We’re back into Elden Ring. I need to talk more about Ranni’s quest because it absolutely blew my mind the first time I did it. I am not going to do it justice, obviously, but I cannot get over how it’s just casually dropped in this game like it’s no big deal. This is one thing I love about these games. You have your main story that can be rushed in, let’s be generous, fifty hours in your first playthrough. But the thing is that you don’t know what is the main story and what isn’t, especially if you’re playing real time.
I mentioned the underground world in the last post. The first time I encountered it, I was amazed, wondrous, and thrilled. And slightly scared. What the hell was I getting into? People talked about this reveal to death because it was so unexpected and different. Not that there was an underworld. That’s not unusual in and of itself, especially not for FromSoft. In their first Dark Souls game, when you’re in Blighttown, there’s this massive tree in the middle of the swamp. You have to hit two invisible walls in successioon to get to a bonfire. Then, you have to climb down this tremendously huge tree to get to another area. And, it’s suggested that you go in the second half because you can fast-travel by then. Otherwise, you have to climb UP this massive tree, which, by the way, was hell. I did NOT wait until I could fast-travel before going down so I just had to gird my loins and go back up.
When I was watching the boys of Prepare to Try (now RKG) playing this part, Rory said (paraphrasing), “Imagine if this is the first game you’ve ever played and you came across tihs. It would blow your tiny little mind.”
That’s what happened to me. It’s not the first game I played, but it was close to it (fourth or fifth ‘hardcore’ game). And I have never been the same. It’s hard for me to play other games without thinking, “Where are the elaborate levels and the mind-blowing surprises?” I can’t play Ubi games without getting bored, for example. I tried to play other games, but they just let me…bored.
I probably shouldn’t have played Dark Souls as like my fifth hardcore game. Really, anything else meaty I try to play, I can’t. I know it’s a me thing. I know it’s because I don’t actually like video games in general. I like FomSoft games, some roguelikes, and cozy games. That’s it.
Want to know what I’ve tried recently that I don’t like/didn’t immediately grab me? Red Dead Redemption 2, Yakuza 0, Judgmeent (which I’ll have to play more of), Yakuza Like a Dragon (also have to play more of), and I’m about to try Dragon Age Inquisition. I think I started it before, but I never really got into it. Stray was a cool game until I literally could not play it any longer. RDR2 is Rockstar, al lthe Yak games are Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, and Stray is BlueTwelve Studio. oh, and Dragon Age Inquisition is BioWare. I’ve tried to play one of the first two Dragon Ages as well as Mass Effect (the first), I didn’t like any of them. At all. I was deciding between Mass Effect and Dragon Age to try again as they are all free on Game Pass. I decided on Dragon Age Inquisition because I’m a fantasy person and not a sci-fi person. Plus, having to play all three Mass Effects is daunting. You don’t, apparently, have to play the first two to play the third, but the people in the RKG Discord strongly suggesting doing so.
I hated Mass Effect, though. I didn’t say that because I’m already the contrary one. I played many years after it came out, and I kept getting tripped up on the lockpicking bullshit. Plus the combat. It’s pants. And there is so much dialogue. So. Much. Dialogue. All the dialogue. Too much dialogue. Waaaaaay too much dialogue.
I hated it. I will be honest with you in a way I can’t be on the Discord. I did not understand the hype. I played maybe an hour or two and then quit. And, yes, I know that’s not even a sneeze. But here’s the thing. Even when I was frustrated with Dark Souls (which was most of the time), I felt a pull to keep on playing. Even when I quit playing it for a year, it was in the back of my brain just nagging at me.
“Play me. Play me. You have to play me.”
I did my best to ignore it, but I could not. I finally gave in and played it. And finished it. And hated it by the time I was done. But I finished it because somehow, it kept me engaged. Eevn when I was railing against it and messaging Ian angrily about how much I hated the game.
I have told this story so many times that it’s now apocryphal. I did not get Dark Souls until I played it a second time. Then, it began to make sense. I was able to see why it had to be so hard. Or maybe I just got brainwashed. At any rate, by the end of my second playthrough, I saw the brilliance of the game. I was thoroughly hooked, and I could not get enough.
Even with all this. Even with the fact that I’d played every From game I could, I was not ready for that long descent into a star-filled underworld that just kept on going. I cannot tell you how wondrous this descent was. The lift was open and you could see the stars as you went down. And the purples. It was incredible. I knew I was in for something special as we went down.
The underworld is so vast and awe-inspiring. I mentioned fighting a Blaidd-like invader later on and fighting a weird, alien-like bug that is huge and has the name Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. This is the one that kept one-shotting me. You have to beat this boss so you can get behind it and access an earlier area from the backside, as it were.
Then, you go meet the real Ranni, bereft of her doll cover, and she asks you to be her consort. Hell to the fucking yes! Then, sadly, you have to kill Blaidd, which is heartbreaking. You get his sween armor, though. But I hated doing it. But that armor, though. And that colossal sword, though. I used it for much of my second playthrough. And third (because it was the same character on NG+). Hoarfrost Stomp is an insane Weapon Skill.
Quick primer: Weapon Skill is the special skill that your weapon can do when you double-hand your weapon and hit LT. Or, if you have no skill on your shield, then you can do it one-handed. Hoarfrost stomp got me through a lot. It’s the Weapon Skill for the Royal Greatsword (Blaidd’s weapon), and you can’t switch it out.
Why the hell would you want to, though? I adore this weapon and its weapon skill. Wait. It’s not Hoarfrost Stomp. It’s Wolf’s Assault. It’s Hoarstomp with a forward somersault. This is the best weapon in the game. Do not @ me.
I hated killing Blaidd. HATED it. (But that weapon, tho.) You don’t HAVE to do it, but it really does end the questline. And doing this questline gives you one of the endings you need for the hundo chievo. And you get to roam the world forever with Ranni by your side. It’s the best ending for that reason, but not the best ending overall. There is so much in the game that I didn’t even touch on THAT sidequeest. Sidequests. Because there are more than one. Millicent is amazing and she must be protected at all cost. Plus, the grapes. Let’s not talk about the grapes.
But the madness ending is the best ending. Maybe I’ll talk about that later.