Topic: Elden Ring

[Broad Spectrum]

Finished this the other week. Wow, what a game. I started as a faith-melee build but gradually started to use intelligence spells until the end when I did a reborn to heavy intelligence to beat the final bosses. Played some of the bosses with a mate of mine and he’s never used a spell, pure melee. I wouldn’t even be able to get past the first boss without using spells, unreal the different approaches to this game.

One minor negative/observation from me, did anyone else end the game with an absolute shit tonne of items they’d never used? Not just talking about potions, bombs etc. but items you think could be really important and just don’t use? Again very minor, but I probably used about 10% of the items collected!

[OsirisMVZ]

Finished this the other week. Wow, what a game. I started as a faith-melee build but gradually started to use intelligence spells until the end when I did a reborn to heavy intelligence to beat the final bosses. Played some of the bosses with a mate of mine and he’s never used a spell, pure melee. I wouldn’t even be able to get past the first boss without using spells, unreal the different approaches to this game.

One minor negative/observation from me, did anyone else end the game with an absolute shit tonne of items they’d never used? Not just talking about potions, bombs etc. but items you think could be really important and just don’t use? Again very minor, but I probably used about 10% of the items collected!

There is the crafting system which some people may miss out on.

I pretty much only used melee and Int spells in my first run, but then I'd summon other people in for help with bosses and they'd start using all sorts of items for buffs etc. The build versatility as you say is so wide.

[Kashinoda]

Bandai announced that Elden Ring sold 17.5 million units, making it the fastest-selling multi-platform Japanese game of all time

[AndyMuller]

Bandai announced that Elden Ring sold 17.5 million units, making it the fastest-selling multi-platform Japanese game of all time

Surely means Elden Ring 2 on the way?

Give me some DLC in the meantime please.

[Zlen]

I do hope they make some oddball game before they tackle Elden Ring 2. Something like Sekiro, smaller in scale and different in theme. Elden RIng DLC is probably well on its way though, wouldn't be surprised if it lands in 2023.

[AndyMuller]

30 new bosses in the DLC is the rumour.

[sattapaartridge]

I'm currently playing this game, its a fantastic spectacle and has a lot to it. I dont quite understand how you ask someone to come help you. Cos I'm currently stuck.

But is anyone playing it?

I havent completed it yet, its my first "Souls" game. I know people are completing it with different builds and taking different paths and getting different endings?

[Stockholm Syndrome]

Hey mate, I absolutely love this game, glad to hear someone else enjoying it too.

It may however be best to move the question to the Elden Ring thread in the Technology and Science section (in the Gaming sub forum)

Hope you keep enjoying this fantastic game 

[Elmo!]

https://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=351855.360

Having said that, I've always thought the Games subforum should be in Media and Arts, not Technology.

[sattapaartridge]

I'm on the elden beast, and cant bloody beat him. i believe its the last boss.

[sattapaartridge]

Finished this the other week. Wow, what a game. I started as a faith-melee build but gradually started to use intelligence spells until the end when I did a reborn to heavy intelligence to beat the final bosses. Played some of the bosses with a mate of mine and he’s never used a spell, pure melee. I wouldn’t even be able to get past the first boss without using spells, unreal the different approaches to this game.

One minor negative/observation from me, did anyone else end the game with an absolute shit tonne of items they’d never used? Not just talking about potions, bombs etc. but items you think could be really important and just don’t use? Again very minor, but I probably used about 10% of the items collected!

I started with samurai and then invested heavily into intelligence. im still shit though, cos im on the final boss and cant beat it. I think some people are saying you need 60 vigor. i got 44. going to wander the haligtree secret passage today, see if i can level up a few times more. cos this game is ruining my sleep pattern.

[sattapaartridge]

I can't wait to do NG+ and destroy the early bosses in about 5 hits

Whats NG+? Ive seen it around but dont quite know.

[KillieRed]

Whats NG+? Ive seen it around but dont quite know.

I assume New Game with extra difficulty levels.

[sattapaartridge]

ahh okay. thanks!

[Hedley Lamarr]

PvP DLC dropping tomorrow.  The Colosseum.

[Zlen]

Booooring.
PVP is only for PVP weirdos.
Give us more to explore.

[AndyMuller]

Yeah I won’t be playing that.

Hopefully more is announced at the game awards.

[Buck Pete]

Whats NG+? Ive seen it around but dont quite know.

