Revised review
This game is a MASTERPIECE. Recent patches have substantially improved performance and stability on PC, meaning I can now actually boot into the game.

Elden Ring does not hold your hand, but you are never punished for wandering aimlessly. Exploring around for hours at a time is always welcome, and often encouraged to progress. As a newcomer to the Souls series, Elden Ring has had a steep learning curve, but a satisfying one; returning to a boss 30 hours later ready to kick its teeth in is a wonderful feeling which lets you get a palpable feeling of your growth in game.

The gameplay and controls take some getting used to on keyboard and mouse. While this game is definitely meant to be played with controller, K+M should still provide a comfortable experience for gamers without access to controllers (guilty!).

The music, graphics, and world as a whole are stunningly beautiful throughout the game. At the same time, the strength of your opponents is also highlighted during intense fights; you will feel fear when the music picks up into the boss' themes.

I have 30ish hours logged as of this review, and I have just recently beat the first main boss. I am taking my time, and enjoying every second in the Lands Between. Looking forward to beating the game eventually!


Original review[u/]
I will be brief for my initial review:

This game is a masterpiece, but it is not made for PC. The PC release of Elden Ring has been unplayable for me and many of my peers since launch. I continue to experience crashes on startup and -- on the rare occasion where the game actually boots -- I am met with SEVERE performance issues. I have a 3060 and a computer that does not bottleneck the card in any serious way.

This is an embarrassing port of what will likely be the game of the decade...

When FromSoft patches this masterpiece, I will be giving it a wonderful review. As is, though? Stick to the console release.

[u]Revised review[/u] This game is a MASTERPIECE. Recent patches have substantially improved performance and stability on PC, meaning I can now actually [i]boot into[/i] the game. Elden Ring does not hold your hand, but you are never punished for wandering aimlessly. Exploring around for hours at a time is always welcome, and often encouraged to progress. As a newcomer to the Souls series, Elden Ring has had a steep learning curve, but a satisfying one; returning to a boss 30 hours later ready to kick its teeth in is a wonderful feeling which lets you get a palpable feeling of your growth in game. The gameplay and controls take some getting used to on keyboard and mouse. While this game is definitely meant to be played with controller, K+M should still provide a comfortable experience for gamers without access to controllers (guilty!). The music, graphics, and world as a whole are stunningly beautiful throughout the game. At the same time, the strength of your opponents is also highlighted during intense fights; you will feel fear when the music picks up into the boss' themes. I have 30ish hours logged as of this review, and I have just recently beat the first main boss. I am taking my time, and enjoying every second in the Lands Between. Looking forward to beating the game eventually! [u]Original review[u/] I will be brief for my initial review: This game is a masterpiece, but it is not made for PC. The PC release of Elden Ring has been unplayable for me and many of my peers since launch. I continue to experience crashes on startup and -- on the rare occasion where the game actually boots -- I am met with SEVERE performance issues. I have a 3060 and a computer that does not bottleneck the card in any serious way. This is an embarrassing port of what will likely be the game of the decade... When FromSoft patches this masterpiece, I will be giving it a wonderful review. As is, though? Stick to the console release.