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Elden Ring

10s aren't perfect, since nothing is, but they come as close as you could get in a given genre. The new leader to beat in its sector, we're talking pure ecstasy.
Elden Ring Game Cover
94%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, grinding
94% User Score Based on 553,632 reviews
Critic Score 95%Based on 87 reviews

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Elden Ring Game Cover

About

Elden Ring is a single player and multiplayer open world role playing game with fantasy, dark fantasy and violence themes. It was developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and was released on February 24, 2022. It received very positive reviews from both critics and players.

Buy Elden Ring on PlayStation Store, the latest fantasy action-RPG from Hidetaka Miyazaki (Bloodborne, Dark Souls) & George R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones).

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Elden Ring screenshot
Elden Ring screenshot
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94%
Audience ScoreBased on 553,632 reviews
story9k positive mentions
optimization9.2k negative mentions
  • The graphics are stunning, with breathtaking visuals and intricate art design that create a captivating open world.
  • The gameplay is challenging yet rewarding, offering a variety of builds and combat styles that keep players engaged.
  • The absence of microtransactions and a focus on delivering a complete experience enhance the game's integrity and appeal.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, particularly on PC, with reports of stuttering, frame drops, and crashes.
  • The story can be confusing and cryptic, lacking clear guidance and coherence, which may alienate some players.
  • The grinding aspect can feel tedious and overwhelming, leading to burnout for some players.
  • story
    33,616 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Elden Ring" is often described as rich and intricate, yet cryptic and challenging to follow, requiring players to piece together lore through environmental storytelling, item descriptions, and NPC dialogues. While many players appreciate the depth and complexity of the narrative, they also express frustration over the lack of a quest log and clear guidance, which can lead to missed quests and confusion about objectives. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a hallmark of FromSoftware's design, rewarding exploration and engagement but potentially alienating those who prefer more straightforward narratives.

    • “The story in this game is amazing... if you can figure the story out.”
    • “The way the story is told is just phenomenal.”
    • “The story is dark, mysterious, and incredibly alluring—but it won’t hold your hand.”
    • “The only thing this game suffers from, like every soulslike, is the very confusing story.”
    • “You gotta watch 5 YouTube videos to know even a tiny bit about the story.”
    • “There is clearly lore and some semblance of a story here, but there is absolutely no coherent storyline or characters for me to feel invested in whatsoever, which makes the idea of working through yet another insanely cheap and unfair boss encounter all the more uninteresting.”
  • gameplay
    26,021 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Elden Ring" has garnered a wide range of opinions, with many praising its challenging yet rewarding mechanics, expansive open world, and deep lore. Players appreciate the variety of builds and combat styles available, as well as the intricate boss designs that require strategic thinking and mastery of mechanics. However, some criticisms highlight issues with clunky controls, frustrating boss mechanics, and a lack of clear guidance for new players, leading to a steep learning curve that can be off-putting. Overall, while the gameplay is celebrated for its depth and engagement, it also presents challenges that may not appeal to everyone.

    • “Between the absolutely stunning visual audio landscapes, the insanely tough but rewarding gameplay, and how much fun I had going through it with one of my best friends, the whole experience has cemented itself in my top three games of all time, and I only hope that you may find it just as fun as well, 11/10.”
    • “The gameplay is where this game truly shines. It masterfully combines the best elements of fromsoftware's previous titles with innovative mechanics and an expansive, richly detailed world, creating a one-of-a-kind adventure that constantly rewards exploration.”
    • “The gameplay loop is addicting and beating the challenging bosses feels so rewarding. The combat mechanics are fluid and satisfyingly responsive, allowing for a range of play styles.”
    • “The gameplay is where this game falls apart; you start with a character that is weak as hell and no matter which way you turn, you come to a monster that's at least 20 times stronger than you and one-hit kills you.”
    • “The actual mechanics are not hard whatsoever; the only difficulty that they put in the game is delayed attacks in an attempt to throw you off, but every single enemy has delayed attacks that look completely unnatural and buggy at times.”
    • “The game is incredibly confusing, not in story but in the mechanics of the game.”
  • optimization
    21,899 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of "Elden Ring" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, particularly on PC. While some users have noted improvements following patches, the game is still criticized for being poorly optimized, especially compared to its console counterparts, and many players recommend waiting for further updates before purchasing the PC version. Overall, despite its acclaim, the game's technical shortcomings have marred the experience for a substantial portion of the player base.

