Elden Ring hands-on analysis: FromSoftware’s open-world evolution retains punishing combat while expanding exploration
Introduction: The Anticipation and Legacy
Elden Ring stands as one of 2022’s most significant gaming releases, and extensive hands-on experience confirms the overwhelming anticipation is well-founded.
Elden Ring represents both a homecoming for Souls veterans and a compelling entry point for newcomers, poised to redefine open-world action RPGs in 2022. Here’s our detailed breakdown after extensive playtesting.
Few franchises manage to shape an entire genre, but FromSoftware’s lineage—from Demon’s Souls through the Dark Souls trilogy—has perfected methodical, weighty combat and environmental storytelling that rewards player observation.
While Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice explored different combat rhythms and settings, Elden Ring returns to the foundational Souls experience while integrating lessons from those titles, creating something simultaneously familiar and innovative for series veterans.
A crucial upfront disclosure: Elden Ring, despite its massive hype, maintains the series’ trademark difficulty and will not appeal to all players. Concerns that open-world design might soften FromSoftware’s vision prove unfounded—this is uncompromising in its challenge.
The game remains as punishing and occasionally cryptic as its predecessors, but the open-world structure provides crucial breathing room, allowing players to retreat from impossible fights and tackle challenges from different angles rather than hitting repeated dead ends.
The Lands Between: A World of Scale and Detail
The sheer scale of The Lands Between—the game’s setting—provides a welcome departure from purely claustrophobic Souls environments. Traditional dungeons and ruins remain, but they’re complemented by a colossal central tree dominating the horizon and outdoor areas featuring a more vibrant color palette than typically seen in the genre.
Emerging from the introductory dungeon reveals a world of breathtaking scope. Despite decades of open-world gaming, The Lands Between feels uniquely massive due to its meticulous detail (on Xbox Series X) and seamless performance. Each interior space functions as a self-contained Souls level with tight corridors and precise combat, while the expansive fields offer visual and gameplay variety.
Beyond scale, the art direction shines. Enemy designs span from majestic to horrifying, with some appearing as if they tumbled from the Erdtree and struck every branch during descent. From shambling soldiers patrolling the landscape to the towering Tree Sentinel astride a mount the size of a small building (more on this formidable foe later), visual intrigue persists around every corner.
Practical World Navigation Tip: Use high vantage points to scan the horizon for points of interest. Distant ruins, unusual rock formations, or isolated structures often hide valuable items, optional bosses, or hidden dungeons. The game’s verticality is a key exploration component.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t assume all open areas are safe. While the overworld allows more escape options, many fields contain roaming boss encounters or enemy patrols that can overwhelm unprepared players. Always maintain situational awareness, even in seemingly peaceful locations.
Combat Evolution: Methodical Mayhem in a New Context
While Elden Ring’s visual presentation impresses, subtle interface elements like health bars, quick-select menus, and character animations will comfort series veterans. However, players accustomed to Sekiro’s parry-focused combat or Bloodborne’s aggressive rally system must readjust to Elden Ring’s more deliberate, strategic pacing.
Playing as a Warrior class provided experience with longer-reach weapons like spears, offering safer engagement distances. However, even with reach advantages, maintaining readiness to dodge remains essential. Enemies exhibit surprising mobility, and true to FromSoftware tradition, attack animations commit your character, making overconfidence a quick path to death.
After dispatching a group of standard foes, I descended into a crypt-like underground area. Here, goblin-esque enemies employed diverse tactics: hurling explosives, scaling walls insect-like, and ambushing from shadowy corners. Elden Ring continues the community-driven message system where players leave helpful (or misleading) notes, but survival ultimately depends on mastering block, dodge, and the enhanced counter-attack system.
Incorporating environmental hazards like flame-spewing traps added tension, making arrival at the next Site of Grace (the successor to bonfires) genuinely relieving. These checkpoints allow health restoration, time progression, and weapon enhancement via Ash of War—special items granting weapons unique abilities and attributes.
Advanced Combat Strategy: Master the “jump attack” for breaking enemy posture. Many larger foes have super armor during standard attacks, but jump attacks deal significant posture damage, creating openings for critical strikes. This is particularly effective against heavily armored opponents and certain bosses.
Boss encounters remain central to the Elden Ring experience. While many occupy predefined arenas, some—like the roaming Tree Sentinel—patrol the open world. This particular mini-boss appears immediately outside the starting area, and my initial encounter ended in a swift two-hit defeat, highlighting the importance of preparation and skill refinement before challenging such foes.
Systems & Progression: Familiar Frameworks Expanded
Elden Ring adapts the Dark Souls formula to an open-world framework with remarkable success. It retains the series’ mysterious allure and addictive gameplay loop while introducing an exploration depth previously unseen in the genre.
Initial concerns about merging Souls-like design with open-world structure proved unnecessary—FromSoftware has executed this integration masterfully. The studio’s expertise in crafting challenging, rewarding experiences translates perfectly to the expanded format.
Progression Optimization Tip: Prioritize discovering Sites of Grace early in each region. Not only do they provide respawn points, but resting at them often reveals guidance lines pointing toward major story objectives and key locations, effectively serving as a subtle quest marker system for directionally challenged players.
Ash of War Management: These valuable items are not consumed upon use but can be transferred between compatible weapons at Sites of Grace. Experiment freely with different Ashes on various weapon types to discover synergistic combinations that match your playstyle.
Strategic Insights & Player Guidance
Combat Fundamentals to Master First: 1) Perfect your dodge timing against basic enemies before facing bosses. 2) Learn to manage stamina—aggressive combos that leave you exhausted are fatal. 3) Practice the new counter-attack system on weaker foes; it’s essential against later enemies with shield-breaking capabilities.
Exploration Priority Checklist: 1) Unlock the map fragment for each new region immediately. 2) Scout for ruins and caves marked on the map—they often contain upgrade materials. 3) Listen for distinctive sound cues like distant bells or unusual enemy noises that signal hidden areas. 4) Return to previously impassable obstacles after obtaining key items or abilities.
Resource Management Advice: Golden Runes (consumable rune items) should be saved for precise purchasing goals rather than immediate leveling. Smithing Stones are regionally limited early on—commit to upgrading one primary weapon initially. Crafting materials for arrows, pots, and grease are abundant if you regularly gather from glowing plants and mineral deposits.
When to Engage Roaming Bosses: If a field boss defeats you in 2-3 hits, you’re under-leveled for that area. Mark its location on your map and return after gaining 5-10 levels, upgrading your weapon, and collecting more healing flasks. The open world’s key advantage is letting you choose when to fight.
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