I’m still thinking about Elden Ring ten months later. In writing these posts, I have gone back to the game and just marveled at it all over again. In the last post,I talked about different armor sets. In this post, I’m just going to gush. Because, oh my god, this is an amazing game. I kind of became inured to it because I’ve played it so much. I have found most of the secrets and the delights. But, going back in, oh my god. I went against the second major boss (first shardbearer) and destroyed him with my wolves and Nepheli Loux. I’m much past the point where I should fight him, and I probably could have done it myself. But I love Nepheli Loux and it was fun to dance with my wolves again (see what I did there?). I’m so used to having a certain summon that it’s almost refreshing not to be able to use it. Almost.
Today, I’m just going to gush about what an amazing game this is. I have mentioned that I don’t think it’s a ten, and it’s juuuuuuust behind Dark Souls III as my favorite From game, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a damn fine game. It’s the best game of 2022 by far, for me at any rate.
The sense of awe never left as I wandered through the world. There was always something incredible around the corner, and there was always a sense of wanting to go forward. The small change of giving you an extra flask if you killed a whole horde of enemies was a game changer because it meant that you were willing to venture farther than you would if you kept running out. In Dark Souls III, I split 10 Estus Flasks and 5 Ashen Estus Flasks. In Eldn Ring, I ran around with 7 and 7. Yes, there is one less total flask, but it doesn’t seem like it’s stinting. In addition, there is the Flask of Wondrous Physick, I usually had equipped to give me health as one of the two tears, so in essence, it was another health flask. So running around the open world, this was plenty of flasks for me. I would change it up for bosses, but I never felt like I was running out. This is one of those small changes that really didn’t get much love, but it’s makes such a big difference.
Think about it. In the past, you had a set amount of flasks. In the original game and in the second game, it was just Estus Flasks. Health Flasks and that was it. You had a certain number of times you could use each spell, but no mana was consumed. At least not since Demon’s Souls, which I never played.
The Ashen Estus Flask was introduced in Dark Souls III, and I vastly preferred it to a set number of uses for each spell/incantation.
I’m not exactly sure how the replenishment system in Elden Ring works, but as far as I can tell, when you kill a whole band of enemies, you get one of each flask back. At least, that’s what I’ve noticed happening. It’s a great feeling to just be able to roam and not care too much about being tethered to a Site of Grace.
To that note, let’s be reminded about the Stakes of Marika. These are placed in strategic areas, usually right before the bosses. Some old-school FromSoft fans insist that the boss runs are an important part of the experience. But, I believe that the boss run often kills the desire to keep playing. When I’m bashing my head against a boss, I just want to keep on doing that. I don’t want to have to fight through the level only to have the privilege of dying to the boss five seconds into the fight. It’s why they put a bonfire right outside the Nameless King’s arena. It’s why in the DLCs, it’s just a hot sec to get to the boss.
Here’s the brilliant thing about the Stakes of Marika. There is a cost to use them. You can’t change your loadout. That means you have to use the exact same build as you did the time before. If you want to change your flasks or your spells, you have to go back to the Site of Grace. I think ithis is a fair tradeoff, by the way. I don’t think the Stake of Marika should be without cost, but it’s not prohibitive. If you like your loadout, you’re good to go. If you want to switch it up, yeah, you’re going to have to do the run again. It’s the most annoying in the caves/catacombs, but even then, it’s not really a big deal beacause you just make that tradeoff.
I have to say that it’s these small changes that really made a difference in this game. I was one of those people who was wondering how FromSoft was going to put their trademark Souls game into an open world. There are many things they did to make the transition smooth, but these are two things that rarely get mentioned. Yes, they are small things, maybe, but they really made things so much better. These little quality of life changes flew under the radar, really, but they added up to a much better game. I can’t imagine if you had to consistently run back to the Sites of Grace to fill up on your flasks or to make insane boss runs when all you wanted to do was fight the damn boss. Torrent was another great addition. Not for the combat, but for traveling across the vast expanses of land. I cannot imagine not having him, to be honest. That’s the thing with the QOL changes that From has made for this game. I cannot imagine not having them in future games. That’s how good they are. That’s how much From has innovated. It’s as if they were always in the games, and why wouldn’t they be? Of course there would be flasks replesnished when you kill a mod of enemies. Of course there would be a horse to travel across the lands. Of course there would be checkpoints right before the boss. The best innovations are ones that you can’t imagine not having been made.
This is without even touching on the elaborate questlines and the intricate areas. Some are better than others, it must be said. I feel as if the last two major areas were…not rushed, but…ah, made because they had to be made. If that makes sense. I like to joke that wthen I reached the Leyndell Royal Capital for the first time, I thought it was the tlast area of the game. I was 100 hours in and surely, this was it? Ha, no. Someone in the RKG Discord likened it to when you ring the two bells in Dark Souls (one above and one below). You think that’s it, but that’s only the beginning. There is more than half the game left at this point. It’s the same in Elden Ring. You’re told you have to defeat two shardbearers and then you can get into Leyndell Royal Capital. So, of course, that’s the end goal? Right?
Oh, you sweet summer child. Ha, no.
This is at best halfway through the game. Not even quite, really. There are two other major areas after this one, and there is another underground world that is quite elaborate as well. That’s completely optional, though. The underground world, I mean. The two areas following this area? Not optional. Then, when you beat the final boss of the sceond area, you get sent back to the capital, but it’s different. it’s Leyndell, Ashen Capital, and you cannot access part of it. And there is more game here.
I will admit I think the last quarter of the game is a bit padded and not my favorite part. I feel like it was added in order to extend the game, which was not needed. But that’s a minor complaint. This game was a feat of the imagination, and I’m excited to see what From does next. (Armored Core 6 and Elden Ring DLC. That’s what. )