    • “Really well-optimized at this point and can run on a lot of hardware (3 kids and no money kinda rigs or no kids and 3 money kinda rigs).”
    • “In an era where optimization seems non-existent, it’s refreshing to see a game that looks and runs this good on a handheld, with support for HDR so the colors and lighting look more natural and less artificially saturated.”
    • “Optimized for diverse hardware, it delivers fluid 60fps performance and intricate animations that elevate every clash.”
    • “The PC port is inexcusably bad and unoptimized.”
    • “Optimization is horrendous; I have a 5070ti and a 7800x3d, and still the game regularly freezes. One building in Leyndell is particularly bad with an estimated average of 0.25 fps, regardless of graphical settings.”
    • “Horrible performance and optimization quality; stuttering is constant and unavoidable due to DX12 being used for the first time by the devs.”
  • graphics
    16,051 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Elden Ring" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and intricate art design, creating a breathtaking open world that captivates players. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke awe through its detailed environments, atmospheric lighting, and unique character designs, although some note performance issues and a lack of advanced graphical options. Overall, the game's aesthetic and visual storytelling are often described as a significant strength, contributing to its status as a modern masterpiece in gaming.

    • “Every single area in this world is perfectly positioned and handcrafted to give you the most cinematic and beautiful experience possible. These visuals and how they were presented had my jaw drop too many times to count.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, the story is amazing, and the fighting is even better.”
    • “The graphics are just pure art - it almost looks like a painting.”
    • “The graphics look like a PS3 game.”
    • “The graphics are mediocre at best compared to games like AC: Valhalla, God of War, etc. Some stuff like trees look really bad.”
  • music
    6,861 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Elden Ring" has received a wide range of feedback, with many praising its haunting and atmospheric qualities that enhance the game's immersive experience. While some players find the soundtrack to be exceptional, particularly during boss fights, others feel it lacks memorability compared to previous FromSoftware titles, noting that much of the ambient music can be repetitive or unremarkable. Overall, the soundtrack is generally regarded as a strong component of the game, contributing significantly to its emotional depth and atmosphere, though opinions vary on its impact and memorability.

    • “The atmosphere, art design, music, and world building go together to create an amazing and unique experience.”
    • “The music complements this perfectly: choral, gothic, and atmospheric when needed, then swelling into dramatic orchestral scores during combat without overwhelming the scenery.”
    • “The soundtrack, composed by Yuka Kitamura, is a masterpiece in its own right, perfectly capturing the game's atmosphere and enhancing the emotional impact of every moment.”
    • “The music... it's shit honestly. The soundtracks are dogshit, especially the boss soundtracks. I literally only have like 2 saved on Spotify.”
    • “I think there is a separation between video game music I would listen to outside of a game compared to while I'm playing it. Although literally more than half of the songs here are masterpieces in their own right, for me the music nestles itself neatly in the former category.”
    • “The soundtrack lacks variety. When you're not in a boss fight, it's a quiet elevator music sound. When you do fight a boss, it's the same chorus music.”
  • grinding
    4,358 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of "Elden Ring" has received mixed feedback from players. Many describe it as excessively tedious, requiring significant time investment to level up and defeat challenging bosses, often leading to burnout. However, some players appreciate the freedom to explore and farm runes at their own pace, finding satisfaction in overcoming difficult encounters after grinding. Overall, while the game offers rewarding experiences, the grinding can feel overwhelming and detracts from the enjoyment for some players.

    • “Over 100 hours of content, with no farming.”
    • “200 hours of actual gameplay and exploring, no grinding or farming, boss fights that seem impossible until you learn their weakness or pattern which is always satisfying.”
    • “The gameplay is not too grindy and hard but still challenging (in a good way).”
    • “The actual open world areas are pretty drab, wide open, and it becomes tedious as you progress through each area.”
    • “I can see why lots of people enjoy this game but it is too stressful and punishing; the first 10 hours are purely grinding and watching YouTube guides, so whenever you get past Godrick, you are burnt out and the game isn't fun anymore.”
    • “It's just tedious and boring by the end.”
  • stability
    2,928 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of "Elden Ring" on PC has been a significant point of contention among players, with many reporting frequent freezes, stutters, and crashes, particularly during intense gameplay moments such as boss fights. Despite some users experiencing smooth performance, the overall consensus indicates that the game suffers from poor optimization, leading to frustrating interruptions that can detract from the gaming experience. While patches have been released to address some issues, many players still find the game to be buggy and unstable, especially in multiplayer scenarios.

