Reflections on Elden Ring

A Note on Spoilers

Readers should always keep in mind that we only get to experience a game for the very first time once. Aside from the first paragraph below, this article will go into details that some players may not wish to know before playing for themselves.

Final Thoughts First

In light of the spoiler warning above, readers should know that overall I would recommend Elden Ring. It’s definitely worth the price of admission, especially considering the sheer size of the game world. Arguably the one big flaw with the title is that the lack of accessibility options make it difficult to recommend to everyone. The setting is truly beautiful, and there are times when I wish it was possible to simply explore the lands without having to worry about facing any enemies.

From Sekiro Back to Dark Souls

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice feels like a different experience compared to Bloodborne or Dark Souls and not just because Sekiro is set in feudal Japan. The elimination of the stamina bar made for some rhythmic-like combat. Players needed to learn when to apply pressure on their enemies and when to deflect or dodge. It’s also unlike From Software’s previous titles in that it completely foregoes weapon upgrading: the protagonist’s sword in Sekiro is just as strong and versatile at the start of the game as it is at the end of the game. Players can upgrade the player character’s stats to a limited degree, but there is generally no equipment upgrade system like there is in Dark Souls games.

At first glance, Elden Ring feels like a return to the tried-and-true Dark Souls sensibilities. The combat is familiar and the role-playing game mechanics are fully present. The big difference is the sheer size and scope of Elden Ring.

A Whole World to See

The open world gives From Software’s landscape artists a massive canvas to paint some truly breathtaking sights. Readers may already be able to tell from the screenshots in this article, but the world of the Lands Between is magnificent to behold. Sometimes one can’t help but stop and simply take it all in. I expect to amass hundreds of screenshots by the end of the game.

This article would become far too long and unwieldy to describe all of the memorable moments, so we’ll have a look at one in greater detail. Readers should know, however, that the following experience wasn’t the only thing that gave me pause and helped Elden Ring work its way into my favorites. 

Exploring a forest early in the game, I stumbled upon a small stone building. Hoping for treasure, I peeked inside and found a circular elevator common to From Software titles. I hopped on, not knowing what to expect.

I wish I could have seen the look on my face when it started going down really quickly – and just kept going. Before long, the gentle ambience that’s heard throughout the overworld faded away to be replaced by haunting chanting similar to the score found in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The river below the surface is truly a remarkable area. The underground sky above is filled with what look like stars. But, how could that be? After all, isn’t the area underground? I have yet to explore the entire area, so it’s possible that the lights will turn out to be something more mundane.

Even if they aren’t stars, it’s pleasant when these games aren’t in a hurry to explain themselves. It allows players to consider for themselves what it could all mean. These experiences make From Software’s games feel like fairy tales. They instill a sense of awe in players not found in many other titles these days.

The open world feels impressively large. Unfortunately, it can’t help but feel empty sometimes. Perhaps that’s an issue I’ve always found with open world games. Developers are in such a rush to make huge areas to explore that they don’t realize they’ve bitten off more than they can chew before it’s too late. The game is released and the areas, while admirably huge, inevitably feel too big, as if the size could make up for the lack of creatures and things to populate the world.

Although maybe it’s more of a real-world problem as well. The Earth is quite large by individual human standards, and there are huge open spaces that are also mostly empty. Maybe it’s just an attempt to be realistic?

At the least, riding around the Lands Between has been fun. From Software definitely nailed the horseback riding mechanics. Torrent is a great spectral mount that can appear at the player’s call.

The small dungeons scattered around the lands might remind players of the chalice dungeons from Bloodborne. That can’t be a good thing, right? Bloodborne’s chalice dungeons, which are generated algorithmically, only served to emphasize how important human-crafted levels tend to be for a compelling experience. Randomly-generated levels aren’t inherently bad, but it takes a significant amount of effort to make them fun and interesting. Elden Ring’s dungeons, which were not left up to an algorithm, are well made and typically short enough to allow players to feel accomplished without being drained. The only missed opportunity is that the treasures in these dungeons never change. It would’ve been nice if the developers had been willing to randomize the treasure placement. There may be mods that satisfy this desire (at least on the PC version of the game), but it would’ve been nice to see something official.

From Software’s Obsession with the (Post-)Apocalypse

In the first Dark Souls, a plague has struck the kingdom, making humans turn undead and slowly go hollow. In Dark Souls II, characters tell the player-controlled character that many kingdoms have risen and fallen in the lands of Drangleic. Many of the characters in Majula (the town and home base for the player) are despondent. Hollowing is erasing their memories, and there’s a feeling of tremendous sadness and grief that pervades the land.

Common to all of these titles is the idea that an apocalypse has already occured. The world has already been destroyed. The player’s actions may ultimately have some effect upon the world, but whatever that effect may be seems diminished due to the fact that no one could stop the world from ending already.

The end of the world is a common topic in various literature and media. The tone of these types of stories vary: some focus on the grim possibilities that face humanity if our current civilization were to collapse, others serve as a reminder that even in dark times humans are capable of cooperation and mutual aid in order to survive.

