recycling. At some points you just make this face (-.-). 8) They screwed up the quests. In any other FS game, you get attached to some NPCs, you want to know more about their stories, and more importantly, you can follow their story and kinda know what you need to do or where to go. Now, you just don't care. You will care for 5-6 NPCs in the game (from dozens), and the rest is just irrelevant. You will skip most quests because you will either not find the NPC while exploring, or you will just not know what to do. I think that I finished like 5 quests, from the dozens of quests available. For most of them, I did even know what to do, or what they wanted. Likewise, they generally give something irrelevant in the end. 9) Low replay value. Before, you wanted to go to NG+ for new weapons, build improvements, etc. Now, you can basically do everything in one playthrough. You will do more just for the other endings.

    Overall, it is a great game, but it is not a 10, or ultra innovative like they sell to you. It is an enjoyable game, a great FS title, fun, addicting, with tons of features/fights/lands that you will love, but it has some bumps on the road that will get under your skin sometimes.    … Expand
  92. painava
    Jun 28, 2022
    7
    Obtained platinum trophy in ~170 hours at lvl 192. Not interested in co-op/PvP, played offline.

    The wondrous and massive world of the Lands Between is literally awesome, the lore intriguing and captivating. Exploring the castles and wilderness, caves and catacombs quickly became an addiction. There are some performance issues but I'm not that bothered by them. Still, the performance    Obtained platinum trophy in ~170 hours at lvl 192. Not interested in co-op/PvP, played offline.

    The wondrous and massive world of the Lands Between is literally awesome, the lore intriguing and captivating. Exploring the castles and wilderness, caves and catacombs quickly became an addiction. There are some performance issues but I'm not that bothered by them. Still, the performance isn't anything to write home about. There also aren't any DualSense features on PS5.

    Since Elden Ring has been widely praised, my review focuses on criticism.

    My biggest complaint is that many of the enemies and bosses feel disappointingly unbalanced, which is a big issue when a game centers around combat. A band of towering giants with flaming swords? Who cares, bring it on! But see those rats sniffing about? You better run or die in a ditch. Many basic enemies, like dogs, deal more damage than the bosses. How is that intentional?

    There are bosses that offer a fair and fun challenge, but many (or even the majority) of them are just ridiculous. Either they're too strong, tanky and fast or total pushovers. Who's going to die in two hits, me or the boss? When the hard ones aren't already hard enough they come in pairs (yay...) and the weak ones die to a couple of swings (that's it?).

    When so many of the bosses fall into these two extremities, it means that many of the fights aren't particularly fun nor memorable. They feel repetitive or anticlimactic. The hard bosses are prone to extremely delayed attacks, likely to throw off souls veterans. Their AoE attacks and combos deal massive damage. Even if you survive one with a sliver of HP left, the bosses are often scripted to attack when you heal, so a lot of the challenge boils down to making zero mistakes. Add spirit summons, one of the major additions to the series, to the mix and many of the fights feel like they have almost random odds of victory.

    Many boss fights have clearly been designed with spirit summons (what the gatekeepers refer to as "easy mode") in mind so they're definitely part of the intended gameplay. I still wish more bosses had been designed solely for single-player (no spirit/NPC summons) like in the previous games. I shudder to wonder how big a pain in the ass a spiritless run would be.

    FromSoftware had already perfected the "souls-like boss" in their previous games. Elden Ring proves that these games work better in a more focused and linear setting. Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely enjoying the game (plenty of bosses included), but it doesn't strike me as FromSoft's greatest work yet. The gameplay feels oddly dissatisfying during certain fights.

    A handful of other complaints:
    Considering how vast Elden Ring is, it's baffling how vague and directionless the NPC quests are, to say the least. Trying to figure out where an NPC has moved requires more blind luck than anything else. I don't need the exact location on the map, but I'd prefer a few hints to Fextralife.

    Item/magic quick select feels quite old-fashioned. They should've implemented something more modern (similar to e.g. TLOU or Dishonored). L3 as the sneak/dismount button is frustrating, to put it mildly, but I haven't suffered accidental dismounts since switching L3 and ↓, allowing me to change items easily while walking. The map markers feel lacking, there should be more options or different colors. Can't compare the equipment in the shop menu. Fall damage feels inconsistent. Most items seem almost redundant.

