FromSoftware returns with Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin’s fantasy game, Elden Ring. Does it shine brightly or is it Tarnished?
Elden Ring is one of the most hotly-anticipated games of 2022, and for good reason. FromSoftware has made a name for itself over time as that of the “Souls” developer. The developer’s challenging, austere titles in the Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls series have countless fans around the world. It also spawned new IPs like Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Creator Hidetaka Miyazaki’s boundless fountain of ideas has yielded some of the most intriguing moments in gaming and some of the most difficult ones as well. This cemented his name as one that players have flocked to over the years. Now, with Elden Ring, Miyazaki went above and beyond to make something inherently memorable. Written in tandem with Game of Thrones‘ George R.R. Martin, Elden Ring is a fantastical journey that highlights the best of what modern fantasy can do. If you’ve been waiting for your next phenomenal sojourn through an inscrutable, magic-infused land, this is it. One of Elden Ring’s greatest strengths is its complex and often obtuse narrative. It’s very much a game where you’ll need to explore the massive map, collect items, and read between the lines. That’s if you want to glean all the lore you possibly can. Broadly, we have a tale of high fantasy and, at times, bizarre situations that feels as though it’s teeming with life. Once upon a time, Queen Marika and King Consort, the Elden Lord Godwyn the Golden, ruled the Lands Between. Thanks to the Elden Ring and the powerful Erdtree, the pair ruled over a massive kingdom in peace. However, once malevolent forces stole the Elden Ring’s Death Rune, the Ring shattered. Now in six Great Runes, each one found its way into the hands of the six leaders of the Lands Between. The leaders twisted into deformed, mindless Demigods who engaged in countless fights. Their warring tore the Lands Between apart, killing almost everyone who lived across the land. But without the Death Rune, these unfortunate souls don’t receive the sweet solace that death brings. Instead, these miserable souls come back to life and serve the Demigods who tore the land asunder.
