How Elden Ring Sets the Bar Higher for FromSoftware's Future Souls Games

Highlights

The success of Elden Ring can be attributed to its inclusion of accessibility options which enabled casual gamers to fully immerse themselves in the demanding gameplay, surpassing the experience of previous Dark Souls games.

The open-world design of Elden Ring proved successful, with the Lands Between providing players with rewarding exploration, challenging hidden bosses, and valuable equipment. FromSoftware should aim to replicate this outstanding world quality in their future games.

Although Elden Ring showcased superb combat mechanics with its diverse selection of builds and introduction of mounted combat, it unfortunately fell short in terms of boss battles. The absence of structure and a sense of accomplishment in these encounters needs to be rectified in future iterations.

FromSoftware's Elden Ring is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication for the Japanese developer. Since their breakthrough title Demon's Souls in 2009, Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team have been refining their unique Soulslike formula, which has gained immense popularity with each iteration. With a track record of critically acclaimed games like the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, FromSoftware has consistently impressed audiences. However, the release of Elden Ring in 2022 surpassed all expectations, becoming a monumental success. The game not only won Game of the Year but also sold over 20 million copies and earned a place among the greatest games of all time. Given this extraordinary achievement, FromSoftware will undoubtedly carry valuable insights into their future project.

The triumph of Elden Ring can be attributed to various factors that synergistically created an unprecedented action RPG experience. Despite the genre already having a dedicated fanbase drawn to its challenging difficulty and gratifying combat, Elden Ring managed to break into the mainstream. This was made possible by implementing accessibility features, which, while not offering traditional difficulty settings, accommodated more casual gamers. As a result, Elden Ring provided an immersive experience that Dark Souls games could not cater to.

Elden Ring Sets a High Bar For Future FromSoftware Games

When news broke that Elden Ring would be an open-world game, many fans had doubts about how the Soulslike formula would translate to this new environment. The semi-open-world structure of the Dark Souls trilogy perfectly suited the strengths of the sub-genre, so there was no guarantee that this format switch would be successful. However, all skepticism vanished once the game was released, and fans discovered just how immersive and rewarding the Lands Between in Elden Ring truly are. Every inch of the map is filled with hidden treasures, challenging bosses, and powerful equipment waiting to be found. While there is no guarantee that future games will have the same level of excellence, FromSoftware should definitely strive for it, as it significantly enhances the overall experience.

Elden Ring showcases an impressive range of character builds that cater to various play styles. While this is not a novelty for Souls fans, the inclusion of mounted combat, along with other adjustments to the mechanics, ensures that the game's combat is as formidable as any of its predecessors. Any subsequent releases should take Elden Ring as the benchmark for constructing their combat systems.

The Souls series by FromSoftware is well-known for its incredible boss fights. However, when compared to some of the developer's other games, Elden Ring may fall short in this area. The open-world nature of the game allows players to explore in any order they choose, which can make some boss fights seem too easy depending on when they are encountered. This lack of structured boss encounters takes away from the satisfying feeling of overcoming a tough fight. To improve future games, it would be beneficial to introduce more linearity in the order in which bosses are fought, allowing for a greater sense of achievement.

Whatever FromSoftware has planned for their next project, Elden Ring has set an extremely high standard that may be difficult to surpass, at least for a while. However, FromSoftware has a consistent track record of meeting fan expectations, so there is no reason to believe they won't continue to do so. Fans are eagerly anticipating the development of Elden Ring's DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, and hoping for more exciting Souls projects in the future.

Elden Ring is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.