    The best content in Elden Ring are the legacy dungeons, like the Stormveil Castle or the Volcano Manor. The peerless level design makes the exploration so damn satisfying and fun. Character design and art direction are thoroughly superb, even breathtaking at times. Elden Ring has improved many aspects of the "soulsborne experience", but for me, it doesn't reach the heights of Bloodborne, Dark Souls or Sekiro. I would still recommend it to anyone interested in challenging action RPGs and open-world games, however, if the next FromSoft game turns out to be yet another Dark Souls, I'll pass.    … Expand
  93. Khymor4nitar
    May 14, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's extremely overrated but when you hear the opinions of long time souls fans you start to understand what went wrong. This game tried to put the souls formula into a sandbox game but ended up making something that goes against everything souls games are meant to be. I don't hate it but it's not great… Expand
  94. boltron
    Jun 25, 2022
    5
    Elden Ring could have been one of the greatest video games of all time, but it turned out to be mediocre at best, and is definitely the weakest of the Souls games if you look at the amount of effort that went into it. I don't know why the professional critic reviews are so high, I can only surmise they never had the time to play past the starting zone, because it's all downhill from there.Elden Ring could have been one of the greatest video games of all time, but it turned out to be mediocre at best, and is definitely the weakest of the Souls games if you look at the amount of effort that went into it. I don't know why the professional critic reviews are so high, I can only surmise they never had the time to play past the starting zone, because it's all downhill from there.

    On the plus side, the open world is a high point in gaming, and outshines anything I've seen before. It's hauntingly beautiful, richly detailed and full of surprises. That's about all the good I can say about this game.

    The negative is that the combat is a complete mess. It's not that it's difficult, it's just wildly inconsistent, and a huge disappointment compared to the finely-tuned likes of Bloodborne. One of Elden Ring's biggest draws is the massive array of weapons and play styles it gives you - all of which is a complete lie. There is really only one way to play this game - caster. Get the cookie cutter caster build that everyone is playing. If you like random death a lot more you can go melee, in which case there are two less enjoyable cookie cutter builds for that. Everything else is like trying to cut through solid rock with soggy toilet paper.

    The boss fights are amazing and memorable - in other Souls games. Meanwhile in Elden Ring, they went with quantity, so you have lots of the same copy/paste encounters, and in many of them you'll be fighting not just a boss, but also the buggy camera, the clippy terrain, and the absurd melee range mechanics that are there to remind you to play a caster. FromSoft games have a reputation for being difficult but fair, but ER is neither of those, it's just random and unfair. It's pretty common for bosses to double or triple punish you for mistakes with overlapping, poorly-telegraphed attacks, but hey, all of this can be avoided - Play. A. Caster.

    Pushing through this game wasn't fun, it felt more like a job, and when I was done I felt no sense of accomplishment. I celebrated by firing up Dark Souls III for a few hours so I could wash the taste out of my mouth and remind myself that From mostly makes really good games. I won't revisit The Lands Between - there are far better games out there worth trying, and that's a shame - under the trash gameplay, Elden Ring's amazing world has gone to waste.    … Expand
  95. TheSpecialNeeds
    Jun 21, 2022
    7
    Well well well, looks like we have another video game on our hands this fine evenging. This is certanily something on the chopping block. First first first thing first, well let me just say uh I forgot what I was going to say
  96. crescentsky
    Jun 20, 2022
    6
    Could be better. I'll start with the cons first. Biggest issue is the quest system is so poorly done and it isn't obvious to follow. Fromsoft tried to fix this by adding in markers but the quests itself are still confusing as you don't know where NPCs will go. There is also a significant number of reused content throughout the world. I lost count how many times I fought the ErdtreeCould be better. I'll start with the cons first. Biggest issue is the quest system is so poorly done and it isn't obvious to follow. Fromsoft tried to fix this by adding in markers but the quests itself are still confusing as you don't know where NPCs will go. There is also a significant number of reused content throughout the world. I lost count how many times I fought the Erdtree watchdog boss and lost interest with all the repeated enemies. Another flaw I felt was the multiplayer, why does this game still have a dated multiplayer pulled straight from Dark Souls? Speaking of Dark Souls this may as well just be called Dark Souls 4 with the similar summon/invasion system with an almost identical story. Not to mention... the same UI.

    Pros is thatI like that the world is huge with a sense of discovery. The mounted combat at least with magic is pleasant and intuitive. A lot of enemies are well designed and the biomes all feel different on their own. I enjoy that there are many secrets that reward those that check every nook and cranny. My favorite location had to have been the academy as it felt really interesting with all it's magic type enemies. The spellcasting system is much more rewarding than before which I found myself using more than a melee playthrough.