If its anything like other FROMsoftware games, NG+ usually means you start a brand new run through but keep all your weapons, armour and stats from the previous game.  SO you basically start the game as a fucking god!!

This said, the Bosses and enemies are much tougher from the off when you start a NG+.

[Hedley Lamarr]

The first couple of times around NG+ is a cakewalk until Farum Azula, and the final two bosses are also much easier.  I used them to farm stuff for Ng+4 when it does go a bit nuts.

[sattapaartridge]

im still stuck on the beast at the end. man. i really want to finish the game. fuckin' on me mentally. haha.

[Zlen]

Yeah, I ate shit for days on the final boss. Had my majestic blood based build slicing anything that bleeds into neat little ribbons. Then I get to the final boss and it is immune to everything. Managed to do it somehow, but it was a proper slog. Also I never liked the boss battles where you have to chase the enemy around - it's very random.

[sattapaartridge]

i decided to try and find the Haligdrake Talisman +2 to get extra holy damage negation, and met this guy called Mohg. Holy shit. I get him to about 10% and he wraps me in these red rings, then ends me. Oh well.

Has anyone basically explored the entire map? I feel like there are secrets all over the place in this game, where its impossible to have explored everything.

[sattapaartridge]

Ive beat Mohg, easier than i thought, when he gets you in those rings, use tears to regain your energy. But im level 181 now. i might get melania's rot incantation see if i can use it. but need 35 faith. i got 24.

[mikey_LFC]

Was bought this for Christmas. Gave it a go. Got to a point where I could actually survive for extended periods and kill most non boss characters, or swerve them, but any time I try to follow the story I get roasted. I don’t mind that as some games are built to be difficult but make it worthwhile with a decent story, but the plot of this is somewhere between dull and non existent.

The world is undoubtedly scenically beautiful but again, it’s not interesting, as it’s devoid of anything worth preserving. Everything is a faceless monster or a servant to a faceless monster, and they all want to kill me but I’ve no idea why, nor do I have any idea why I want to kill them other than for survival. It comes back to the plot and the world building which seems to be quite poor from what I’ve seen. What’s my character’s motivation for doing what they’re doing?

In the end, I abandoned the plot, explored the world as much as I can, enjoyed that somewhat but on my occasional return to the plot, I was put off wanting to return to it as it’s just not interesting.

It seems the game is designed to be a grind relying on you to mine through areas repeatedly to gain levels before you can compete. That’s a mechanism I’ve always disliked as it ruins any flow to a game, and when the progress you do make is not rewarded with anything other than the progress itself then there’s only so long I can put up with it.

I should have done more research into the game I guess, as beyond the good reviews there seems to be many people echoing these complaints, whilst the good reviews themselves seem to be purely from people who have enjoyed past games from within the genre, so they’re not as trustworthy or representative as something like a movie review. This is a general issue with gaming reviews but seems to be particularly prevalent with this game.

Anyway, I’ll leave it there as i can see a lot of people in here enjoyed it, but thought I’d share my experience. Safe to say I won’t be playing it again and if the developers think that cashing in on a sequel will be worthwhile due to the numbers who bought this game, I think they’ll be in for a shock, as there seem to be a substantial percentage of people who dislike what they’ve bought.

[Zlen]

It’s a Souls game, not sure what did you expect? NPC’s in Souls games are mostly out there to use you, misguide you or kill you. You need to pry words out of them. Quests are impossible to track or figure out unless you stumble into a solution. These games are always about hostile worlds that don’t give a sweet fuck about you and good, honest combat and interesting bosses. And yes, slow grind to get better to explore more is part of it.

It seems you expected something different. In reality they delivered the pinnacle of game design they chiseled through Souls series and other similar titles. It’s not their fault it went mainstream and caught some unprepared.

[Hedley Lamarr]

I wasn't a huge fan of previous From Software games until I finished Elden Ring, I found Dark Souls and Sekiro ridiculously frustrating, an exercise in masochism.  I plodded on through Elden Ring though and sooner or later something clicked, If I was repeatedly stuck on a boss (and I was...constantly) I put my head down and got through.  Ultimately it ended up being the most rewarding gaming experience in my 40-odd years on this rock.  It also gave me a new appreciation of their previous titles and I'm slogging my way through them.

Obviously this game might not be for you, I thought it wasn't for me, that's fine.

To say the great reviews came from fans of the previous Soulslike fans just isn't correct, I know plenty that haven't even played them that loved Elden Ring.

