Elden Ring is perhaps the most anticipated upcoming game at the moment, with the flames of anticipation being fueled even more by the recent network test. From the Demon's Souls Easter Egg at the start of Elden Ring to the array of dungeons and bosses, players are anticipating the next Soulslike on all fronts.
Of course, there's only so much of Elden Ring that anyone can actually experience right now. Not only does not everyone have access to the network test, but the test itself restricts players to a certain area. Or at least, it tried to, before players decided to get a little creative.
Much of the gameplay on YouTube of Elden Ring has been concerned with the same major beats most players in the network test experienced. However, a couple of enterprising players decided to explore the walls of light separating them from the rest of the game. After a while, some of them discovered a tricky exploit that allowed them to slip past the supposedly impregnable walls and explore the lands beyond. One player who found their way through decided to hunt a new enemy discovered there: a big, terrifying bear.
Said bear only appears beyond the walls and is easily one of the scariest enemies anyone has seen in Elden Ring yet. It's much larger and more flexible than an actual bear, leading some to believe it's magical or mutated in some way. Lending further credence to this is how it inflicts poison and hemorrhage buildup with every hit. Topping all of this off is its speed, reach, and frighteningly high health pool. If Elden Ring has more ferocious predators like this, then the comparisons between Elden Ring and Bloodborne may be more well founded than previously thought.
As of this article it is not known if From Software will be taking any steps to try and re-limit players to the main area. Of course the game will be out soon enough, so even if this occurs it probably behooves players to simply wait and not buy the network test codes being sold for ridiculous prices.
There are other things to be found beyond the boundaries of Elden Ring's network test as well, including a boss that falls through the map upon spawning. How players will be discouraged from roaming to certain places in the full game is still unknown, no doubt one of the more interesting details about how Elden Ring improves on the Soulslike formula.
Elden Ring releases February 25, 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.