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FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment have finally revealed their long-awaited dark fantasy action RPG title, Elden Ring, at Summer Game Fest 2021. The title's prospective release date is January 21st, 2022.
Since the announcement of Elden Ring in E3 2019, the publisher and development studio has remained silent about more information. Hence, fans of the Souls-Borne genre games have been left with nothing but one trailer to quench their thirst.
After countless fan speculations and a singular leak a few months ago, fans have been dying for further information about the game. FromSoftware finally broke their silence as a full-blown, almost three-minute-long gameplay trailer was showcased at the Summer Game Fest 2021 Kickoff Live.
Here are a few things players might have missed while marveling at the reveal trailer for Elden Ring.
Some of the subtle changes in Elden Ring are easy to miss
To the naked eye, the trailer might appear to be an action-packed reveal that spans almost three minutes. But for fans of this genre, it bears much more information.
Hidetaka Miyazaki has been well-known for attesting unique catchphrases with the playable character in all Souls-Borne games. It is “The Ashen One” or “Hollow” in the famous Dark Souls series. A similar phrase is used in the reveal trailer of Elden Ring, where the narrator addresses “The Tarnished.”
It's up to the player to get rid of the malice in the world. The protagonist is seemingly stuck in a fallen world with collapsed order.
According to the official website of Elden Ring, the story takes place in the “lands between” ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal. The plot has its inception as the source of the Erdtree.
The Elden Ring is shattered, and Marika’s offsprings, the demigods, have claimed the “Great Runes.” These are the shards of the shattered Elden Ring.
The trailer also shows glimpses of what seems to be different characters involved in combat. It speculates that just like any other Souls-Borne game, players are free to customize their own characters.
At one point in the video, the player is approached by three crouching enemies in a room. This insinuates that there is a possibility of stealth build-oriented customization. The character is also seen jumping at will, both in combat and during free roam. This is a first for FromSoftware.
However, the biggest change is to the world design by FromSoftware. Elden Ring is set to push the boundaries of a game set in a vast open world that must be covered on horseback. While the feature of horse-riding is well-known, its updated jaw-dropping aspects highlighted in the trailer raised some eyebrows.
The video shows that players in the Elden Ring can summon their mount at will. Some of the revealed world designs suggest that mounted travel will be a prominent factor.
Horses can navigate difficult terrain and possibly jump on command as well. The trailer showed the use of some magical portals to boost the distance covered or the jumping height of the horse.
One of the biggest features of the Elden Ring is the mounted combat. The player can fight different bosses and enemies in the open world of Elden Rind while being mounted on the horse.
The environment of this open-world game embodies a similar scene as that in the Dark Souls series. The ravaged lands, as shown in Elden Ring, bear a close resemblance to the desolate and destroyed version of the Ringed City in Dark Souls III.
The trailer for Elden Ring also showcases various weaponry from greatswords to giant hammers and mystical staff. This opens up a wide range of builds as the character is seen using an amalgamation of physical and magical weapon attacks.
As confirmed by FromSoftware, the whole open world is seemingly connected and is more non-linear than the previous game design. There are hints of true RPG elements as developers might introduce level gaining through different enemy interactions or non-story-oriented boss fights.
The game can also be played in co-op, allowing up to four players. Ally-NPCs can be summoned to help in their quest for salvation. There is also a mention of an “unending curse” in the trailer, which is seen to exist in all of the Dark Souls games created by FromSoftware.
While there were specific NPCs found in the world of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, FromSoftware might introduce random NPCs in Elden Ring as a part of immersion in the vast open world.
The footage shows characters riding near a caravan being pulled by what appears to be humungous hollow creatures. The question remains whether these monsters are a prominent part of the story or random NPCs subsisting for possible side quests.
In the finale, the trailer for Elden Ring sheds light on the character with many arms shown in the first announcement trailer. This time around, a full-blown showcase of the human-like figure is seen while engaging in combat with the protagonist.
While these are mostly speculations based on FromSoftware’s previous trends and game design, some of them, if not all, are expected to be seen in the end product on January 21st, 2022.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.
