Elden Ring has been one of the most anticipated games in recent memory, developed by the studio behind the Dark Souls franchise, however, a question that has been frequently asked is, will it be as difficult? Ever since Bloodborne hit the ground running in 2015 on PlayStation 4, fans have been patiently awaiting what FromSoftware has up its sleeve. Revealed during 2019’s E3 conference, only recently has a trailer been released. Anticipation was met with a huge positivite reaction as fans were eagerly awaiting a gameplay reveal.
Aimed for a twenty-first of January 2022 release date. Co-Written by George R.R Martin, known to many as the author behind Game Of Thrones, Elden Ring simply describes itself as “Rise, Tarnished, and be guided by grace to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the Lands Between”. Not much has been shown in regards to the plot of the game, albeit fan’s expectations of FromSoftware have been set rather high.
A Mix and Match of Approachable and Difficult
Ultimately, many have asked if Elden Ring meets or surpasses the Dark Soul’s series in terms of punishment and difficulty, and the answer is an interesting one. Lead Writer alongside George R.R Martin, Hidetaka Miyazaki has compared Elden Ring’s difficulty at a minimum to match Dark Souls 3, which without means none of FromSoftware’s punches will be pulled. Whilst also described as easily approachable for new players, it isn’t surprising that the Bloodborne and Dark Souls formula has bled into Elden Ring’s design.
Whilst on the subject of new fans, FromSoftware’s intentions of easily welcoming new players to their latest title looks to be a thoroughly thought out one. Seeing how Elden Ring balances newcomers and veterans at once is an interesting concept, as stealth and horse riding free roam have been teased as a new addition for release and perhaps the series going forward. The main concern is, could this actually be a new Dark Souls under a different name?
All in all, whichever path Elden Ring chooses to go down, for fans new and old, it’ll be a win-win situation. Regarding it being Dark Souls under a new title, it does seem to be the case, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The last game of Elden Ring’s genre to release was Dark Souls 3 in 2016, followed by a Demon Souls remake in 2020. The Souls-Like design may make some newcomers who were at first interested in its premise scatter, due to the sudden worry that its difficulty is going to be excruciatingly unforgiving. Personally, I’m willing to give it a try, even if I may eventually lose my mind.
Elden Ring releases on the Twenty-First of January 2022, on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows
