Elden Ring Review - Challenging Game With a Lighter Combat System 2022

Eden Ring Review - Challenging Game With a Lighter Combat System 2022

Fromoftware is known as a developer with its trademark game, namely Dark Souls. Until fans and players give the nickname "Souls" as one of the game genres. Hidetaka Miyazaki as the director of the developer has not infrequently ambition to work on Souls game projects. And one of them has been waiting forward by the game franchise fans and the other players are Elden Ring. This game was released on February 25 2022 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC platforms.

Elden Ring became an ambitious project from Software in 2022 after success with Dark Souls, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Presenting a mechanism that can be said is not much different from Dark Souls, but with a version that is at least not as difficult as its predecessor. What's more, like the beta version of its test, open-world which is presented by developers into this game is truly an immeasurable extent. The interesting facts from Elden Ring, where the Miyazaki Hidetaka cooperated with the popular novel writer of Thrones, George R.r. Martin to work on the story.

The resurrection of Tarnished in The Lands Between

Elden Ring took the settings in a world in The Lands Between, created by the author behind the game of Thrones. The Lands Between has been blessed with the presence of Elden Ring and Erdtree, who gave blessings to people throughout the country. These blessings from Erdtree are symbolized by golden light which is specifically intended for all people in the world. However, after some time, several individuals lose direction and light, so the light fades from them. This is what was finally known as Tarnished in Elden Ring.

Tarnished deserves to be called the tapered individual and loses bright gifts. Long before, the ancestors of the Tarnished present in the world have been discarded and exiled from The Lands Between. After that, Elden Ring was destroyed and triggered the return of Tarnished who had been exiled before. The incident became an encouragement of the storyline in Elden Ring, where Tarnished was called back at The Lands Between. Yes, Tarnished itself is the character played by players to carry out their mission, restore the devastating war with the gods in the world.

Wide Open-World Game With Various Features

The first thing done at the beginning of the Elden Ring game was to make characters according to the creations of each player. Quite a lot of classes are offered here. Starting from the Warrior, Enchanted Knight, Prophet, Bloody Wolf, Prisoner, Confessor, until the samurai also exists. If in Dark Souls each class determines the gear and stats at the beginning, Elden Ring gives freedom to his players to modify it with various variants. It is also one of the plus points offered here.

Not only that. Exploration is also the main point that is preferred at Elden Ring. The world offered is much wider and more beautiful, when compared to the Dark Souls series. Because of the extent, developers apply traversal gameplay systems, which allow players to actively move around it easily. It was covered with natural scenery and surrounded by the ruins of old buildings such as a very stunning church building, we were sure to make players spend more time exploring. It feels quiet because there are not many interactions presented during exploration. It reminded it a little we will be Breath of the Wild with nature in the open-world wide and scared ruins that have been consumed by nature.

Horse riding or mounting makes it easy for players to travel in a vast world while fighting against a series of enemies. This horse is named torrent and can be obtained through the spectral sted whistle item giving Melina, a favorite Maiden in Elden Ring. Torrent is not just running but can do a double jump. Even he can also launch Super Jump on a few specific points on the map. In addition, when you want to pick up an item, the player also doesn't need to get off the torrent, because it can be done while riding a horse. Mounting with torrent is undoubtedly greatly facilitating all activities here.

Now turn to discuss the features presented at Elden Ring. As for many mechanics or features that can be known by the player. For the sake of adding the beauty of the visual world landscape in the game, developers add a system day and night cycle, weather, and time. With the existence of this system at least, it does not make the open-world monotonous, where players can see the turn of day and night or see weather changes.

In addition, one of the main features in the game, the Sites of Grace allows players to manage storage, fill FLASK, or increase the level of the player's stats. Some Sites of Grace also has the € Guidance of Grace "guiding players to find something new. Interesting right? In addition to using a torrent, some features make it easier for players to move from somewhere elsewhere using Fast Travel. Fromoftware is not half-hearted in presenting features that can be said to be very easy for exploration of players in the vast Elden Ring world.

Then there is also mechanical crafting, which is no stranger in the current generation AAA games. Throughout exploration at The Lands Between, players will find many materials from flora and fauna that can be loaded. To be able to craft, players must have a crafting kit, which can be purchased at Merchant Kale at Church of Elleh. Like crafting in general, items produced have their respective uses. Starting from curing stamina and status of players, issue debuff effects to the enemy, to increase strength in temporary weapons. If the player feels confused about recipe crafting, there is no need to worry, because the Elden Ring presents a cookbook, which is sold by several merchants. We admit the crafting system here is not too complicated and can even do crafting anywhere.

As it has been confirmed by Miyazaki's Hidetaka, Elden Ring displays a multiplayer or co-op system, which certainly makes players cooperative in defeating enemies and gods. The multiplayer system is also not as difficult as imagined. There are two types of co-ops that players can do. Do you want to offer help or call them into a joint fight? If you want to offer help, it takes an Item Tarished 's furled finger which will display a kind of gold-colored summoning sign on the ground. However, if you want to recruit friends into a battle, Furlcalling Finger Remedy is needed which allows players to see the Summoning Gold sign. Unlike Furled Finger, this Finger Remedy includes consumable items. So it needs to save use if needed.

