Every couple of years, a new video game is released that grabs everyone’s attention and breaks the internet. Currently, FromSoftware’s Elden Ring is that game. 

When I bought Elden Ring, I was expecting it to be like every other cliché “open-world” game. But right off the bat, I was proved wrong by the introductory cutscene. The strong voice acting combined with the powerful background music and breathtaking visuals pulled me in right away. To say my mind was blown would be an understatement. 

The game takes place in the Lands Between after the destruction and scattering of the Elden Ring, creating great runes. Demigods, the offspring of a missing Queen named Marika, each claimed a great rune from the Elden Ring and became extremely corrupted with power. As a Tarnished who is blessed by grace from the Great Erdtree, you must traverse the Lands Between, reclaim the great runes, restore the Elden Ring, and become the Elden Lord.

When you enter the game for the very first time, the game runs you through a barebones tutorial on how to use the game’s basic combat elements such as swinging a sword, jump attacks, ranged attacks, dodging, and blocking. That’s it. You are thrown out into the vast environment and you are expected to discover things on your own, your only guide is the various glowing sites of grace that are littered around the map. Yet—this discovery factor is one of the reasons why the game is so great; it gives players freedom and endless choices to make when playing the game, I truly saw this when I found a small building in a forest. Not thinking much of it, I walked inside to find a lift that lowers deep into the ground. I was speechless when I saw that it led me to a whole new underground section of the map called the Siofra River. Complete with new enemies, new bosses, and many more places to explore.

Another reason why I love the game so much is because of the hundreds of weapons to choose from. From a colossal dragon head that shoots rotten mist, to two heavy greatswords that have their own gravitational pull, there’s no doubt that there is something for everyone in this game. On top of that, the graphics are extremely detailed and everything has such a natural flow, making the game itself satisfying to play.

Common complaints that I have heard about the game is that some of the bosses are too difficult to defeat. I agree that some bosses are absolutely ridiculous, but at the same time, that’s how the game is supposed to be; the game wants you to memorize attack patterns and open windows so that when you finally defeat the boss, it feels truly rewarding. Another really common complaint is how easy the game is in the online multiplayer mode, and that it completely removes the difficulty factor in the game. I also cannot deny that but there’s a simple solution — don’t play multiplayer. 

Elden Ring is a beautiful videogame that exceeds expectations with its breathtaking graphics, colossal map size, and hundreds of fun weapons to choose from. I would recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of games like Skyrim, Breath of The Wild, or any other open-world adventure game. With the game still in its early development phases, changes and fixes are constantly being made and it’s very exciting to see what the future of Elden Ring will bring.