After years of waiting, our first look at Elden Ring gameplay is finally here. FromSoftware has been hard at work on its latest third person action RPG and its finally ready to share it with the world.
Elden Ring is a brand new IP for FromSoftware, which you might know as the developers of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro. Those are notoriously difficult games, and Elden Ring looks to be no exception. Take a look at the 15-minute gameplay trailer for yourself below!
The open world looks stunning
The new gameplay trailer was captured on PC, giving us a look at the gorgeous graphics on show. Our first look gave us a glimpse at how the player can summon a rideable horse at their own command. Did I mention that it has a double jump? A guidance system similar to Ghost of Tsushima is present with rays of light pointing the player to their next objective. Before long, the player encounters a massive dragon. It looks like the fight occurs naturally in the open world rather than in an enclosed arena from prior Soulsborne games.
The classic bonfires of the Soulsborne games have been replaced with “Site’s of Grace” which essentially function in the same way. They’re dotted around the expansive open world map, which looks utterly huge when opened up in the menu. Fragments of it can be found as you progress through the game. In true Breath of the Wild style, players will need to mark the map accordingly, placing icons and beacons down to keep track of items. Traversal of the vertical map looks incredibly satisfying with spirit springs propelling the player and their horse high into the sky.
Combat looks a little different too
We’re also given a glimpse at some of the stealth gameplay that’s clearly been influenced by Sekiro. The above takedowns make a reappearance in a brief stealth section. Overall, combat looks far more varied in Elden Ring. One attack sees the player summon a group of spirits to help them in their battle. Of course, you can also summon other players to your world to either fight with or against you. Let’s just hope it’s a more simple method than in previous Souls games…
Catacomb entrances can be found scattered around the overworld of Elden Ring. These lead down into dark passageways that hold secrets, enemies and bosses. A big departure from previous FromSoftware games is the element of player choice. One gameplay section sees a player sneak into a castle via a back entrance. This avoids the main door which is heavily guarded. It’s much less linear than Soulsborne fans are used to.
The gameplay demo rounds off with a look at one of the bosses, “Godric the Golden”. He’s a grotesque looking fellow with a ridiculous number of arms. Mind you, they don’t look nearly as dangerous as the massive axe he weilds. All the while, we’re treated to some fantastic over-the-top music that’s already getting our hearts pumping. And we’re just watching someone else play the game!
What do we think?
Overall, Elden Ring looks like it’s a mixtape of all FromSoftware’s previous works. There’s key elements from Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro. It’s all wrapped up in a palatable dressing that appears akin to some of the recent Assassin’s Creed and Zelda titles. Safe to say, we can’t wait for it to release next year.
Elden Ring was originally supposed to release in January 2022, but has since been pushed back to February. Not to worry, though! Fans can get their hands on the game very soon if they sign up to the closed network test. That’s supposed to take place in the next few weeks between November 12th and November 15th. Sadly, it will only be available on console platforms.
What do you think of the new Elden Ring gameplay? Let us know across our social channels.
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[Featured Image Credit: Bandai Namco]