Ring of roses
FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 25 FEB PUB BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT DEV FROMSOFTWARE PLAYERS 1-4
Like the Elden Ring itself, the soulslike genre has been shattered – by the very studio that created it. Yet, in taking those shards – pieces of Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro – and forging Elden Ring, FromSoftware has managed to create something that feels entirely new yet familiar.
This isn’t ‘Dark Souls but open world’. Wide-open spaces are used in a way that changes how you undertake your journey, and a wealth of combat, gear, and customisation options makes experimenting with the way you play just as freeing as the ability to choose which physical direction you take.
“WHAT’S HERE ISN’T JUST FLUFF – THERE’S A TEASING SECRET OVER THE CREST OF EVERY HILL.”
Going hands-on with the game ourselves, we easily spend upwards of ten hours in the opening area alone, constantly enticed by new things to find. We’ve got approximately half of the first area to play around with, and six regions are promised in the full game; the idea of effectively 12 times the number of things to see, do, and find is