Elden Ring is a great game, but it is missing something that made Bloodborne really special
Elden Ring is currently enjoying one of those ‘moments’ in gaming. Every few years, a game comes out that takes over social media and friend circles, and it quickly becomes clear that it’s a title that’ll be talked about for many years to come. With the chatter around Elden Ring showing no signs of abating a month after its release, it feels like it’s already being mentioned in ‘greatest of all time’ conversations. The hype is well deserved. In her review for TRG, Sam Greer gave Elden Ring full marks, and it’s hard to argue with the impressively broad scope and interconnected world of the title. It’s absolutely an experience begging to be played, even for those who haven’t quite gelled with Soulsborne games in the past. That said, there’s something in the formula that feels different than previous FromSoftware titles. An aspect has been lost in the translation to a wider scope, leaving a sense that there’s something lacking in the world of Elden Ring – the previous focus of the developer’s games. For me, the 2015 action role-playing classic Bloodborne remains the pinnacle of FromSoftware’s output. While its build and play options are not as narrow as 2019’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which perhaps took these aspects a little too far, Bloodborne asks the same thing from every player: be aggressive. While you’re presented with a wide array of weapons, you’re encouraged to get into the fight, coming within striking distance of enemies or bosses. Nowhere is that philosophy more felt than in the game’s health system.
