Elden Ring

Elden Ring is an action role-playing game set in third-person perspective. It includes elements that are similar to those in other FromSoftware-developed games, such as the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The game is set in an open world; players can freely explore the Lands Between and its six main areas, which include Limgrave—an area of grassy plains and ancient ruins—and Caelid, a wasteland home to undead monsters. The open world is explored using the character's mount Torrent as the main mode of transportation, though players may use fast travel outside combat.

Throughout the game, players encounter non-player characters (NPCs) and enemies, including demigods who rule each main area and serve as the game's main bosses. Aside from the main areas, Elden Ring has hidden dungeons, including catacombs, tunnels, and caves where players can fight bosses and gather helpful items.

Elden Ring takes place in the Lands Between, a fictional landmass ruled over by several demigods. It was previously ruled over by the immortal Queen Marika, who acted as keeper of the Elden Ring, a powerful force that manifested as the physical concept of order. When Marika eventually shattered the Elden Ring and disappeared, her demigod children began warring over pieces of the Ring in an event called the Shattering. Each demigod possesses a shard of the Ring called a Great Rune, which corrupts them with power.

In the game, the player character is a Tarnished, one of a group of exiles from the Lands Between who are summoned back after the Shattering. As one of the Tarnished, the player must traverse the realm to repair the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord.

FromSoftware's Dark Souls series of games is noted for its high level of difficulty. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki wanted to create an open-world game, intending Elden Ring as a mechanical evolution of Dark Souls. Elden Ring was designed to have a more-expansive environment than the narrow dungeons of FromSoftware's previous games; Miyazaki hoped the grander scale would add freedom and depth to exploration. FromSoftware approached American author George R.

R. Martin, creator of the fantasy-novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, to provide worldbuilding for Elden Ring. Miyazaki, a fan of Martin's work, hoped his contributions would produce a more accessible narrative than those of the studio's earlier games.

Elden Ring received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received "mighty" approval, being recommended by 98% of critics. It has been cited as one of the best video games of all time.

The game's open-world setting received acclaim; reviewers praised the exploration mechanics. Tamoor Hussain of GameSpot praised the Lands Between as the most expansive of FromSoftware's settings, calling exploration and discovery the game's main appeal. Mitchell Saltzman of IGN lauded Elden Ring for rewarding exploration in every part of the map. Simon Parkin of The Guardian called the game's environments "intriguing and inventive".