    To Fromsoft, please make sure on the next game to update the UI. I'm tired of seeing a LONG HP/MP/Stamina bar and seeing icons of what equipment I am wearing. Update the multiplayer, what is up with the summoning/invasion from another world nonsense that is pulled from Dark Souls? If you are going to make another open world please consider a quest system or make it more obvious where NPCs will go or give an indicator that you could be breaking a quest chain.    … Expand
  97. HyperionHere
    Jun 18, 2022
    6
    This game is a very broken masterpiece. Its open world is beautiful, although quite repetitive by the end. The Catacombs or Dungeons spread throughout the world get boring very quickly, although that's quite common in lots of games. The Boss battles are either laughably easy or excruciatingly unfair, and the high difficulty in some bosses may lead to most players just using the same brokenThis game is a very broken masterpiece. Its open world is beautiful, although quite repetitive by the end. The Catacombs or Dungeons spread throughout the world get boring very quickly, although that's quite common in lots of games. The Boss battles are either laughably easy or excruciatingly unfair, and the high difficulty in some bosses may lead to most players just using the same broken builds to compensate for the piss poor balancing and boss design. Gank bosses AI is some of the worst, leading to you fighting two very aggressive enemies at the same time in a room with almost no way to split aggression.

    All that said, still a decent game, but nowhere near the quality of the other games Fromsoft has made outside of Dark Souls 2.    … Expand
  98. ChainsawMcConel
    Jun 14, 2022
    7
    The Game looks very good, the mechanics is Dark Souls typical with some new features like the Horse or the ability to jump. The Open World is quite big (for my Taste way to big). Open World and Dark Souls is a new concept which i was a little sceptical about because for me, Open World isnt a Feature i need in every Game, it needs to fit to the Type of Game. As example, a open World in aThe Game looks very good, the mechanics is Dark Souls typical with some new features like the Horse or the ability to jump. The Open World is quite big (for my Taste way to big). Open World and Dark Souls is a new concept which i was a little sceptical about because for me, Open World isnt a Feature i need in every Game, it needs to fit to the Type of Game. As example, a open World in a Fallout Game is absolutely great. For a Dark Sousish Game, i dont know if a huge World is needed.

    What was quite annoying to me is the fact that you need to craft a Medicin to be able to play with others. Why da Hell should this be a good feature? It would have been way better if it would have been a permanent Item. I can imagine especially for new Players, its going to get more than frustrating,    … Expand
  99. ShadyMaster
    Jun 12, 2022
    7
    Very good game but certainly overrated. The first 30-40 hours are great while you explore, but it becomes repetitive as you discover just the same places with even the same bosses. Battle mechanics are as good and entertained as simple. Character improvement is really bassic and could have been much more deep.
  100. PiskoWK
    Jun 9, 2022
    7
    It's good, I think, but I know it's not for me. The open world helps those like myself who found previous attempts at souls games to be frustrating time wasters because of the "git gud" mentality. I really enjoyed playing it with friends online, but the mechanics designed to put players together are archaic and could have been designed by Nintendo.
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#1 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2022
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#3 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
96

Universal acclaim - based on 86 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 86
  3. Negative: 0 out of 86
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 30, 2024
    100
    Elden Ring is simply a game that the player naturally adapts to their own style of play. Challenging at times, vicious at others, but mostly incredibly fun. The enjoyable pace makes the hours of play pass by like water, and each path opens up a few more, only to come together again after a fair amount of exploration before the next big reveal. [Issue#318]
  2. Cubed3
    Jun 2, 2023
    90
    Elden Ring serves as a testament to open world video game design. There is a true sense of accomplishment once that rock-hard enemy has been slain and, something that compels a player to relentlessly do it over and over again until they succeed is truly rewarding. The world is humongous and an epitome of how exploration should be encouraged, by intriguing players to see what is over the hill. Elden Ring is an unmissable, must-play, gaming experience with surprises galore.
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  3. T3
    Aug 11, 2022
    80
    Elden Ring's engaging combat, mythology and dynamite orchestral soundtrack goes a long way to overshadow an aggressive open world that punishes exploration from the beaten path. Fans of the Souls genre are in for a treat, while newcomers will need to persist to reap the benefits.
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