After 13 years of iterating on the “Souls” series and decades more in the wider gamut of game development, renowned Japanese studio FromSoftware did something that seemed tougher than even the most brutal Dark Souls boss fight: it created a global smash hit, all while continuing to cater to hardcore fans and expertly evolve the often imitated, never replicated formula it’s best known for. Elden Ring, a masterclass of open-world video game design, is a huge achievement. The grand vistas in the game and the towering cityscapes are just as important as the conflicts taking place within.
The player is at the core of everything. He or she explores a stunning and captivating world but one that is also punishing, arduous and harsh. You’ll die a lot – in brutal and seemingly unconquerable ways – to brutes and beasts and environmental perils, but you’ll never feel alone. You’ve got a near endless combination of weapons, spells, armor sets, and even human players to summon by your side. Play as a knight who swings a huge battle axe against a fire-breathing dragon or a mage withered from the ages, bringing cosmic horrors to your enemies. Elden Ring lets you create the story of your Tarnished hero.
Elden Ring’s narrative may not be as overt or traditional as other video games. However, its lore, world building and sidequests, hidden all around the world, reward players with intricately designed characters. Like most things here, the more effort the player puts in to discover, the more rewards they’ll reap. It’s a core tenet of the philosophy behind what makes Elden Ring so special and it’s something that no studio can pull off quite like FromSoftware can.
Elden Ring, a game that takes you on a lonely quest through hell, has become a cultural phenomenon around the world. It’s inspired millions of players to share their secrets and amazing moments. We cheered one another on, spent hours discussing strategies against the most difficult bosses and proudly posed with our characters wearing their strangest costumes and builds.
We’ll likely spend the rest of our lives thinking about, talking about, and playing Elden Ring, but until then and for now, Elden Ring is IGN’s Best Game of the Year for 2022.
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