170h in, I'm finally done with this game. What a wild ride it was! It brought back the feeling of adventure and eagerness to do exploration, something I have been missing since playing The Witcher 3. That, combined with a good challenge in terms of difficulty makes for a must-not-miss game.

Was it a good idea to go open-world? Of course! Sadly, a lot of the dungeons and bosses in those dungeons are copy-pasted with slight difficulty changes which makes for a repetitive gameplay. However, this is greatly overtaken by the vast world Elden Ring is set in. Every nook and cranny has something to offer and explore, clearly greatly inspired by Breath of the Wild, where no one approach is the same.

While not innovative, it brings a breath (pun not intended) of fresh air when you compare it to the likes of recent AAA releases from Ubisoft and the sorts. The game doesn't hand-hold you through the story or the exploration aspects, there is no tower to climb to unlock the next checkboxes to complete. The in-game map is simplistic and just screams for you to explore it.

The game engine while outdated, it still holds up on its own. Sure it's no Demon's Souls Remake, but the art direction makes for a very beautiful game. Something From Software has never really disappointed at. It's a nice mix of Sekiro and Bloodborne, while still holding its own unique style.

The story leaves a lot to be desired and unfortunately it gets a little lost in the open-world style of the game. NPCs are easily missed if you decide to go in a different direction than the game is pointing you at, something that has been a case in previous From games but this takes it to the next level.

Overall, it's been a wild ride and I enjoyed every single second spent in the world From has crafted. Here's hoping more game developers take from From's open world design and we get less hand-holding and more actual natural exploration. Just like BotW was influential to the open world genre, I hope ER will do the same for RPGs in the coming years.

Miyazaki san, I salute you. Please gives us a couple more DLCs in the near future, because I would love to get back into the game and see what else you have to offer in expanding the story of the Lands Between.

This is definitely my GOTY 2022 as I doubt any other game that releases this year will come close to getting me immersed and excited about its gameplay and exploration as Elden Ring did.

10/10 beers. - A super memorable experience!

170h in, I'm finally done with this game. What a wild ride it was! It brought back the feeling of adventure and eagerness to do exploration, something I have been missing since playing The Witcher 3. That, combined with a good challenge in terms of difficulty makes for a must-not-miss game. Was it a good idea to go open-world? Of course! Sadly, a lot of the dungeons and bosses in those dungeons are copy-pasted with slight difficulty changes which makes for a repetitive gameplay. However, this is greatly overtaken by the vast world Elden Ring is set in. Every nook and cranny has something to offer and explore, clearly greatly inspired by Breath of the Wild, where no one approach is the same. While not innovative, it brings a breath (pun not intended) of fresh air when you compare it to the likes of recent AAA releases from Ubisoft and the sorts. The game doesn't hand-hold you through the story or the exploration aspects, there is no tower to climb to unlock the next checkboxes to complete. The in-game map is simplistic and just screams for you to explore it. The game engine while outdated, it still holds up on its own. Sure it's no Demon's Souls Remake, but the art direction makes for a very beautiful game. Something From Software has never really disappointed at. It's a nice mix of Sekiro and Bloodborne, while still holding its own unique style. The story leaves a lot to be desired and unfortunately it gets a little lost in the open-world style of the game. NPCs are easily missed if you decide to go in a different direction than the game is pointing you at, something that has been a case in previous From games but this takes it to the next level. Overall, it's been a wild ride and I enjoyed every single second spent in the world From has crafted. Here's hoping more game developers take from From's open world design and we get less hand-holding and more actual natural exploration. Just like BotW was influential to the open world genre, I hope ER will do the same for RPGs in the coming years. Miyazaki san, I salute you. Please gives us a couple more DLCs in the near future, because I would love to get back into the game and see what else you have to offer in expanding the story of the Lands Between. This is definitely my GOTY 2022 as I doubt any other game that releases this year will come close to getting me immersed and excited about its gameplay and exploration as Elden Ring did. 10/10 beers. - A super memorable experience!