Combat Action is Challenging With the Characteristic of Dark Souls Attached

Now let's discuss the fight mechanism. If the player is a loyal fan of Dark Souls and other Souls games, Combat in Elden Ring certainly does not become a concern. The battle system that is displayed is more referring to the mechanism in the style of the RPG action game. There are three types of attacks that players can do here, namely Melee, Ranged, and Magic. Talking about Magic, this type of attack requires sufficient Force Points, and is divided into two categories, sorcery, and incantations. If Sorcery depends on Intelligence, Incantations depend on Faith. Unlike the previous Souls game, the Elden Ring player no longer gets an additional slot with level up. However, it takes a kind of key item known as Memory Stones, which can be obtained after defeating the main Boss or completing Legacy Dungeons.

As we discussed in the gameplay part of the mounting. This horse nicknamed torrent not only plays a role in helping exploration but can fight. During riding a torrent, the player is free to use the type of attack desired to fight the enemy. Keep in mind, if you want to launch a spell, the automatic torrent speed will be slow compared to using Melee or Ranged attacks. The torrent itself is more useful when on a battlefield, which does not offer protection in any form, because the speed of the movement allows players to easily avoid enemy attacks in a large area.

Then there is also poise, stat at Elden Ring which determines the strength and weakness of the character or protects it from being stun-locked. The higher poise, the ability owned by the character is also better. If you have an armor with high poise and defense tends to be heavier, even though it can receive less damage from the enemy. However, be careful of some much stronger bosses and enemies. Because they can give too much damage poise to players. In addition, there is also a Super Armor that provides protection when characters are thrown and feel dizzy, where certain enemies can critically hit. The Super Armor will recover by itself after some time without having an enemy attack.

Throughout the game, players will see many spirits roaming. Named Spirit Ashes, is the ability of the character to arouse the spirit who lives in the spirit of Ash. Calling them was not just calling, but it could take him while helping players in battle on the battlefield. To call them a certain fee requires, but usually uses the number of FP and can only do one summons per monument before they return to rest at the site of grace. Every Spirit Ash is equipped with their respective abilities. Starting from cure stamina, do buff, to call other spirits with their weaknesses and strengths.

Visual Stunning and More Refined Performance

It seems that lately, several games present two setting modes, whether it focuses on performance or graphics. Elden Ring is also so. Like the news that has been circulating before, on the system section in the game Options, there are two modes that players can choose. This mode is prioritise framerate and priority quality. For Prioritise Framerate focuses on displaying game settings with 60fps, especially on PS5. While priority Quality increases visual quality into 4K, which is capable of displaying graphics sharper, detailed, and stunning. In this mode, we think there are no problems, because according to us back on the tastes of each player. Do tend to like games with graphic quality or performance.

As for the HUD option for interface settings along with the game. If you want an interface that doesn't interfere with exploration, the player can change it to the Auto option. With this choice, HUD will be hidden automatically, except compass which still appears. If you want to display HUD back, for the PS5 version, just press the triangle or y for the Xbox version. At least the player can take advantage of the existence of this system option to take pictures of images like a photo mode when in the middle of exploration or do a super jump with a torrent.

A little unfortunate if Elden Ring doesn't bring 3D audio, which can provide a more impressive play experience as if it was heard and was in the world in it. In addition to the absence of 3D Audio, before the developer once said that they planned to implement Dualsense utilization such as Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Trigger into Elden Ring. However, what we feel seems to be just an ordinary vibration and not too influential. Putting aside this, at least the load times are given in the PS5 version are classified as fast. Especially when the transition when the character was killed and returned to the Sites of Grace.

Elden Ring System Requirements:

Minimum

Operating System: Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
Memory: 12GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 3GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 4GB
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 60GB available space
Sound Card: Windows-compatible audio device

Conclusion

Elden Ring itself felt challenging, and the developer did not release the identity of the element and its soul interface into this game. The mechanism has raised the nostalgia fans loyal to the Dark Souls series, but with a combat system that could be said to be lighter than before. Although in our opinion it still does not leave the distinctive characteristics of Dark Souls. Judging in terms of visuals, no doubt. Because Elden Ring itself focuses on visual improvements that are truly stunning with 4K resolution, it is paid by graphics sharper and the performance of which is smooth. We were spoiled with a beautiful landscape, especially when outside the dungeon. Coupled with a variety of interesting features that make it easier for exploration, including torrent and traversal.

What we think is unfortunate is the absence of audio 3D support, which makes the gaming experience more real or imperf. In addition, the utilization of features in the dual sense for the PS5 version tends to be minimal and we feel it's just an ordinary vibration. For example, when we were hit by an enemy attack. Or there is no kind of adaptive trigger or haptic feedback vibration effect to detect enemies around the character. However, overall, our Elden Ring is of good value and according to the expectations and ambition from the software in developing this game, until it can be a game with the highest enthusiasm since last year. Good work for Miyazaki and Bandai Namco!