Despite not being a sequel to the Dark Souls series, Elden Ring does share many similarities – and many new aspects and mechanics not seen in other FromSoftware titles, such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro. It is also one of the most anticipated games of 2022, as it has been a long time since its announcement, and people have been eagerly anticipating its release.
Setting
The world of Elden Ring is completely different from that of Dark Souls or Bloodborne. In contrast to previous FromSoftware games, this game will feature an open world and a large kingdom called The Lands Between. The Lands Between is characterized by a large golden tree called Erdtree, reminiscent of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, which can be seen from almost all directions. Before it was shattered, the Elden Ring was believed to be the source of the Erdtree. Each region also has a “minor” Erdtree. As one of the Tarnished, you will choose from ten starting classes, each with their own starting equipment, weapons, and even magic. The main goal of your character seems to be to become an Elden Lord after returning from exile; however, Miyazaki has hinted that the reasons and actions you take as a result can be determined by you and may even determine how you interact with NPCs.
The Open World
This will be the first game from FromSoftware with a truly open and explorable world. The map will allow you to fast travel between the Sites of Grace, although certain areas will not allow you to fast travel, such as certain dungeons. The Lands Between comes with a World Map that shows players the large area of the land, but there are no maps for some of the smaller and enclosed areas and dungeons. The Lands Between map’s size will only become apparent when you explore it.
The hub area of The Lands Between will link to the six main regions, but it will not be available right away. Players can summon a spectral mount on the open world to speed up travel. The open world will be filled with enemies; some will follow roads and paths, while others will stay put. You can decide when and where you wish to ambush and fight a group of enemies. The larger open world is where roaming bosses, such as large dragons, can be fought, so you have the option of fighting them while on your mount. You can also find keys that can open hidden areas and might even give you a good reward like being in a online casino NetBet.
Combat and Gameplay
Many elements of previous Soulsborne games will be returning, including stamina bars from Dark Souls, summoning, Sekiro’s basic stealth and jump buttons, as well as weapon arts. A summonable co-op mode will be available in Elden Ring. As with spells, summoning Spirits also costs FP, and some Spirits come in groups or cost more if the ally is more powerful. You can also increase the power of spirits, and there are many to choose from – and you choose which ones you want to assist you.
Aside from customizing weapon scaling, Ashes of War also lets you equip skills directly without assigning new scaling. It is possible to duplicate an Ash of War so that you can apply it to multiple weapons at once. Some weapons will possess unique skills that cannot be changed. If you have enough stamina and FP, many magic spells can be cast in succession while moving or holding the cast button down. You might be better off fighting certain enemies on your mount than fighting them on theirs since they can ride horses just as you can. Jumping attacks are similar to powerful charged attacks and can deal a great deal of damage and leave an enemy open to critical attacks.
Crafting
Elden Ring introduces new crafting mechanics that will allow you to find and collect different materials as you explore and battle enemies, as well as craft resources to help you survive longer. To craft these resources, you will need the Crafting Kit found early in the game. The materials you need for crafting can be found by exploring the Lands Between and hunting wild animals or monsters or exploring the Lands Between to find plants and stones. In addition, you can learn new recipes by finding “cookbooks” that provide you with more options for creating offensive and defensive items.
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Characters
There will be a variety of mysterious NPC characters you can meet in the game like in other FromSoftware titles. Each character has a backstory, including his or her own motivations for helping the player. You will be able to find other Tarnished in the Roundtable Hold as you did in Dark Souls’ Firelink Shrine, and you might even meet characters you meet in the Lands Between there. Quests offered by characters are not tracked on the map, but NPC locations are. A player may be unaware of some parts of Elden Ring’s story that are revealed by NPCs. Depending on how you interact with these characters, it can even affect the ending of the game.