Elden Ring's details have trickled in on a steady basis in the past while after a long spell of silence. Elden Ring's gameplay presentation and cinematic trailers were met with an in-depth Closed Network Test, for example, that gave a number of fortunate individuals access to hours of the game.
FromSoftware's latest title is highly anticipated, and though much has already been shared, spoilers that dissect certain narrative and gameplay events in Elden Ring have circulated, and fans may choose to batten down the hatches to avoid any more information ahead of Elden Ring's launch this February. Rather, other seemingly minor details have been shared officially from FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki that helps to shape its lore and the player's comprehension of why some design alterations may have been made.
Miyazaki shared more information recently in an interview with EDGE, where the director and developer discussed "rings" and how they are no longer an item that players equip in Elden Ring. While it may seem strange initially that a game with the item in the title does not feature it as an accessory, Miyazaki explains that "rings do no exist as physical 'finger rings' in the game, but more as unique items that are involved in the story and unique character events."
Instead, Elden Ring's talisman items are the new "ring" accessory and provide the same passive status condition buffs that rings would, such as the Chloranthy Ring in Dark Souls 3 that increases stamina regeneration by twenty percent, or the Red Tearstone Ring that increases damage by twenty-percent when the player's health is below twenty percent. As such, talismans supplant rings so that rings do not need to feel like a trivial item for the wearer whilst having "a special positioning within the world."
It appears, then, that rings are wholly unique in Elden Ring and perhaps the word "ring" only loosely defines the item to give it some semblance of identification. Similar to how runes are now the player's economic currency as opposed to Dark Souls' souls or Bloodborne's blood echoes, FromSoftware is simply moving around its currency and accessory names to create a unique experience for Elden Ring whilst maintaining its foundational design structure.
Miyazaki does not explain how paramount rings will be to gameplay, if at all. But it is clear that rings in general, as well as the eponymous Elden Ring, will have a significant impact on Elden Ring's narrative.
Elden Ring launches February 25, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Wccftech