As little as has been revealed about Elden Ring, fans are expecting a game like no other in terms of narrative and lore. This is because the team in charge of developing the game is filled with creative minds including that of George R. R. Martin. The creator of A Song of Ice and Fire, which was later translated into the Game of Thrones series, is known for creating compelling lore. It is one of many reasons Elden Ring has become one of the most anticipated games.
Even though there are basically no details about what the narrative of the game will be like, it appears that George R. R. Martin will bring dark fantasy elements to Elden Ring. Game of Thrones featured many of these elements which helped the story feel more complex, both in the books and in the series. Even though George R. R. Martin is not in charge of creating the whole story for Elden Ring, his input on lore will likely have an impact on the story, and Game of Thrones is perfect to help set that backdrop.
Horror Elements of Elden Ring/Game of Thrones
Asides from the politics that were clearly prominent in Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin's narrative had plenty of horror elements. The iconic phrase that Melisandre repeated throughout the series "for the night is dark and full of terrors" further emphasizes this. Melisandre is the Red Priestess of the religion R'hllor (the Lord of Light) which believes that the end of times is coming and that the Lord of Light will save them.
Melisandre's saying seems to reference the Night King which is one of the biggest threats Westeros faces. The constant threat of the undead taking over the living and the gods' forces have that Lovecraftian terror feeling to it. Those elements could be incorporated into Elden Ring's mythos as well, as including horror elements does not have to mean using ghosts or zombies necessarily. Even the atmosphere could just give that creepy vibe. Nonetheless, it would be interesting if an ominous cult or deity similar to that of Game of Thrones was presented in Elden Ring.
There could also be some sort of relation with death that brings the horror element to Elden Ring. There are scenes in Game of Thrones like the one where Melisandre brings Jon Snow back from the dead that portray death in an eerie way. There could also be more mundane, yet scary ways to approach this. For instance, the sacrifice of Shireen Baratheon is not otherworldly, but it is definitely horrific. The same can be said of pretty much every action Ramsay Bolton takes, especially the way he tortured Theon Greyjoy.
The Supernatural of Elden Ring/Game of Thrones
The last season of Game of Thrones was heavily criticized for many reasons, one of them being how some of the supernatural elements were cast aside without further explanation. George R. R. Martin had included many unexplainable and mystical elements to the narrative of Game of Thrones which added a fantastical aspect to the story. Some of the most intriguing supernatural narratives include the existence of the White Walkers, the Faceless Men of the cult of the Many-Faced God, the witchcraft of Melisandre, and of course, the Three-Eyed Raven and the Children of the Forest.
All of these elements appear to be considerably different from one another, but still, these are all supernatural and unexplainable parts of the story in Game of Thrones. Aside from being interesting and adding an occult vibe to the story, a narrative with supernatural features can add depth to the lore. By including otherworldly phenomena, George R. R. Martin made the narrative of Game of Thrones more complex. This could also be translated to Elden Ring and it will likely benefit the game in terms of narrative and engagement.
Supernatural elements are the most likely to be included in Elden Ring. However, it is the more dark type of unexplainable situations that George R. R. Martin could incorporate that could potentially bring Elden Ring to the next level. Furthermore, these elements could be deeply intertwined with the rest of the lore of Elden Ring to add more complexity and dimension to both the world and characters as the ones presented in Game of Thrones.
Uncontrollable Forces That Could Be Found in Elden Ring
One of the key dark fantasy elements that will hopefully be in Elden Ring is the uncontrollable nature of the world. These could actually be related to the horror elements, or the supernatural characteristics of the narrative, though it is not necessary. Natural events could also be an important part of the role that could play a part in the story. In Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin not only presents an army of undead but ties it with the winter and the snow. By doing so, the impact of the White Walker's arrival is much more severe to the people of Westeros.
The reason why adding some sort of uncontrollable source to a story like Elden Ring's is beneficial is that it puts human's actions in perspective. Of course, supernatural and horror elements can make the story more interesting, but making them something out of the human's power makes the narrative much less biased in favor of humanity. Game of Thrones presented the arrival of the White Walkers as something almost inevitable which made it even more frightening. Not only were the kingdoms facing the revenant, but it seemed as though nothing in their power could impede their advent.
Hopefully, George R. R. Martin's lore and From Software's storytelling will incorporate this out-of-humans-reach feeling into Elden Ring's narrative. By doing so, the game could feel less artificial as not everything would be created to revolve around the humankind, but there could be other bigger forces acting at all moments. Most likely, this will be intertwined with the rest of the mythos of Elden Ring to make the narrative more cohesive.
Elden Ring is currently in development.