The lid was finally blown off on the secrecy surrounding FromSoftware's Elden Ring yesterday, showing off a brand new trailer at the end of Summer Games Fest kick off yesterday. As is expected with FromSoftware, the reveal featured stunning art design, glimpses of an engaging combat system, and a pervasive atmosphere of dread and suspense.
While Elden Ring is still shrouded in mystery, attentive viewers may have noticed the "blink and you'll miss it" teases of the many possible boss battles featured in the game. While nothing is confirmed as of yet, nor have the proper names for these creatures been released, many of these enemies were giving off serious Dark Souls boss vibes.
The Bosses in the Elden Ring Trailer
In the span of the three minute trailer for Elden Ring, it seemed at least a dozen were hinted at during the preview. The first was giving off Shadow of the Colossus vibes, being a giant rock creature walking on all fours, carrying a church bell on its underside. A few moments later, as the player's character is exploring a dark tomb, a freakish, multi-limbed boss appears from the darkness and attacks. Immediately after this encounter, the trailer cuts to a hulking boss that drops from the sky, bearing a ragged cloak and what appears to be a scorpion tail attached to its backside.
Beyond this, a werewolf fully decked out in armor and carrying a gigantic sword howls into the foggy night (a character the player will undoubtedly have to tangle with at some point). One of the most notable standouts, and fitting the pedigree of FromSoftware's titles, was a confrontation against an enormous white dragon in a wide open field. This then cut to a deadly sword battle against a leaping boss somewhat similar in design to Vicar Amelia from Bloodborne. The following clip showcased the red haired character featured on much of Elden Ring's promotional art, who seems to quickly defeat the player in the footage shown.
The final montage of the trailer flashes a bunch of teases for possible enemies, indicating that quite the gauntlet of ghastly and grotesque opponents await gamers when Elden Ring launches in January. Although the images flash by rather quickly, it is safe to assume that many of the adversaries spotted will be full-fledged boss encounters. These included a multi armed boss wielding axes, a knight surrounded by a red blood hue, a fat metal man with fire flowing from the top of his head, and a giant wield a club like weapon. This isn't even mentioning the demented flying spirit of what looked to be a deer and a literal human hand (no really).
The Great Variety in Elden Ring's Bosses
It is worth noting just how varied and iconic all of these boss enemies appear to be in Elden Ring. Similar to bosses in Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, each new enemy brings an entirely new strategy to the table. Based on the examples mentioned above, from average size to large, animalistic to weapon proficient, each boss has a skillset that will challenge players in a different way. Some appear to simply charge with brute strength, while others require careful timing to strike back against.
This means that gamers will always be kept on their toes, with the nail biting fight for survival that has become so common in Souls type games ever present here as well. Furthermore, the fact that each of these characters seem to embody a different theme or visual style, helps bolster the new open-world design of Elden Ring. If this environment will have different geographical locations to explore, it will help to have distinct, fitting enemies inhabiting them, helping the world to feel that much more alive and perilous.
More details regarding Elden Ring's gameplay need to be released, but based on this trailer, it also seems that the bosses have a much more natural involvement in the world itself compared to past FromSoftware titles. In games like Dark Souls for example, the player will approach a giant fog door, which clearly indicates that a boss is waiting on the other side.
With Elden Ring, it seems to be much more natural and seamless, complimented the open world exploration of the game. The aforementioned four legged rock giant with the church bell seems to just be freely roaming around, while the multi armed enemy in the deep tomb seemed to appear without warning. This goes a long way in making the experience more immersive and guaranteeing that the dangers that lurk in the darkness are that much more unexpected and memorable.
Elden Ring will launch on January 22, 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.