The long wait for Elden Ring is nearly over. FromSoftware's latest RPG will be arriving on PC and consoles this Friday, February 25, nearly three years after its announcement. FromSoftware fans, and curious gamers outside the community, won't have to wait until Friday for initial impressions of Elden Ring, however. The review embargo ended Wednesday morning. Needless to say, the wait appears to have been well worth it. Elden Ring's early review scores rank it among the best games ever released.

Elden Ring is proving to be rare, even among incredibly well-reviewed games. That's because Elden Ring has been extremely hyped not just by the FromSoftware fanbase, but across the industry. It's been a major focus at events including The Game Awards, winning both 2020 and 2021's Most Anticipated Game awards. It has trended on Twitter enough times that it's difficult to keep count. Even amid launches including Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring has kept the spotlight. And deservedly so, as it joins a prestigious group of games that have delivered on that hype.

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Just over a year after the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, fans are understandably wary of putting their trust in a major game release as hyped as Elden Ring is. It's an unfortunate cycle, with many remembering not just Cyberpunk 2077, but Anthem, Fallout 76, Battlefront 2, Mass Effect: Andromeda, No Man's Sky, and others. Elden Ring appears to be joining a different group of games, however. A group including 2018's God of War, The Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Elden Ring's reviews and review scores show it's perhaps one of the best games ever made -- said with a notable caveat.

Where Elden Ring Shines

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In GameRant's review of Elden Ring, Pam K. Ferdinand describes the RPG as, "a phenomenal game that will disappoint very few. It has most of the components that fans of the genre seek: a wondrous aesthetic, a feeling of mystery that invites exploration, skillfully designed and intimidating adversaries, and rich gameplay with a lot of replayability thanks to the various classes and builds. In the end, Elden Ring is more than just an open-world Dark Souls. It is strong in its own right, with tweaks to the classic Souls blueprint that create a refreshing new experience that still feels familiar." Elden Ring's visuals, gameplay, replayability, and unique approach to open-world genre expectations all stand out as strengths. But a common sentiment beyond that is Elden Ring's familiarity, as it embraces FromSoftware's beloved traditions and enhances the overall experience from there.

Lore, in particular, is something FromSoftware is well known for, yet Elden Ring is unique even in that regard. FromSoftware partnered with A Song and Ice and Fire scribe George R.R. Martin for Elden Ring, trusting the writer to help create a world both larger than what's come from the developer before while still adhering to its values. Ferdinand says that the FromSoftware and Martin collaboration worked out swimmingly, as Elden Ring's, "often tragic stories build a multi-layered world whose mysteries will drive many to continue playing even when the eviscerating difficulty makes them want to quit."

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Those curious whether FromSoftware has sacrificed its dedication to difficulty in the process of delivering a game with such widespread acclaim may be wary at first. Ferdinand says that Elden Ring's combat remains, "nearly as unforgiving as previous FromSoftware titles," and that it, "will satisfy enthusiasts of the genre who enjoy the unrelenting challenge." However, Elden Ring isn't as focused on difficulty as prior FromSoftware games, though that may be entirely unintentional. Elden Ring is, "also more accessible to casual players," due to a wave of options laid out before the player to conquer or evade any given encounter. "Minor gameplay adjustments make Elden Ring easier and thus diminish the constant feeling of unease that many players appreciate." Frequent healing flask refills, stealth, spirit summoning, and mounted traversal are some such examples.

GameRant's review of Elden Ring awards the new FromSoftware game five out of five stars.

Elden Ring's Legacy

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Elden Ring's critical success goes beyond GameRant's own review, of course. What makes Elden Ring stand out as potentially one of the highest-rated games ever released is its ranking within meta-review websites, specifically Metacritic and OpenCritic. On both platforms, Elden Ring currently ranks among the best games ever released. That's subject to change, and audience review scores may not agree, but at this moment it's an astonishing accomplishment.

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On Metacritic, Elden Ring currently sits at a score of 97, but only for reviews done on PlayStation 5. PC and Xbox Series X review aggregates both sit two points lower, at 95. The 97 marks Elden Ring as one of the review aggregator's best games ever released. Right now, it currently sits at the rank of the 15th best game ever released, just below The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and just above Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, which each have a score of 97, as well.

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OpenCritic holds Elden Ring in even higher regard, in part due to the platform's lack of review aggregates for many older games and games with relatively few reviews. Elden Ring is the top-ranked PC game on the website with a score of 97, just above Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5 at 96. It's also the top-ranked game across all other supported platforms, which includes PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. If that wasn't enough, Elden Ring is currently listed as the platform's best game ever released, just above Super Mario Odyssey, which also has a 97. It's a stunning achievement, to say the least.

Elden Ring's Curse

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Elden Ring, despite its incredibly positive reviews, is not a perfect game. Its current review aggregates are also not infallible. Looking at launch, Elden Ring has perhaps a more dangerous path to retaining its place as one of the best games ever released than most -- and for good reasons, too.

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There are two key points worth bringing up, the biggest of which is that Elden Ring is a very large game. It's so large, in fact, that most reviewers did not "finish" the game before publishing their reviews or scores. While those who have awarded a score already are unlikely to change it, barring any launch-day issues, there are many reviews currently listed as incomplete or in-progress. Those reviews will trickle into aggregators over the next several days or weeks and could dramatically alter Elden Ring's placement.

Point number two is a familiar curse for FromSoftware fans. The RPG developer is notorious for having poorly-optimized PC ports for its games, and early indications are that Elden Ring suffers the same fate. PC reviews of Elden Ring mention performance issues quite frequently. However, it's being reported that Bandai Namco asked reviewers not to evaluate PC performance prior to the delivery of Elden Ring's Day One patch. That patch could lead to Elden Ring's PC reviews improving, or it could lead to a wave of negative reviews as reviewers make their voices heard.

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It's both true that Elden Ring is currently rated as one of the best games ever made and also that its position is entirely precarious.

What's Next For Elden Ring

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It bears repeating that this conversation about Elden Ring is happening before FromSoftware's new RPG has launched. As From Software fans know, a video game's reviews don't always match up with the broader audience's attitude towards it. There's always a chance that FromSoftware fans may not enjoy Elden Ring's open structure as much as they did Dark Souls or Sekiro's labyrinthine paths. It's also possible that those new to FromSoftware's games may find Elden Ring's efforts toward welcoming in a new audience lacking.

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One thing that can't be denied, regardless of Elden Ring's place among the best games ever released, the potential for its scores to rise or drop, or the audience's looming criticism, is that this is a very exciting moment.

It's also worth commending FromSoftware. Demon's Souls, the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, and Sekiro are all beloved in their own rights and have been reviewed positively, if not exceptionally, too. Elden Ring is a breakthrough moment for FromSoftware, though. It's an acknowledgment of the work FromSoftware's done, as well as its continued embrace of innovation and creativity. This is a moment to celebrate for FromSoftware, as well as its fans.

Elden Ring releases February 25 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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