Why does the end of the world feature so frequently in From Software’s games? Is it simply an interesting time and place to set a game? Or is it a way to deal with our own dire real-world situation?

Where to Next?

From Software’s influence on the last decade of video games has been far-reaching. Countless studios have tried to emulate the style of the Dark Souls series in particular, and there are quite a few titles that fit well into a genre dominated by From Software. One easy example is Nioh, which was developed by Team Ninja at Koei Tecmo and released before Sekiro. It felt like the Dark Souls formula applied expertly to a feudal Japan setting. Another example is the upcoming Lies of P developed by Round 8 Studio. It’s hard not to see the influence of Bloodborne on this title.

What does Elden Ring mean for the future of games? Will players still find action role-playing games that aren’t set in an open world interesting? Or have player expectations been forever changed? Will Elden Ring be as influential as the studio’s other titles?

While most of From Software’s influence has been positive for gaming, hopefully more developers will eschew the studio’s stance on difficulty and accessibility options. More games should have options to assist players.

Miscellaneous Observations and Notes

• There are an incredible amount of options in Elden Ring for player characters.
• The magic system is possibly the best here that it has ever been.
  
• Like most recent From Software games, Elden Ring’s story is not spelled out for the player. Much of the lore is left up to player interpretation.
• Some of the boss fights were simply unpleasant. It might’ve been better to have fewer bosses that were all better experiences.
• In over 100 hours of playing, I was only invaded by another player once.

Reflections on Steam Deck

Valve has made a few attempts at hardware in the past. Some were more successful than others. Although there was some initial excitement about Steam Machines back when they were first announced eight years ago, they didn’t pan out. The Steam Controller also had a mixed reception, with most users not interested in the track pad controls and single analog stick. The Valve Index appears to be Valve’s first piece of hardware that has received near universal acclaim despite its high cost.

Steam Deck logo as seen on its case.

At the least, Valve appears to treat failures as lessons. The Steam Deck seems to be the culmination of all of those lessons transformed into a video game console.

What’s good: the whole console feels good in the hands. The analog sticks are far better than the ones on the Nintendo Switch. Perhaps that comparison is unfair since the Switch is substantially smaller. Nevertheless, one of the biggest issues with the Switch is the unreliability of the joysticks.

The Steam store includes details for hundreds of titles regarding their Steam Deck compatibility. The compatibility score ranges from “verified” to “playable” and down to “unsupported” and finally “unknown” for titles that have not officially been tested yet. Titles that are only considered “playable” include notes explaining what issues that users may face. It’s usually easy to understand.

One idea that Valve may want to consider: include an option for users to share their experiences getting some titles running on the Deck. This user-generated compatibility score doesn’t have to supersede Valve’s rating; instead the two could be shown side-by-side. This system would be helpful for titles that do work on the Deck but may not receive verification status for some time. Readers who are concerned about a particular game that hasn’t been officially verified yet should search online to see if other users have had luck running them.

The interface in SteamOS is generally solid.

Of course, players are not limited to games in the Steam store since the Deck can be used to install and run games from any number of sources.

The system is shipped inside of a sturdy case. It makes the three different price points seem even more reasonable.

What’s bad: Linux is a great system. There are many distributions that are released for anyone to use at no financial cost and they can satisfy almost all basic computer needs. But Linux has its share of problems. Valve’s decision to use Linux makes sense for a number of reasons, yet Linux’s issues then become the Steam Deck’s. It wouldn’t be prudent to recommend the Steam Deck to people who are not interested in trouble-shooting. If players want a console that simply works, they would be ill-advised to choose the Deck.

The battery life is generally short when playing more demanding titles, with most publications predicting about two hours of life for these games. Older games and emulation appear to use far less resources and result in longer battery life.

A game like Disco Elysium works well on Steam Deck.

Valve has never released a home console like this one before, meaning that their willingness to continue supporting such a device is unknown. Official replacement parts can be bought from iFixit, but what Valve’s long-term support will look like is anyone’s guess.

Below are some miscellaneous observations and experiences.

• At first the Steam Deck built-in microphone was not functional when trying to do voice chat with friends. I logged into the desktop version of Steam on a laptop and checked the audio settings there. Although I didn’t make any changes, after returning to the Deck the microphone worked fine. Perhaps a ghost in the machine?
• A game messed up the Deck’s default audio settings and made the Deck really quiet. Rebooting the Deck resolved the issue.
• While trying out an emulator in desktop mode, I entered fullscreen mode and could not exit the program. Again, rebooting the Deck resolved the issue. The lesson here is to ensure that a keyboard is plugged in for access to the escape key.
• The SteamOS interface is generally solid and intuitive. While it’s not free from glitches, it works well.
• Using desktop mode without a keyboard and mouse is fine for short bursts, but for longer, more complicated trips into the desktop it’s far better to use those accessories.
• It’s unclear how long it’ll be until the official Valve dock is available for purchase. The last announcement was made June 1 and indicates that the dock has been delayed due to production issues.

Final thoughts for now: the Steam Deck is more than what I hoped it would be. Hopefully it will continue to entertain for many years to come. My wish list is certainly growing almost daily as I find games to try.