[mikey_LFC]

I think you’re right. I expected something different and in the end it’s just not for me.

I can imagine it is fulfilling to complete but in the end I’m not after a grind or a slog when in comes to a game, I’m after a challenge, and there is a difference. Whilst completing it would provide some joy, that would not necessarily mean the journey was enjoyed, and part of the joy would be that I don’t have to play it again. Repeating the same or similar experiences over and over until the character is powerful enough to have a shot at the bosses is not what I’m after, but I’m after a game that has some flow to it.

I enjoyed the exploring but again, I’d prefer there was a in game reason to go somewhere, even if there are parts left unexplored that you have to go to off your own back. This wasn’t the real issue for me, but again it lacks a certain flow.

And all of that would have been fine, if the plot was worth pursuing, if the narrative was at all intriguing but whilst the bosses are interesting to look at, in the end I had little to no idea why I was fighting them.

It may be the pinnacle of a souls game, and in the end I admit, I’d not heard much of them other than their names or played them prior, but it has too many glaring  flaws to be anywhere close to the pinnacle of games in general, in my opinion.

I did not mean that all positive reviews were from Souls fans, I meant those who provided professional reviews were done so by souls fans, which is why their rating of the game is out of whack with the audience rating of the game, 96 vs 7.7. That’s an issue in general with game reviews as not every reviewer can review every game as they take up a lot of time, so only those interested in a title will in the end review a game.

The professional ratings of the game matched with attachment of George R R Martin’s name to the game gave the impression that it would have had an amazing story with well developed characters worth playing through. That is simply not the case. It is for these reasons it caught the mainstream, and for these reasons people are left disliking the game, because it isn’t like other games, so to come into it with this information is bound to leave you unprepared. I should have done more research and found out what it’s about, but in the end it’s hard to know whose judgement to trust online, so the only real way to understand is to play the game, but similarly I think the game designers would have seen more of those new to the genre stick around if they’d really spent more time on the plot. And I’m sure there is lore that I’ve missed or that is required to provide a background, but that should always come second to a main plot being engrossing.

I’m glad people liked it and I’m glad I gave it a go. As I said I enjoyed enough of the game to see that it is both expansive and beautiful in some ways. I’m not looking to dampen your experiences but provide my own experience so that if someone were to want to know whether to buy it, they’d have an additional view to look at and hopefully help them make a more informed judgement because put simply this game is not for everyone.

[ToneLa]

I cut me teeth on Demons Souls on the PS3 and just... yeah, bouncing off this these days

I dunno, it's the trial and error element - I get dying a lot is a feature and not a bug

But I don't like it, thus the gameplay seems cheap - I prefer games with more strategy, I like to feel I could have done something better. From Soft games don't work for me for that reason. And the combat, nah

Is there more to Elden Ring than that? Absolutely
But I'm in about 3, 4 other games heavily as time allows and I just don't have time to plug away at something I fundamentally feel is not offering an immediate reward

Ain't no thing

I've had online chats before with people who go YOU DON'T GET IT MAAAAAAAAAAN

but I completed demons souls What was different? Me I guess

[AndyMuller]

I cut me teeth on Demons Souls on the PS3 and just... yeah, bouncing off this these days

I dunno, it's the trial and error element - I get dying a lot is a feature and not a bug

But I don't like it, thus the gameplay seems cheap - I prefer games with more strategy, I like to feel I could have done something better. From Soft games don't work for me for that reason. And the combat, nah

Is there more to Elden Ring than that? Absolutely
But I'm in about 3, 4 other games heavily as time allows and I just don't have time to plug away at something I fundamentally feel is not offering an immediate reward

Ain't no thing

I've had online chats before with people who go YOU DON'T GET IT MAAAAAAAAAAN

but I completed demons souls What was different? Me I guess

That's weird because I'd consider most if not all boss fights in this come down to strategy and dying and figuring something out eventually on how to beat the boss.

[Zlen]

Those are all fair points mikey and ToneLa and it really a matter of personal taste and preference. If anything I found Elden Ring to be too welcoming and easy, compared to for example DS1 and Demon’s Souls. It substituted bleakness for majestic vistas and gave player many more avenues to explore if they ever felt stuck.

But in the end it is still the same formula, where you are thrown into this hero journey but nobody really wants you to succeed or cares if you do. It’s a grindy maze that is survived and experienced - but you never transform it into something new or better. There is an underlying sense of hopelesness in all Souls games, like you are a hero that came few eons too late. I always liked that, but can see why many would not.

