Elden Ring: FromSoftware released, during Gamescom 2021, a 16-minute demo of Elden Ring. Among the news reported by vehicles that had access to the content, it was reported that the game will have different endings and stealth mechanics similar to Sekiro.
According to the North American IGN, the title will give the player a lot of freedom. At the beginning of the demo, which was not playable (hands-off), an open field with several directions to go is shown. However, there will be a kind of guiding light for a recommended path, which may or may not be followed.
As shown in the first trailer, to navigate the giant map it will be possible to summon the horse, which can climb cliffs, giving verticality to the gameplay. Also, to leave the player situated will be shown a map (for the first time in the Soulsborne series).
The scenarios are also full of items, dungeons with traps and groups of different enemies, some of them gathered around bonfires, dragons that appear from nowhere and other species. The feeling is that the universe of The Lands Between (the game’s universe name) is very much alive, says IGN.
Gameplay
The Washington Post wrote that many encounters with enemies are optional, as are paths that can or cannot be taken. Freedom will even affect the endings, which will be distinct. “We try to give as much freedom as possible to the exploration of the world,” Yasuhiro Kitao, a spokeswoman for FromSoftware, told the vehicle.
“Although we are still in the process of testing and determining the final game time, we feel that this will vary greatly from player to player, depending on what kind of route they take around the world and what they find,” he added.
Regarding the construction of the character, you will be able to choose what type of build you prefer to build, choosing to increase magic, defense, luck, attack etc. Characters with archer and mage traits can also fight on horseback, for example.
Enemies can be killed in a stealth mode very similar to Sekiro, as they will be allowed to hide in the foliage. Another interesting detail is that the game will have a jump button, which will serve mainly to explore the “Legacy Dungeons”, which are separate areas with challenges, similar to what there is in Dark Souls. In this environment it is not possible to call the horse.
Combat will be based on a time and reaction scheme, just like the other FromSoftware games. The cautious approach, but one that encourages the player to attack will be back. Among the new features will be the “guard counter” mechanic, which players can immediately counterattack after blocking a move. You will need to be careful, however, as the guard counter can also generate an enemy counterattack.
Narrative
Also according to The Washington Post, the game will have a hub with NPCs that will have different roles. One of the characters will be a soft-spoken maiden who exchanges experience points for upgrades, similar to Bloodborne’s doll.
Regarding the story, Kitao explained that Elden Ring will have a more direct narrative, as many players complained that FromSoftware titles are difficult to understand.
“There was a lot of back and forth between (Hidetaka) Miyazaki and George (R.R. Martin) to get that good feeling,” he said. “After that, George kindly handed us over and said ‘take it and do what you want with it’. You can think of the current time or period of game events written by Miyazaki. But it’s influenced to some extent by that original myth created by George Martin,” he said.
The Japanese developer’s representative also made it clear that there is no direct relationship between the upcoming game and the others in the Souls series, as the mythology of The Lands Between is completely original.
Despite this, Kitao didn’t deny that the Moonlight Greatsword (weapon that appears in Dark Souls) is present in the game, as this is a theory that appeared on the internet some time ago. Even so, he was keen to emphasize that the stories do not overlap.
Elden Ring will be released on January 21, 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
