No game has ever completely overtaken my life the way that Elden Ring has. From the moment I first turned it on to the moment I closed it after beating the DLC, I have lived, breathed, and slept this game. I have had dreams of fighting bosses or exploring locations that I visited and have on multiple occasions stayed up far far later than I should have after getting completely lost in the world of Elden Ring. No in game world has ever and very likely will ever have as many moments that left me in complete awe and wonder, leaving me with nothing else to say but "Holy sh!t". On top of this, it is so easily accessible to such a wide range of players that almost any gamer will be able to get enjoyment out of it. This was my first FromSoftware game and me and my summon had an absolute blast and with the exception of one DLC boss, and the infamous Melania never hit a brick wall in difficulty. The amount of content and the quality of said content in this game is an unbelievable achievement that should absolutely be celebrated the way it has been. My blind playthrough of the base game took me 47 hours, and even with me doing a ton of exploring, I know for a fact I misses entire boss fights, let alone a ton of gear and other loot. While it is very much a souls game at heart with the confusing quests, difficult bosses, and stunning set pieces, it's something that has never been seen before, and may never be seen again. It is an absolute steal for even $60, let alone the measely $36 I paid for it. People always talk about how it's a game where they wish they could go back and experience it for the first time again and I can see why. My first Elden Ring playthrough is probably the most memorable and magical experience I've ever had with a controller and I honestly don't know if anything will be able to top it.


Elden Ring's greatest accomplishment and what makes Elden Ring, Elden Ring is the world that has been created. You truly can go almost anywhere from the very beginning and it's full of surprises. Turning a corner only to find yourself in front of a massive castle that might take 3 or 4 hours to explore, only to come out of that castle on top of a mountain you didn't even see before will never get old and there's so much more to the world then what you will originally think. It just keeps growing larger and larger like it's an 8 year old's Christmas list. Things you couldn't even imagine will be around every corner and even when you think you've seen everything there is to see, the game will throw something new at you. Not only is this world massive and full of things to do but it's jaw droppingly gorgeous. I didn't even know medieval fantasy could look this great and with as much variety. The characters and enemies that fill this world are memorable, amazingly designed, and truly make The Lands Between feel lived in and full of danger.


Perhaps the most important thing in these games, combat in Elden Ring is great. There's enough options in gear, weapons, classes, and stats that you can invest in to truly build the perfect play style that suits you. If you wanna carry around a giant rusted anchor and stagger every enemy in your path you can (this is what I did). If you wanna run around naked smacking actual Gods with a wooden club, guess what, you can. If you wanna summon a pack of wolves to fight for you and cast spells from a distance, Elden Ring lets you. This leads me to the accessibility. I didn't think I could ever beat one of these games. In fact it's what stopped me from playing it sooner than I did but the game wants everyone to be able to succeed. There are so many tools given to you from summoning troops to fight along side you to even bringing in players to aid you in battle. Sure, you still need to have a level of competency to beat the bosses, but no game in this genre is as accessible as Elden Ring. The world design allows you to leave a tough encounter and come back when you're stronger and kick that suckers butt after you conquer a castle ro two. The more you explore, the stronger you become. Bosses and basic enemies will both require your attention and overcoming a tricky fight is extremely rewarding and satisfying.


My one slight disappointment with Elden Ring is its story but it's sort of my own fault. There's a great story here with some truly exceptional world building and lore but the game requires you to work for it. Reading item descriptions and looking around the environment is how you're going to get the most out of the story. Sure, the game provides you the basics with some cut scenes but if you really want to get into the story, you're going to need to put in the work, and there's nothing wrong with that, I just wasn't ready for it going into the game. I recommend watching lore videos on YouTube if this aspect of the game really intrigues you as you play along so that you can get the most out of it. The quests in the game are VERY confusing and nearly impossible to complete for the most part without some kind of guide which is sort of a shame. I wanted to experience my first playthrough without a guide and as blind as possible so I missed out on or messed up quite a few quests sadly but it also added to my experience in a way. It felt like everything I did had a consequence instead of just being spoonfed instructions and it kind of had a charm to it in a way, but be aware of this going in incase you do want to use a guide.


In conclusion, Elden Ring is truly a generation defining game and experience. There is easily over a hundred hours of content here and that's only in one playthrough, let alone completing the game with different classes and builds, or trying to beat the game with and without summons, or just exploring one of the most well crafted open worlds in any video game ever. The accessibility options make it so more people than ever will be able to enjoy this game, and if it looks even mildly interesting to you I can't recommend it enough. I don't think I'll ever forget my first playthrough and the absolute magic that I got to experience, and I look forward to revisiting it and seeing what I missed out on. Elden ring is an absolute must buy, and I can't recommend it more. For more reviews, follow my curator page.