Elden Ring is a game I have to play in shorter intervals than most. If you spend much time online reading the reviews of critics or comments by other players you will find near-endless praise. Many people whom I enjoy talking about games with regard Elden Ring as a masterpiece and some even crowned it the best game they have ever played. I enjoy it to a degree but you won’t find that kind of praise here.
It has been difficult for me to find the best approach for this post because there’s so much Elden Ring does well but so much I also find frustrating. For every topic, I find myself in a love/hate relationship. I also noticed my Twitter follower counts usually drop a little when I voice those frustrations. That’s fine. Overall, my frustrations are well-received by others with many trying to offer up some constructive counterpoints and suggestions of ways to make the game more enjoyable. The From Software gaming community is a very welcoming group, at least in the Twitterverse. They changed the overly negative perception I had from prior experiences with various Facebook groups.
Some background
Elden Ring isn’t the first From Software game I played. I’m not new to their game design. Sekiro was my first, though I didn’t finish it. Bloodborne was my second. It didn’t click so I stopped playing. I tried again as a litmus test when deciding if I wanted to invest the time in Elden Ring. I quit Bloodborne again and moved to Dark Souls 3 on the suggestion it might be closer in aesthetic and gameplay mechanics to Elden Ring. Dark Souls 3 was a frustrating ordeal but I finished it.
My quest to become Elden Lord
With Elden Ring I went with the samauri class because the style of combat is close to how I played Dark Souls 3. Gameplay was familiar. I went through Elden Ring’s opening bits until I was dropped into the main game world and things slowly began to unwind little by little.
Most of the praise I see for Elden Ring comes from its approach to the open world. It reminds me of the days of Morrowind when I was dropped onto a map with a general idea of where to go and expected to figure it out. Unfortunately my patience isn’t what it was back then. This is a “me problem.” It’s not a criticism of Elden Ring but it greatly affects my enjoyment.
I respect developers’ artistic vision when it comes to these games. Whether I like a game or not, I’m not usually one to be overly critical of design choices. From Software clearly had a vision for Elden Ring. It’s a game I really try to enjoy. My enjoyment is often stamped out by frustration. I die. A lot. Everyone does, right? That’s part of the charm of these games. From talking to people, that’s an accepted part of the game. My problem is if I don’t make progress it stops being fun. I’ve taken a handful of breaks. My last break was two weeks.
In recent days I have thrown myself back into Elden Ring. I spent some time watching a handful of build videos, reading articles with suggested boss orders and recommended levels, and pulled maps to help determine where to go. The lack of direction and focus on exploration is an idea I really want to love. Back in my twenties I would have thrown hundreds of hours into searching out everything I could just to see what was there. If Elden Ring has taught me anything it’s those days are over. But with the help of a bunch of open web tabs in a second monitor, I may actually have a chance at success.
Kropolis Gaming 