5 things you might have missed in the Elden Ring gameplay reveal

An all-new Elden Ring gameplay preview went on air this week.

While the teaser on June 11 had conveyed some key things about Elden Ring, the latest preview was a much bigger featurette than a 3-minute promo. It goes through the core gameplay elements of Elden Ring's open world, The Lands Between, and the new additions it makes to the Souls-like formula.

Rather than an uninterrupted 15-minute sequence, it is a montage of highlights to keep area spoilers to a minimum. However, FromSoftware has also let numerous small details, with substantial gameplay implications, slip through for the prying eyes.

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5 fine details of Elden Ring gameplay you can find in the review

5) The successor to Chaos Blade

When the tarnished invades Stormveil Castle, a fighting sequence on the ramparts of the tower showcases the versatile combat system. In what is presumably a weapon art on a weapon resembling the Claymore, the tarnished draws his own blood before connecting the swing.

Demonstration of the tarnished drawing his own blood while attacking in Elden Ring (Image via Bandai Namco)

Chaos Blade is one of the staples of unique weaponry in Dark Souls titles. It appears in all three games, as either a katana or a curved sword. In Dark Souls 2 and 3, Chaos Blade ranks high in terms of bleed build-up, the central gimmick for bleed builds, but also decreases the player's HP with each swing as a trade-off.

Although the weapon in question here appears to be a greatsword, it certainly calls back to the Chaos Blade caveat. If not the weapon art itself, it might be tied to an all-new class, "Bloody Wolf".

4) Binoculars with multiple zoom levels

The Lands Between is massive in scale. Seeing the focus on open-world exploration, the binocular item, which returns from Dark Souls titles, will have more uses than sniping with spells. As seen in the preview, it will also feature multiple zoom levels.

3) Fall damage seems much more lenient

Spiritsprings have been imposed to account for the huge verticality in The Lands Between when the player is on horseback. On foot, too, the player is seen falling from great heights at several points.

While surviving big falls was also possible in Dark Souls games with equipments like the Cat Ring, it would make sense to dampen the effect of fall damage in Elden Ring, if not altogether eliminate it.

2) Weaponized dragon heads

Godrick the Golden, in one of his later phases, uses a dragon's head as an arm-mounted weapon, as seen at the end of the trailer. Upon close inspection, however, one can find the dragon's head used elsewhere.

The player's aide channeling a dragon's aspect in Elden Ring (Image via Bandai Namco)

To aid the jolly co-operation in their fight against a mounted boss, a summoned lookalike of Mildred the Man-eater from Dark Souls uses a dragon's head as an ability to leash out with a tongue of flame.

1) The plunging attack mechanic has changed significantly from Dark Souls titles

The tarnished poised-breaking a target in Elden Ring (Image via Bandai Namco)

Alongside full-scale jumping, as seen in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Elden Ring also makes changes to the fan-favorite plunging attack mechanic. Instead of a vertical strike that locks in from the moment the plunging attack is initiated, the jumping slash from Sekiro seems to take precedence. It also counts as a 'heavy attack' that deals significant poise damage.

Note: The article reflects the views of the writer.