Elden Ring – -apkrig

Probably no game at this year’s E3 has aroused such emotions as Elden Ring. No wonder, the FromSoftware studio has a wide range of devoted fans who have been waiting with bated breath for the smallest bit of a new game for the last two years. But the fast is over, and the main designer Hidetaka Miyazaki, instead of crumbs, has started scattering whole loaves of information among his faithful.

The developer, who in most cases avoids conversations and provides rather cryptic cues, has spoken out in recent days for the IGN server, Famitsu magazine or the Russian publication Igromania. Thanks to this, we can now get a much better idea of ​​the game and its systems and compare it more closely with previous FromSoftware titles.

After watching the extensive trailer, we couldn’t get rid of the impression that the Elden Ring could easily be the fourth Dark Souls, as the aesthetics of the Kingdom on the Borderland explicitly refers to Lordran, Drangleic or Lothric, and some monsters or locations awaken volatile thrills. According to Miyazaki, however, this is really a brand new world, the connection with the Dark Souls trilogy would be too binding in the story. Nevertheless, we dare to guess that we will find some blinks in the descriptions of objects.

They will be the next point of contact with previous FromSoft games. The storytelling is supposed to follow a well-established line, ie the folding of fragments of a mosaic, which leaves much of the player’s interpretation and imagination. At the same time, however, the Elden Ring also borrows some of the greater exactness of the last Sekir.

The world will be divided into six main areas, each offering a large main dungeon, ruled by one of Queen Marika’s demigod branches. At the same time, you can count on a central hub that will function as a place to rest and recharge your batteries, similar to Nexus, Firelink Shrine or Majula in the past. Miyazaki promises about 30 hours of play, unless you explore too much.

In the open world, we come across castles, fortresses, catacombs, small dungeons and the like, so there should be no shortage of fun while exploring. By the way, the game will offer a map than expected, but it cannot be used in dungeons. In addition, question marks and other ballasts will not automatically appear on it, but you can place your own tags there, as was the case in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And by the way, even in this game you can count on some form of poisonous swamp, in which these developers enjoy it so much.

Miyazaki generally promises much greater freedom than in the past, which, moreover, stems directly from the open nature of the world. We will be able to decide for ourselves which activity we will prefer (and which part of the country we will decide to liberate first). We will be able to create the character ourselves, so the main character is not predetermined. Their fate is not carved in stone, the game will have more endings, which is also the custom in Miyazaki’s games.

When we take into account more specific aspects of playability, it is impossible not to mention horses. A means of transport of this nature is a novelty for FromSoftware’s work, it is intended to make it easier for us to move around a large map or escape from dangerous situations, and it will be possible to fight from its back, although Miyazaki says that this element was not a priority for developers and the horse will not be available at all times. We will be able to use the fast travel system for really long distances, but we don’t have more details about it yet.

In combat, of course, we will again rely on a wide arsenal of weapons at close range and at a distance, and of course magic. You will be able to buy some pieces, but most of the most interesting ones will have to be found in the open world. The Weapon Arts system from Dark Souls III is back, but this time the individual skills will not be limited to specific weapons. We can expect about a hundred of them.

In the game we will also be able to collect some kind of ghosts, acting as summoning helpers who will have different abilities and can help in tricky situations. You can use them for attack, defense or to distract the attention of enemies. It will be possible to gradually improve them.

In addition to them, you can also rely on other players. Elden Ring will also offer multiplayer, which will be similar in spirit to other games – you can invite your friends into your own world, help each other, leave messages and so on. According to Miyazaki, PVP should be “less annoying” to imagine, but we don’t know yet, maybe the possibility of attacking foreign worlds without consent will disappear.

Elden Ring is supposed to be a bit more accessible than previous games, but not because the authors would significantly lower the bar of difficulty, but rather thanks to a wider range of options, where to go and how to deal with some obstacles. Some bosses can reportedly be defeated without a fight. Stamina is still involved in the game, but it is said to play a smaller role. However, usable stealth, hiding in tall grass, and murderous ambush attacks are returning from Sekir. There should be more ways to heal, but don’t expect Sekira-style revival.

Crafting will also be present. In this respect, we will get more freedom and production, improvements and modifications will be available directly on the fly, it will probably not be necessary to visit specific NPCs. This option is intended to make players less ripped out of play. An interesting decision is to reduce the damage from falls from a height, this should inspire you to explore the world in deeper. But Miyazaki still warns that the Elden Ring will be a challenging game with many tough enemies.

As for collaborating with the writer George RR Martin, his contribution to the play is the basic mythology of the world, the name of the country where the story takes place, the concept of the six demigods and the theme of the protagonist, the Dirty, who lost the mercy of Elden Ring and the Erdtree tree and was banished. to exile. Miyazaki says that work on the game systems began after Martin sketched the shape of the world, which is the opposite approach to what he himself has used in the past.

For Miyazaki, Elden Ring is the culmination of a decade of game design, he considers it his opus magnum and has embedded in it everything he likes about game development and what he has learned. He hopes that we will enjoy the result as players and he is relatively sure that the team will meet the planned release date, which falls on January 21 next year.

Elden Ring is planned for PC and current and previous generation of consoles.