[mikey_LFC]

Yep, it’s a case of horses for courses I guess.

I can’t imagine I’d have lasted as long as I did without the ‘majestic vistas’.

I would contest that the game is a hero’s journey considering from what I’ve seen, there is no real personal growth. I think you describe it all well apart from that, and a one word summary of your description could well be that the journey is in the end pointless, since there is no hope for transformation into something new or better, but it’s not as though you learn that the world is pointless only after struggling which would at least be a point of narrative, and could be powerful, it is instead quite clearly early on that there is nothing to fight for except victory itself.

That’s not my bag, but it sounds like others enjoy that aspect. It was a shame to have to stop before the end as it’s something I rarely do, no examples come to my head of times I’ve done that in the past, but to me this just wasn’t worth any additional time. I’ve learned not to go back to this developer; but I don’t begrudge them having an audience or begrudge the audience for enjoying it, it just is what it is.

[Hedley Lamarr]

I wouldn’t completely write it off mate.  I actually refunded the game early on, I didn’t know what to do and was too frustrated to find out.  Always nagged at me though so I went back and it clicked.

[mikey_LFC]

I wouldn’t completely write it off mate.  I actually refunded the game early on, I didn’t know what to do and was too frustrated to find out.  Always nagged at me though so I went back and it clicked.

If I hadn’t got other games lined up I probably would have stuck at it longer, and if I ever run out of games in that line then I may go back in for it, as I’m not great at leaving things unfinished haha.

Just recalled that it wasn’t Christmas that I got the game but my birthday back in July, it was the last in a line of games that I was playing so I actually stopped playing it shortly after Christmas as I then had new games to play. I normally start a game finish it to completion including achievements to 100%, and rarely then go back to them until I’ve got no new games sitting on the side,  so it’s rare I’ll start a new one having not completed another but, I just couldn’t stand this any longer once I had alternatives.

[Malaysian Kopite]

Elden Ring like all modern From games (with the exception of Sekiro, which I think is the best one) don’t have much of a plot other than “You might be the chosen one, kill these bosses, become king/god.” What it excels at is lore and environmental storytelling. You’re nearly always put into a dark, depressing, lonely and decaying world long after all the ancient heroes and legends have died out or become weaker corrupted versions of themselves. Glorious cities and castles are ruins by the time you explore them.

The item descriptions tell you a lot about who the inhabitants and enemies are, especially the weapons/armor you loot of them.  There’s also the tidbits you hear from the NPCs after repeated dialogues. This is a very different approach from how other modern games like GoW approaches it’s storytelling and is a deliberate decision by the devs. You don’t have to like it and I think it’s a fair argument that needing to look online on how you’re supposed to interpret the fate/motivations of the characters might not be the best game design.

However if you approach it like you’re trying to uncover mythos and the histories of a civilisation that’s almost dead, especially by also looking at content and theories online you can find a lot to like. I think GRR influence is quite obvious when you look at the pantheons in the game, the multiple warring factions and their motivations, characters who are siblings and cousins allying with, betraying, murdering and devastating each other and there’s everything from aliens to low fantasy that all fits together here. And you get to fight and kill nearly all of them. The lore is massive compared to the Souls game that spanned an entire trilogy. The thing is all of this has already happened long before the game starts, although the game also has sizeable sidequests that put you in a more active story role.

[Buck Pete]

Nice post MK.

It’s weird. I actually started this thread due to the excitement and anticipation of its release.

Truth is I’ve still not even bought it. I was determined to first 100% platinum Dark Souls. This i did, but by god did it take it out of me. So much so I haven’t been able to fire up any FROM title ever since.

Got a £50 CEX voucher ready to get this soon though.  Like a previous poster mentioned, once I start this I too will have to play it to 100% Platinum.

[Rush 82]

Was bought this for Christmas. Gave it a go. Got to a point where I could actually survive for extended periods and kill most non boss characters, or swerve them, but any time I try to follow the story I get roasted. I don’t mind that as some games are built to be difficult but make it worthwhile with a decent story, but the plot of this is somewhere between dull and non existent.

The world is undoubtedly scenically beautiful but again, it’s not interesting, as it’s devoid of anything worth preserving. Everything is a faceless monster or a servant to a faceless monster, and they all want to kill me but I’ve no idea why, nor do I have any idea why I want to kill them other than for survival. It comes back to the plot and the world building which seems to be quite poor from what I’ve seen. What’s my character’s motivation for doing what they’re doing?

