With a leaked gameplay trailer making the rounds, it seems that FromSoftware’s upcoming action-RPGElden Ringis coming along quite well. With the pandemic in full swing, there’s no real telling when it will come out, but fans are hoping to hear more details this summer. Namco has been rumored to have adigital presentation titled “Bandai Namco Next”in the works, and fans may finally get a true glimpse at the elusiveDark Soulssuccessor there. At least, fans are assuming that it will be something likeDark Souls.
In truth, there is a lot of uncertainty as to how the developer’s comments on structural changes to the game will ultimately impact its development and release state. The leaked trailer suggests that the end result will resembleDark Souls, butElden Ring’s wide-open fields, horseback riding, and seemingly improved stealth and jumping guarantees that it can’t be the exact same. It’s a bold new venture for FromSoftware, and fans are anxiously waiting to see how it turns out. However, there’s a good chanceElden Ringwill keep a lot of elements from theDark Soulstrilogy, and that is very much to its benefit.
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Elden Ring’s Aesthetic
First and most importantly, this game is being made in the same engine that producedDark Souls 2,Dark Souls 3,Bloodborne, andSekiro.Since it’s seemingly going back to a fantastical apocalypse aesthetic, there’s a good chance it will continue to look like a modern FromSoftware game. That means big, impressive landmarks and buildings, lots of cool armor sets that represent different fantasy cultures, and horrific, shambling monsters contrasted with model (and often giant) knights. FromSoftware is arguably the best in the industry at representing a dark fantasy aesthetic in a 3D game, and it continues to flex its art design muscles even in the leaked early build footage.
It must be reiterated how FromSoftware’s masterful art design extends not only to beautiful vistas and disgusting garbage heaps, but also to its characters.Elden Ringlooks to bring back many of the more standard fantasy designs that definedDark Souls, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.
AnySoulsfan knows the joyful feeling of picking up an oversized wizard hat, or aset of impossibly bulky armorcleaved directly from ancient stone and monstrous bone. Not to mention, the feeling of rising against an intimidating enemy is multiplied when that enemy is also massive (often inexplicably so for some human foes) and wretched-looking. It seems like this brilliance in visual design is intact inElden Ring, and it’s only to the game’s benefit.
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Elden Ring’s Setting
No FromSoftware dark fantasy setting is complete without the narrative stylings of a world in its death throes.Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin, along with the veteranDark Soulsdevelopers, wouldn’t have it any other way inElden Ring. While no firm story details are known yet, it can be assumed that the land the game takes place in was ravaged by both natural and supernatural forces, and the grave misdeeds of its leaders.
Plenty of places will be utterly corrupted and ridden with maddened soldiers and twisted monsters who may have once been men. And of course, amongst all the chaos will occasionally emerge thieves and criminals who are much more competent and dangerous than their low stature suggests.
It is in this world of magic, mayhem, and a maddening mixture of both thatDark Soulsshines brightest.Finding a friendly NPCin the midst of it all produces a sense of relief not unlike finding a new bonfire and making tangible progress in the game. The feeling of climbing or descending to the furthest forgotten reaches of the world and discovering a friendly dragon after fighting other dragons both real, fake, alive, and dead, inspires a sense of wonder and achievement, even if not much useful is actually gained from the experience. The dual sense of wonder and horror present inDark Souls’ setting needs to be maintained forElden Ringto truly impress.
Elden Ring’s Gameplay
The final, and most obvious, thing thatElden Ringshould inherit fromDark Soulsis its general gameplay. As has been mentioned,Elden Ringis going to be a very different game structurally compared to theDark Soulsgames. Traversal across larger, and possibly more vertical, areas is now possible thanks to the new design direction and mechanics that are likely inElden Ring.
However, the oldDemons’ Soulsstandard of rolling around and striking enemies with a staggering variety of weapons and spells needs to be kept. FromSoftware has been tuning its combat and encounter design in this type of game for years, and there’s no reason to throw it all away now. The satisfying interplay of defense and counterattacks endemic to theSouls-like genre ought to be kept.
It would also be great ifElden Ringcould iterate onDark Souls’ multiplayer. Players have plenty of great memories fighting bosses, challenging areas, and even repelling other players across theDark Soulstrilogy. Adjusting multiplayer to work withElden Ring’s more sprawling areas will be somewhat difficult, but as long as there is a way to keep up with the host (which should be possible with a mixture of distinct areas, fog walls, and invader horse-riding), then invaders and allies can return to wage wars on bigger battlefields than ever before.
Dark Soulshas garnered plenty of fame in the gaming industry for the years it’s been around. While some may feel that the term “Souls-like” is being thrown around far too much recently, the fact remains that its world and gameplay defined a winning formula.Elden Ringwill be a fresh take onSouls, but its core tenets will probably stick around to complete the experience. Since FromSoftware is already the developer behindDark Souls,Elden Ringis in the right hands to earn its place asDark Souls’ spiritual successor.