    • “The game runs great on my 3060ti GPU/5800x CPU with almost everything maxed.”
    • “Game runs great on my old GTX 970 and it's an absolute blast to play.”
    • “The game runs great, has great looking (and some horrifying enemies that make me wonder who the hell came up with this thing) and most of the bosses look great with a fantastic score.”
    • “This game truly runs terribly on PC. So bad, in fact, that when you get to Leyndell and get off the second elevator, you can't play it because it freezes, only for it to unfreeze for about 3 seconds, then you are back to a frozen screen.”
    • “Optimization is horrendous. I have a 5070ti and a 7800x3d, and still the game regularly freezes. One building in Leyndell is particularly bad with an estimated average of 0.25 fps, regardless of graphical settings. If it wasn't possible to skip it, the game would've been incompletable.”
    • “The game keeps freezing for anywhere from 2 to 30 seconds, and when the game finally unfreezes, the enemy instantly kills me.”
  • atmosphere
    2,862 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Elden Ring" is widely praised for its breathtaking beauty and immersive design, creating a rich tapestry of environments that evoke a sense of wonder and dread. Players appreciate the game's ability to convey its narrative through atmospheric elements rather than explicit dialogue, with each region offering a distinct aesthetic and mood that enhances exploration. However, some critiques mention that the vast open world can occasionally feel empty, detracting from the overall atmospheric experience, yet the game's stunning visuals and haunting soundtrack largely compensate for this.

    • “The atmosphere, art design, music, and world building go together to create an amazing and unique experience.”
    • “The sheer amount of things it does right is insane: the tiny details hidden everywhere, the breathtaking scenery, the atmosphere, the music, the boss fights that make your heart race — and the lore that pulls you in deeper the more you look.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, lore, characters… everything comes together perfectly.”
    • “The whole world looks just dirty, ugly, gritty - I'm supposed to be outside in a fantasy land and it all just looks so sterile, no proper cinematic shadows, no interesting atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere and lore are also inferior to Dark Souls, Demon's Souls, Sekiro, and Bloodborne.”
    • “The atmosphere can be overwhelming at times.”
  • replayability
    2,683 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Elden Ring is widely praised for its high replayability, attributed to its extensive build variety, multiple endings, and vast open world filled with secrets and challenges. Players appreciate the freedom to experiment with different character builds and playstyles, making each playthrough feel unique. However, some reviewers note that the game's size and certain repetitive elements can detract from the overall replay experience, leading to mixed opinions on its longevity compared to previous FromSoftware titles.

    • “Endless replay value with all the different builds and ways to play the game.”
    • “The sheer number of weapons and arts give it unbelievable replay value.”
    • “With the variety of weapons, talismans, spirit summons, armor, endings, and a randomizer mod, there is a good amount of replay value.”
    • “The replayability is pretty lackluster and you will never be able to get those 'oh shit' moments to happen again once you've seen an area once.”
    • “Unfortunately, while the game has a lot of replayability, it gets hampered down a lot by the open world since you'll spend a lot of time just running from point A to B because there's nothing you'd want to explore.”
    • “The sheer amount of reused content throughout the game gives it a replayability issue, but by the time you've reached new game plus you've already gotten your money's worth from the experience.”
  • humor
    1,729 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "Elden Ring" is a standout feature, with players frequently highlighting the game's darkly comedic elements, absurd enemy designs, and the hilarious messages left by the community. Many find joy in the juxtaposition of the game's brutal difficulty with moments of levity, such as unexpected deaths and the antics of both players and NPCs. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm to the challenging gameplay, making the experience both frustrating and entertaining.

    • “Elden Ring somehow became my comfort game, which is funny considering how brutal it can be.”
    • “The character customization is very good and you can spend hours making funny characters. I remember there was a fight club at the starting zone and you could see funny stuff like the Ninja Turtles or Homer Simpson, just having fun with the PvP.”
    • “The messages players leave can be helpful and funny, which increased my overall enjoyment.”
    • “Unfunny breath of the wild joke #1053”
    • “The final boss is an unfunny joke; it's so bad I don't want to beat the game again because of it.”
    • “Every single wall says 'secret here' and every single ledge says 'try jumping' - the community is not funny or original.”
  • emotional
    1,578 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of "Elden Ring" has resonated deeply with players, evoking a wide range of feelings from joy and nostalgia to frustration and heartbreak. Many reviewers express that the game has made them feel like a child again, rekindling the excitement of exploration and discovery, while also delivering intense emotional moments through its characters and storylines. The combination of challenging gameplay, stunning visuals, and a powerful soundtrack enhances the emotional experience, making victories feel rewarding and losses deeply felt, resulting in a profound connection to the game and its world.

