Topic: Elden Ring Hype Thread

Saw the footage.

I'm open to this being decent. Maybe with an actual fantasy writer on board they'll be more inclined to have... I dunno... narrative? Characters?

SURELY an open world Souls game would have a map, right?

@Ralizah Unless I missed something, it is not going to be fully open world, just more open world like areas than before. That is one of the things that most people enjoy about the games, finding your own way around the world and using the excellent world design to help in this. When I've played the games, I've never thought they could do with a map, not once.

@JohnnyShoulder I was constantly getting lost in Bloodborne. It was miserable. A game can have great world design AND have maps that allow people to situate themselves in their environment.

Frankly, when I think about heavily exploration-driven games that lack some sort of map function, I'm immediately reminded of games on the NES. The Legend of Zelda and Metroid are similarly baffling without some sort of map feature, which is likely why both games featured map systems when their SNES entries released. And even Zelda came with a physical map in the box, from what I recall.

It feels like the sort of basic design feature that almost any other developer would be mercilessly ripped for if their games happened to lack it.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy They don't necessarily have to make it immediately accessible, either. I didn't mind Hollow Knight's approach of holding the map hostage until you explored an area thoroughly and actually found the mapmaker. It was a thoughtful compromise that allowed for areas to retain some sense of mystery without sacrificing such a basic qol feature entirely.

I appreciate you mentioning Code Vein again, as I keep forgetting about it. Really, I think I'm just going to play that to get my exploratory action-rpg fix and quit waiting for FromSoft to develop games that don't actively irritate me.

@TheBrandedSwordsman yeah I saw this somewhere over the wknd... looks legit! Hopefully it means we're gonna be hearing something official real soon. 🙏

@TheBrandedSwordsman Hmmm.... interesting. The narration sounds a bit cheesy, does it not? The Soulsborne games are known for their subtlety as far as exposition, and this feels a little too sensational. I realize it’s an early trailer (and possibly a fake) but I hope they tone it down a bit.
Otherwise it does look like any other Souls game (with the exception of the horseback combat). And possibly some of the platforming is more elaborate, although I think Sekiro introduced some of this verticality if I’m not mistaken.
And, although it’s a Lord of the Rings property, it certainly doesn’t feel Tolkien-esque yet.

It will be interesting to see if FormSoft can keep their identity while yet also tapping into a licensed property enough to excite the fan base of the Middle-Earth crowd.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Haha! Oh no! Why did I think it was Tolkien. I meant GRR Martin! Sheesh, I guess the word “Ring” in the title had me confused. 😂

Never mind me people. I’ll be over here in the corner counting the lint in my pocket.

@TheBrandedSwordsman Yeah, I’m not sure where my headspace was, but Martin is still popular high fantasy, and although I feel like it’s a good marriage with a developer like FromSoft, my initial concerns about balancing the fan bases still stands. Martin, although I’ve not read any of his books, I am aware enough that he is known for being meticulously detailed in his narratives and he weaves very complex storylines across a lot of characters. In fact, stylistically speaking, I’d venture to say Tolkien and From are a better fit than Martin and From. FromSoftware is known for large varieties of enemies including the elaborate bosses (which I do think the multilimbed monstrosity fits right in and looks brilliant) often non-humanoid and for subtlety of storytelling. Martin likes the political intrigue and shocking plot twists where he just develops human characters meticulously, makes you deeply invested in their storyline, then just suddenly kills them off. Of course I realize that Martin isn’t writing the script or storyline I guess - rather he’s helping to develop the lore and world building, but I’m not really sure what that means. Perhaps attaching his name is merely a marketing ploy. The closest thing I can think of which is similar was when RA Salvatore developed the lore and universe of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and it was pretty clear his fingerprints were all over that game. In the end it worked out and I really liked it, but there wasn’t any pre-existing expectations like a FromSoft game carries.