In the end, I abandoned the plot, explored the world as much as I can, enjoyed that somewhat but on my occasional return to the plot, I was put off wanting to return to it as it’s just not interesting.

It seems the game is designed to be a grind relying on you to mine through areas repeatedly to gain levels before you can compete. That’s a mechanism I’ve always disliked as it ruins any flow to a game, and when the progress you do make is not rewarded with anything other than the progress itself then there’s only so long I can put up with it.

I should have done more research into the game I guess, as beyond the good reviews there seems to be many people echoing these complaints, whilst the good reviews themselves seem to be purely from people who have enjoyed past games from within the genre, so they’re not as trustworthy or representative as something like a movie review. This is a general issue with gaming reviews but seems to be particularly prevalent with this game.

Anyway, I’ll leave it there as i can see a lot of people in here enjoyed it, but thought I’d share my experience. Safe to say I won’t be playing it again and if the developers think that cashing in on a sequel will be worthwhile due to the numbers who bought this game, I think they’ll be in for a shock, as there seem to be a substantial percentage of people who dislike what they’ve bought.

Ha! and here I thought I was the only one.
Started playing way back at launch, reached the plateau area and just lost interest. Haven't touched it for months.

[ToneLa]

I don't feel my gaming industry experience is always relevant to a game thread but there's something we're kicking around at the moment which is reviewing accessibility

And there is the concept out there - interesting and unique to games, as interactive - of being locked out of the content due to difficulty

I do think this part of gaming will have to grow but it's interesting to think of with a game like this.

I would say it's reasonable to expect many of the people who bounced off did so due to being "stuck"

Not suggesting a way around that - buyer beware I guess

But I think it might be fairly common for Elden Ring. And a sequel. I've paid for a game which I'll never see because it failed to give me the satisfaction promised. (Again, buyer beware)

[mikey_LFC]

I don't feel my gaming industry experience is always relevant to a game thread but there's something we're kicking around at the moment which is reviewing accessibility

And there is the concept out there - interesting and unique to games, as interactive - of being locked out of the content due to difficulty

I do think this part of gaming will have to grow but it's interesting to think of with a game like this.

I would say it's reasonable to expect many of the people who bounced off did so due to being "stuck"

Not suggesting a way around that - buyer beware I guess

But I think it might be fairly common for Elden Ring. And a sequel. I've paid for a game which I'll never see because it failed to give me the satisfaction promised. (Again, buyer beware)

This is a good point.

Are demos as much of a thing anymore? Always used to try out games through demos before buying especially when I was new to the series or unsure what to expect. Plus there was the possibility of a rental from blockbuster (showing my age), which allowed some level of try before you buy, plus a big saving you could complete the game in a weekend haha.

I also think that not having different difficulties in a game often leads to complaints and is an easy fix to allow more people to enjoy your creation (this is true for games which are both too easy and too difficult, because people have different preferences). These might not be the right words exactly, but it seems arrogant, snobbish or pretentious to not include something as simply as a choice of difficulties within a game.

My guess is, with this game in particular, the developers want to stress the suffering and bleakness of the world and the experience through the difficulty which is their choice but I don’t think it would particularly harm their vision if they set the default difficulty at their preferred difficulty level whilst allowing people to change this. They could even include a warning message saying that by changing the difficulty they may be impacting their experience of the game as recommended by the developer, if they’re that bothered.

[Zlen]

My guess is, with this game in particular, the developers want to stress the suffering and bleakness of the world and the experience through the difficulty which is their choice but I don’t think it would particularly harm their vision if they set the default difficulty at their preferred difficulty level whilst allowing people to change this.

Exactly the reason why they do it and why it’s for me better to keep it this way. You get a unique and singular experience that is same for everyone. This is rare in gaming these days.

[mikey_LFC]

Exactly the reason why they do it and why it’s for me better to keep it this way. You get a unique and singular experience that is same for everyone. This is rare in gaming these days.

I don’t mind it as a choice but think having some way around it whether that be demos or warning messages accompanying an attempt at changing the difficulty can suit those who don’t get on with the game as it is. The sacrifice they make is people not returning to the franchise for later games who otherwise may have if they could access more of the game / story in a way they find more palatable. It’s up to them though and they’re almost certainly aware of this, so have made their choice. I do just think it’s a shame and a missed opportunity.