    • “I cannot even begin to explain how much impact this game has made; it has become the game for me with the most emotion ever, not because it's packed to the brim with emotional things, but rather the emotional parts are made to perfection.”
    • “This game made me cry tears of joy, and tears of sadness, and I'm only 30 hours in.”
    • “Elden Ring is an emotional roller coaster, that is both challenging and rewarding.”
    • “All the beautiful arts and visuals cannot save this game from its boring story, dead open world, and annoying grindfest.”
    • “The fact they made this game after having made Sekiro to me is a big downgrade storytelling-wise and I'm disappointed that they went back to the usual boring story they rinse and repeat in 90% of the stories they make.”
    • “Usually open world means hollow landscapes, pointless and repetitive side missions and exploration traps, and boring story lines.”
  • monetization
    565 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many users praising its complete absence of microtransactions, loot boxes, or pay-to-win mechanics. Reviewers appreciate that the game offers a full experience for a single purchase price, contrasting sharply with the prevalent trend of modern games that often include predatory monetization practices. This commitment to a fair and immersive gaming experience has been highlighted as a significant factor in the game's success and appeal.

    • “There is no microtransactions, which means everything that's in the game can be earned by playing it, and there are a lot of amazing weapons and cosmetics in the game.”
    • “Elden Ring is one of the rare games that delivers exactly what was promised — no microtransactions, no battle passes — just a vast world where your progress and enjoyment are only limited by your own effort.”
    • “The absence of microtransactions and a focus on delivering a fully realized product speak volumes about the integrity of the developers behind this gem.”
    • “This wasn't made with any love or soul; it's just the safest cash grab that capitalized on what was popular at the time.”
    • “Congratulations FromSoftware and Elden Ring on becoming just another AAA company and AAA game with microtransactions; hope all that money you're gonna make from it was worth ruining any sort of integrity you had.”
    • “In a world of empty, lazy, cash grabby, dumbed down open world titles that almost always overpromise and underdeliver, Elden Ring is a monumental achievement that sets new standards which the rest of the industry likely cannot meet even if they tried.”
  • character development
    536 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in "Elden Ring" is a mixed bag, with many players praising the game's rich worldbuilding, stunning character designs, and extensive customization options that allow for diverse playstyles. However, some critics note a lack of significant narrative depth and character evolution, suggesting that while the visuals and lore are captivating, the actual character development feels superficial and often secondary to gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game excels in artistic presentation and freedom of choice, but may disappoint those seeking a deeply engaging story or character arcs.

    • “The character development possibilities are almost endless.”
    • “The rich story, delivered through bosses, item descriptions, cutscenes, character designs, and even architecture, creates a vivid and encapsulating experience that feels organic rather than forced.”
    • “Elden Ring expertly integrates RPG elements, offering players a vast degree of freedom in character development.”
    • “The lack of clear stakes or character development further harms the narrative’s impact.”
    • “There's basically no character development and the main character is a completely blank slate with a motivation that never gets explored.”
    • “The character development, dialogue, and other non-violent aspects of the game seem underdeveloped.”
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95%Critics’ scoreBased on 87 critic reviews
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69h Median play time
121h Average play time
58h Main story
133h Completionist
20-155h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2,945 analyzed playthroughs
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As Elden Ring fans wait for official news, leaked movie set images suggest the film will include significant pre-game backstory

Yesterday on eurogamer.net

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Frequently Asked Questions

Elden Ring is a open world role playing game with fantasy, dark fantasy and violence themes.

Elden Ring is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

The main story can be completed in around 58 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 133 hours to finish. On average players spend around 121 hours playing Elden Ring.

Elden Ring was released on February 24, 2022.

Elden Ring was developed by FromSoftware, Inc..

Elden Ring has received very positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked Elden Ring for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Elden Ring is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include DARK SOULS III, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, DARK SOULS™: REMASTERED, Dark Souls II, Hollow Knight and others.