Elden Ring

FromSoftware has combined everything they learned while designing their past games and created something that will stand as a benchmark for years to come. Elden Ring is probably the most accessible game in their Soulsborne series, but it is very difficult. This difficulty and the esoteric nature of their design isn’t for everyone, but if you like fantasy RPGs there is no question as to whether you should give this a try. The amount of enjoyment, excitement, wonder, and reward I have felt while playing this game is unmatched. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like it before. Elden Ring is easily the best game I’ve played so far this year, and I know it’s early but it should be in the discussion when talking about the greatest games of all time.

From its humble beginnings as a weird, brutally difficult new project that even its publisher had little faith in, the Souls series has grown into a vessel through which FromSoftware has helped change how we look at, and play, video games. And now, Elden Ring does the same for the Souls series itself. Years of gameplay refinements and revisions blend together with major franchise shifts such as the move to an open world and giving players far more freedom in how they set about saving said world. The result is a title that goes beyond anything Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team have given us before, both as a game and as an experience.

Elden Ring is a crowning achievement for FromSoftware and undoubtedly the very best gameplay experience they've yet delivered - and that's really saying something given this developer's incredible back catalogue. The Lands Between deftly combine breathless open world exploration, stunning artistry, immaculate world-building and wondrous adventure with classic Dark Souls combat and dungeon-crawling, resulting in not just the best Souls game to date, but a candidate for one of the very best video games ever made.

Apart from the summoning issue that is found when attempting to play with others, Elden Ring is a triumph. It looks great, it plays like a dream and it provides a world in which you can spend hours, just wandering about, picking fights.

For the Dark Souls fan this is a dream come true. For an open-world game this is a strong statement in a stale, oversaturated and by the book field of games. For a videogame, Elden Ring is a triumph right there with every iconic game that came before it. With unparalleled game design and a captivating sense of adventure, this is the best game FromSoftware ever made.

Ultimately, Elden Ring revolutionizes the Souls genre for the better. Now I'm looking forward to seeing if expansions will be released to expand the story, but for now, I'm back to continuing touring its exceptional world.

Miyazaki and his team deliver one of the best video games ever made that elevates open-world, action RPGs to a whole new level.

Elden Ring is the game Souls fans have been waiting for. From the open world design, to riding into battle on Torrent's back, and the dark narrative woven through the world, this is a clear Game of the Year frontrunner that will have us all ensnared for a long time to come.

Miyazaki and company have delivered a fantasy epic that viciously scrapes and claws its way into the pantheon of unforgettably important video games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Elden Ring is FromSoftware's most remarkable work so far and stands confidently as one of the greatest RPGs of all time.

Despite some annoying performance issues, Elden Ring is a masterpiece. The combat, enemy variety, exploration, music, and open world are top notch. I’ve been playing it daily across all platforms alongside other games all month, and look forward to doing that all year as I try new builds, help friends, and try to do everything I want in this triumph of a video game.

Elden Ring is an epic. With a beautifully designed open world, FromSoftware takes the Souls formula to new heights and crafts a journey that needs to be played.

Elden Ring manages to draw the player into a fascinating world for many hours, with refined gameplay that fits perfectly with the freedom granted to the player. A sumptuous but imperfect work, which fails to completely overcome some of the historical flaws of Hidetaka Miyazaki's productions. Flaws that, however, can't diminish the scope of a masterpiece destined to leave an indelible mark on the videogame world and to set new standards for the souls-like and open-world genres.

Elden Ring is a real milestone for its developers and one of the best titles we've played in the last few years. The way it mixes the gameplay from Dark Souls with a highly refined exploration offers a really fresh take on the saturated open world market. Despite some notable technical issues, they don't put a stain in the great taste of what promises to be one of the games that leaves a mark on a whole genre, and maybe, the best game From Software has ever developed.

The sense of wonder and magic as you make your way around this mysterious and grimly beautiful world is truly extraordinary and while that does taper off somewhat by the time you reach the endgame and have seen more or less everything the game has to offer — several times over, in a lot of cases — but that doesn't detract too much from what will have otherwise been a truly remarkable adventure. Souls haters shouldn't fall for the rebrand as they'll just get burned again — Elden Ring is very much 'just' From doing what From does best, this time performing its greatest hits on the biggest stage to date. And what a wonderful thing that is to witness.

Elden Ring is a perfect experience for every souls veteran and its welcoming enough for the newcomers. It is a true evolution of the souls-like type of action RPG.

Elden Ring offers up a gorgeous open world that is enticing and exciting to explore, along with excellent combat variety, amazing bosses to fight, and intricate dungeons to tackle. It might feel a little familiar, but this could well be FromSoftware’s best game to date.

With its new open-world dimension, Elden Ring brilliantly fleshes out FromSoftware's already highly effective formula and offers Souls a spiritual sequel that is both ambitious and accessible. All the new features converge towards this last objective: the open world allows you to arm yourself more than ever with the epic and obligatory fights that the adventure reserves, without having the impression of walking around just to farm. And the best part is that it doesn't compromise the sense of accomplishment so important to the genre. Elden Ring is a complete, mysterious experience, where curiosity is tirelessly renewed by the feeling of discovering something for the first time. All with a sumptuous artistic direction, which makes you want to get lost, to explore. The title also welcomes new features that offer strategic choices in combat, without betraying their requirement. We only regret a slight lack of ambition for certain Legacy Dungeons, as well as the recycling of some assets and bosses. Overall, an exceptional title.