Elden Ring, made by Demon's Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki and written by George R.R. Martin of Game of Thrones fame, is easily the most anticipated game of 2022. Now publisher Bandai Namco has unveiled a 20-minute gameplay preview that will probably take internet hype to Cyberpunk 2077 levels; let's just hope that Elden Ring is not a glitch-ridden mess at launch.
Like the Souls titles, Elden Ring is an action RPG, this time focused on exploring the world of The Lands Between. From the gameplay footage, it seems that the world is absolutely massive and gorgeous. It'll feature Souls-like combat, set in a richly detailed open world. That combat is set to be challenging, but we absolutely don't want another Soulsborne difficulty debate.
Elden Ring is set to launch on Feb. 25, 2022 on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PC.
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While Elden Ring's high fantasy setting is a grim one, the game itself is bright and colorful. The amber hues of a setting sun will cascade through idyllic forests in which monsters roam, with the bleakness of the characters and creatures in contrast to the welcoming warmth of the world itself.
Compared to other high fantasy titles, Elden Rings looks highly imaginative, with great effort taken to separate it from others. Like in Assassin's Creed or the Far Cry games, players run towards bases or forts to take out encampments of bad guys.
Players can travel to catacombs — which are tight claustrophobic corridors that feels very Souls-like — but they can also enter massive and wide dungeons. These have multiple points of entry and different ways of approach and look more Assassin's Creed in terms of procedure.
Being a Miyazaki title, bosses are massive and complex; the game should prove to be a challenge, even for veteran Souls players. And unlike past Souls titles, Elden Ring will have both cooperative and PVP multiplayer. So maybe a friend can help take down some of these fire-breathing monsters.
