Elden Ringreceived an illuminating new trailer after two years of silence that has gotten fans very excited. The newest FromSoftware title had built up tons of excitement simply being confirmed to exist, despite a lack of information. Now thatElden Ringhas received an update, those same excited fans are dissecting every frame of its new trailer for clues about where its story will take players, and how its combat systems will actually work. One thing that’s been noticeable from the new gameplay is that the combat seems to have a style that falls almost squarely between FromSoftware’s biggest games:Dark SoulsandBloodborne.
Thenew trailer forElden Ringhas both gameplay and cinematic elements interspersed throughout. One thing that’s clear right away is that aesthetically the game more closely resemblesDark Soulsthan the dark palate and Victorian style ofBloodborne. Each character build shown off is carrying traditionally Medieval weaponry, and wear armor and clothing much more in line withDark Souls. This naturally leads to attacks that suit the weapons themselves, leaping thrusts and powerful swings from the knight character, and faster slashing attacks from the more roguish one.Dark Soulsplayers likely saw a lot of familiar combat elements.
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Elden Ring’s Apparent Focus On Mobility Looks Very Bloodborne
The thing that became apparent in theElden Ringtrailer, besides the obvious magical elements, is how quickly the characters are moving in combat. Even the heavier knight-style character moves much more swiftly than mostDark Soulscharacters. Quick rolls and some backstep animations can be seen throughout the trailer, something with which manyBloodborneplayers are familiar. That emphasis on quicker movement is something many Soulsborne games likeThymesiahave looked to emulate. It also goes without saying that the rogue/assassin character is also very nimble, employing backflip attacks and the like.
Another interesting parallel toBloodborne, but one that’s purely conjecture based on the only available trailer, is the evident lack of shields. WhileBloodbornedoes include one shield among its myriad array of equipment, the item’s description itself basically tells players not to use it. This is a noticeable detail that many in theElden RingReddit communitypicked up on as the natural comparisons betweenElden Ringand FromSoftware titles past. The community is justifiably excited as FromSoftware has historically done a good job of adapting the success of its previous game when working on a new one.
Probably the most exciting aboutElden Ring’s combat are the things that are brand new. While each previous game has featured magic in some way, like the various tools inBloodborne,The applications of magic shown off inElden Ringso far are exciting. The rogue is seen conjuring a shadow clone of sorts in order to take down an enemy, and the knight shows off an impressive magical extension to their blade. While many elements ofElden Ring’sgameplay are still unclear, this and the new mounted combat have got fans very excited. Mounted combat has never been in a FromSoftware title previously, so the implications are interesting.
Elden Ringlooks to be blending together some of the best elements ofBloodborneandDark Soulswhile injecting a healthy dose of new elements. Lacking firearms is definitely something moreDark Soulsbut if the trailer is indicative of a lack of shields, that’s veryBloodborne. Balancing out the best of both worlds will be a feat, but something fans are already getting excited about. While there’s still a lot ofmystery surroundingElden Ring, it’s apparent FromSoftware melting pot has got fans looking hurriedly to January.
Elden Ringis set to release January 21st, 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.
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