FromSoftware has gripped players worldwide with its dark fantasy games, even years after each of their titles' release. Hidetaka Miyazaki is the creative mind behind these morose masterpieces. Now, he has collaborated with George R. R. Martin to bring the gaming world a new and highly anticipated experience: Elden Ring.
Fans can't help but think of it as another Dark Souls game. Although Elden Ring does take inspiration from the infamously difficult Dark Souls series, it takes place in a completely different universe and features a plethora of features foreign to FromSoftware's classic franchise. That's not to say the games are more different than similar, though.
Updated June 8, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: The Dark Souls series was FromSoftware's crowning achievement, having been greeted with major success and acclaim over the years. The team also released Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice after Dark Souls 3, which was also received extremely well, and their work over the years has led them to this point: Elden Ring, the culmination of everything FromSoftware has ever produced (well, except perhaps Armored Core). The Dark Souls series is an obvious inspiration behind Elden Ring to the point that fans jokingly call the game Dark Souls 4. However, though the games are similar in tone and approach, Elden Ring feels almost completely different than Dark Souls – and it's not just because jumping is in the game.
10 The Title Of The Protagonist
The Tarnished is the title given to the player character in Elden Ring. It's in a similar vein to titles in FromSoftware games that get to the root of the player's purpose: The Chosen Undead, the Bearer of the Curse, and the Ashen One.
The Chosen Undead and the Ashen One are destined to either sacrifice themselves to extend the Age of Fire or herald the Age of Dark, and the Bearer of the Curse succeeds the throne of Drangleic, in part an attempt to put a stop to their undead curse. The Tarnished seeks to become Elden Lord and repair the shattered Elden Ring how they see fit - for better or worse.
9 Character Creation And Customization
Miyazaki told IGN in 2019 that Elden Ring will "mostly leave it up to the player to decide the characteristics and personality of the character they create.” Indeed players have found that, just like in the Dark Souls series, Elden Ring gives total freedom for building a character however one wants - and the game has a lot of variety.
In Dark Souls, players can use a variety of armaments and spells in combat, including sorceries and miracles. Elden Ring greatly expands the number of weapons, spells, and other means to slay enemies in the open world. Unlike Dark Souls, though, it's incredibly easy to re-spec and try out another build in Elden Ring.
8 Freedom Of Progress
FromSoftware aims to create worlds where players can get creative with their ways of exploring, overcoming challenges, and defeating enemies. In Dark Souls, players are free to enter some brutally challenging optional locations early in the game.
Elden Ring will also give players freedom to choose how they progress through the game, but to a much greater degree than Dark Souls. After all, it's the first open-world game FromSoftware has created. There are bigger areas to explore, additional combat techniques to discover, and new game mechanics to learn.
7 Humanity-Like Collectibles And Multiplayer
In Dark Souls, humanity is used to restore the player's human form, boosting their health and defense. It's also a collectible that allows players to summon phantoms and be invaded. Elden Ring's equivalent to this are Rune Arcs, though there are a few important differences. For one, Rune Arcs use the power of an equipped Great Rune. They also do not trigger invasions, as invaders in Elden Ring can only join players engaged in jolly cooperation without the use of a specific item.
Invasions do happen in the game though, despite Rune Arcs, the Elden Ring Ember equivalent, not being tied to multiplayer in any way. If you want to invade in Elden Ring there are single-use and re-usable invasion items that will connect you to a world already engaged in multiplayer.
6 Cooperative And Competitive Online Multiplayer
Dark Souls has an online multiplayer option. By using humanity or an ember, a player will turn into a multiplayer host. They can summon up to two White or Golden Phantoms (friendly) and can be invaded by Red Phantoms (hostile), instigating tricky PvP battles. Using a password will also bypass most matchmaking limitations.
In Elden Ring multiplayer functionality is back and, in a lot of ways, better than ever. There are more places to summon friendly phantoms, there are no restrictions on level for password play, and the item used for multiplayer is craftable and easy to find. The one downside is invasions - they are more restricted than ever before, and on the receiving end, invaders have more access to broken PvP builds than ever before.
5 Resting At Those Iconic Bonfires
Bonfires are features that serve as a checkpoint in Dark Souls. At the bonfire, players can manage their storage, replenish their flasks and restore their humanity. They also allow players to fast travel and repair their weapons later in the game.
In Elden Ring bonfires have been replaced with Sites of Lost Grace, which essentially serve the same purpose. They let players customize flasks, memorize spells, and store items as normal, but now they also let players pass time, alter gear, equip Great Runes, and more.
4 A Range Of Iconic Bosses And NPCs
Dark Souls has some of the most iconic bosses and NPCs in gaming history. It's a safe bet to say that more people recognize Solaire than have actually played the original Dark Souls, and bosses like Vordt of the Boreal Valley or Ornstein and Smough aren't soon forgotten by players.
Elden Ring has more bosses than any FromSoftware game by a long, long way, but that doesn't mean they are lacking in creativity and uniqueness. Malenia, Blade of Miquella is quickly becoming one of the most feared enemies in any video game, and Mohg's "Nihil! Nihil! Nihiiiil!" chant echoes in the heads of players running back to Mohgwyn Palace for the 100th time. Rykard's boss arena is arguably the most well-designed in any FromSoftware game, and the second-to-last boss of the game is essentially like fighting Hulk Hogan in his prime. And that's only 4 of the game's 160+.
3 Firelink Shrine-Like Hub And More
In every Dark Souls game, there's a hub known world where a central bonfire is located. It's accessible early in the game, and it serves as the crossroads for shortcuts. It's also where vital NPCs like merchants gather, along with a Fire Keeper and a blacksmith. Elden Ring has a similar hub area, though it isn't quite as central to the world as the Firelink Shrine was.
Roundtable Hold, accessed a few hours into the game, is this hub area. It serves as a spot to meet NPCs, upgrade merchants, and more, but it's not quite as integral to the game as even Majula was. In fact, many players have made the Church of Elleh their honorary "hub" because the game's fast travel system essentially removes the need for a Firelink Shrine-like system.
2 Mystical And Deadly Dragons
The world of Dark Souls is not complete without its powerful dragons, steeped in fascinating lore. The first-ever dragon players will encounter in the series is the Hellkite Wyvern, which drops a rare dragon weapon called the Drake Sword if the player succeeds in cutting off its tail.
Elden Ring features dragons too, and their history is just as ancient and shrouded in mystery as the Dark Souls dragons. In fact, there's not one, but two lines of Incantations tied to the ancient dragons, and countless to be encountered out in the world. Dragons are as important to the history of Elden Ring as they are to the first Age of Fire in the Dark Souls series, though in a different way.
1 Classic Level Design
The Dark Souls series' foreboding level design caught the eyes of hardcore gamers worldwide, turning them into huge fans. With the games featuring intricately designed and interconnected environments that are a deadly joy to explore, it's no wonder fans keep coming back to the series time and again.
Elden Ring features the same approach to level design with an emphasis on exploration in the much bigger, virtually seamless world of the Lands Between. In the open world there are a mix of dungeons and legacy dungeons, which essentially act like a self-contained Dark Souls level. Limgrave, the first area of the game, is larger than the entirety of Demon's Souls, and contains two full-fledged castle-delving Legacy Dungeons that Dark Souls fans will surely revel in.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.