Excitement for FromSoftware’s upcomingElden Ringis reaching a fever pitch. Promising to be an even more open take onDark Soulswith wide-open areas, horseback riding, possibly other movement options alongside proper stealth,Elden Ringlooks to be FromSoftware’s most ambitious game ever. The sheer scope on display, combined with FromSoftware’s history of excellent art and game design, are pointing at the game becoming a runaway success once it finally releases.
This brings to mind some of theother wildly popular medieval fantasy gamesthat took similar expanded approaches to building worlds.The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeandThe Witcher 3are both evergreen examples, but the example to end all examples will always beThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Bethesda’s ever-present open world RPG redefined how gamers thought a fantasy adventure could be. Featuring an enormous number of dungeons, quests, locales, NPCs, and ways to play the game,Skyrimis becoming a perennial classic of modern gaming. Now, years after its original release, the game industry may finally be looking at a worthy successor toSkyrim’s legacy.
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Play In Every Way
If there’s one thingElden Ringneeds to carry forward to embodySkyrim, it’s the older game’s undying longevity.Skyrimis one of the most content-rich RPGs in all of gaming, featuring a seemingly endless number of ways to progress through the game.
Players can roleplay as arogue, sneaking around and stealing everything, even hearts. Players can become masters of all magic in the land. They can take control of a cat person that turns into a werewolf, and later a vampire. If the land is too stifling, glitch technicians can hop on a bucket and take to the skies. And that’s not even getting into the many ways players can influence the political state of Skyrim and its surrounding lands through enormous, multi-step side quests.
Elden Ringwill likely limit itself in terms of the quests that can be taken and NPCs that can be spoken to, in the traditional lonelySoulsstyle. However, by building on the mechanics of every post-Demons’ SoulsFromSoftware game,Elden Ringcan stillprovide many different buildsthat will see fans through to credits.Dark Soulshas already been building up several games’ worth of movesets, magic, and mechanics, and even added Weapon Arts inDark Souls3to make equipment even more distinct.
Judging by the leaked trailer,Elden Ringalso intends to add some ofSekiro’s movement mechanics in to make gameplay more diverse and satisfying. Sneaking and jumping on command were present, and there could be some elements of swimming traversal.Elden Ringwill need to work to matchSkyrim’s roleplay and storytelling, but thanks to the Soulsborne games before it,Elden Ring’s playstyle diversity is already there.
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Worlds Full of Stories
Skyrim’s storytelling is one of the common reasons cited as to why it’s so great, owing in large part to the fact that it’s happening all the time. The giant side quests are part of it, but there is as much story to be found wandering through the world. The many dungeons and monuments dotting the landscape each have their own story to tell, and some have some interesting gameplay ramifications to boot. The game ispacked with detailed bookson different trades, stories, and historical records. There’s even some information to be gleaned by what enemies and NPCs are present in a given area, making some caves and the northern regions all the more distinct.
Elden Ringis likely to carry on this trait, though it’s doubtful that any full set of armor descriptions will come close to the sheer volume of lore inSkyrim. FromSoftware has proven itself to be a master of environmental storytelling, setting up recurring imagery throughout each of its games and casually describing entire other nations in short item descriptions. Special mention goes to the Carthus Sandworm inDark Souls 3, which informs players of an unseen country just by existing. Every single distinct area has a story to tell, andElden Ring’s strong area design will no doubt call back to lessons learned in thekingdoms of Boletaria, Lordran, Yharnam, and Ashina.
Elden Ring Could Do Some Things Better
However, just becauseElden Ringis an open world(or “open field,” as it may be)fantasy action RPG likeSkyrimdoesn’t mean they will be exactly the same. Indeed, these two games are likely to have very different priorities.Elden Ringwill likely focus more on combat and how players navigate through its environments, than how players can roleplay and become tightly ingrained into the world. A common complaint aboutSkyrimis how, eventually, its combat becomes very underwhelming and repetitive, something FromSoftware tries to avert.Elden Ringshould not have that problem, and its combat could be the best in a FromSoftware title yet.
Elden Ringwill probably not allow players to properly roleplay as a thief, master mage, assassin, or revolutionary likeSkyrimdoes. However, while a deep and dynamic role in the game world may not be accessible to the player, there will no doubt be plenty of fascinating stories to find as players navigate throughElden Ring. Players will explore an abundance of gorgeous environments, solving puzzles and dealing with enemies as they see fit. If nothing else,FromSoftware’s impeccable visual design and artistic directionwill be a breath of fresh air afterSkyrim’s muted and repetitive (though still impressive for its time) landscape.
Ultimately, whileElden Ringhas a good chance to beFromSoftware’s crowning achievement, it’s going to appeal to different players than the averageElder Scrollsgame. FromSoftware’s trademarkSoulscombat and finely-tuned environmental design will appeal to many, whileSkyrim’s roleplay opportunities and enormous-feeling world will appeal to many others. Ultimately, these games can coexist in the halls of all-time greats, and all of the patiently waitingElden Ringfans are dearly hoping they do.
Elden Ringis in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