But I feel like the “cheesy” narration shouldn’t be held as an indictment of the game’s ultimate quality. I’m sure it will be fantastic in the end.

I mean if it is a leaked internal trailer, there is most likely a good reason why it never made out in the wild, and most if not all of the content could not even make the final game. So those getting excited should temper their expectations somewhat, as you may be massively disappointed if what you are seeing doesn't make the final game. Sorry to be a total killjoy! 😂

@Ralizah If you felt lost and miserly when playing Bloodborne, that is kinda the point. I think it adds to the immersion and atmosphere, feeling what the character is without the more traditional signposting or expression. That does pass though the more you play the game and you become more familiar with your surroundings. The sense of accomplishment when you do over come a tricky area or boss/enemy is second to none in gaming imo.

I have no issues with if they do decide to put a map in the game, and it is not like I'm gonna refuse to play the game if they do. That would just be a bit daft.

@TheBrandedSwordsman I don't believe I have sir (unless it was in school which was eons ago), and didn't realise my signature was quoting him either! 🤣

I'm sure the game will work out fine, just wish we had more official info to go on. If the game is releasing till next year, I would prefer they wait.

@TheBrandedSwordsman you know me bud, anything from...erm, From is treated like mana-from-heaven as far as I'm concerned.

It looks class... but I (& I'm pretty sure you) never had any doubts about that. I just hope it comes out on PS4 and PS5 with separate trophy lists so I can plat it twice. Cant wait!

@TheBrandedSwordsman you would have a high skill-level to live up too... I wouldn't want you sullying that fondest of gaming memories 😉

@TheBrandedSwordsman I’m avoiding the leaked footage, I’ll make my own mind up when footage that’s up to date and they actually want to show off is revealed. I can’t really bring myself to care about a game which is just a title and a promise. Same with Metroid Prime 4 and Bayonetta 3.

@TheBrandedSwordsman ooooh, go-on then! 😜

Nah, I’d forward to it bud. We’ll deffo sort something out for Elden Ring.

@TheBrandedSwordsman honestly, I'm trying not to think about the 'guts' of the game... as I am easily afflicted by media (TV, Film, Games, Books, Comics etc) where I have had a particular theory, or certain wants and needs from a future installment... and then even though the end-product is good (or even great etc) my enjoyment has been somewhat soured by it not being what 'I' wanted.

So now, I look forward to things (like I've been purposefully avoiding all spoilers for WandaVision, patiently waiting for this weekend when I can binge the whole thing) and get excited about things (Elden Ring stands out as THE thing I'm looking forward to above all else... yes even the end of lockdown!) but I now consciously avoid imagining what the actual resulting product will be like. I'm just sure it will be great, in whatever shape or form it may be.

@TheBrandedSwordsman Somehow “Light Souls” just doesn’t quite carry the same impact, does it? 😂
But I do think it looks fine, lighting and color palette-wise. Sekiro seemed a little brighter as well, so it would be good to see From spread its wings a little to diversity with the new IP.

@TheBrandedSwordsman Remasterpiece... I like it.

Graphics-wise, I’m one of the rare people who love how From games look. I know they notoriously struggle with frame-rate &/or frame-pacing, I know character faces can look like they were designed by a pre-schooler, and yes resolutions haven’t been the best... but that aesthetic just elevates it above everything visually (at least in my opinion).

In regards to how the potential PS5 version will looks to the PS4 version... i’ d imagine very similar. Probably just a 60 FPS rather than 30 FPS & 4K to 1080 resolutions on PS5 and (base) PS4 respectively.

On top of that, maybe the potential PS5 version, if released later will include any dlc’s that were released after the initial PS4 version.

@colonelkilgore The level of detail in the worlds they design is second to none imo. When I first arrive in a area, I usually spent a bit marveling at the architecture and the little things like the gold carvings in the walls etc.

@JohnnyShoulder agreed... and it all has that individually hand-built look. No copy-paste of assets, just everything built for that one and only placement within the environ.