Topic: Elden Ring Hype Thread

@TheBrandedSwordsman @colonelkilgore interesting...I suppose the bonfire structure of old doesn’t transfer too well to a more open world and would be far too vulnerable to exploitation. Perhaps only 6 rest spots (1 in each area) along with more consumable healing options helps maintain the balance of difficulty. I haven’t heard anything about “dropping souls” upon death as an included mechanic. I do wonder how different this may end up being from past efforts. Either way, it’s by far my most anticipated game (with a release date) and I can’t wait to go on this pilgrimage.

@Jimmer-jammer But then would each "bonfire" unlock only after you beat the area boss? That would be intense, man! Like Returnal or something like that from what I've heard. At least in BB/DeS you had one main area rest spot then one that unlocked after you beat the area boss.

Can you imagine if it's like Returnal and you can only save your game after beating a boss, despite all the enemies you have had to fight your way through to get to that point, and then dieing to that boss and have to go all the way back to either where you started the game in the first place, OR to where you beat the boss of a previous area before you can make another attempt at progression? Too much, I feel, Miyazaki.

@TheBrandedSwordsman yeah that would be too much for me. Miyazaki has fairly established himself at this point to be a creative genius, not an evil genius!

Just got this through the post:

And there is a 10 page feature in the mag! 🤤

@JohnnyShoulder well do a bruh a solid and snap and post every damn page already will ya 😤

@JohnnyShoulder @colonelkilgore that is an amazing cover. I wonder what the box art will look like.

@colonelkilgore Support the mag and buy it. Mind you I don't think it is out until the 27th.

@Jimmer-jammer I might frame it and put on my wall like I've done for Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3.

@Jimmer-jammer @JohnnyShoulder yeah I was being sarcastic tbh. Back on topic though, the knight looks very reminiscent of Artorias to me… ahh good times.

@JohnnyShoulder @colonelkilgore yeah it does remind me of Artorias. With this being more “character driven”, I’m wondering if each of the Demi Lords (or whatever) are going to have much larger personality’s, perhaps with dialogue and dialogue options that could even affect endings. Maybe you don’t have to fight them all and can even ally with them.

@Jimmer-jammer you might be on to something. I think it was @TheBrandedSwordsman who posted a link to an article a few weeks back suggesting that dependant on player choices made, you could avoid having to fight a large chunk of the ‘boss’ characters.

I honestly can’t wait! I’ve bored a fair few of my mates to tears over the years about Dark Souls et al. But after years of me attempting to tempt them with From’s wares without even a nibble… suddenly quite a few are very interested in Elden Ring and seem intent on giving it a proper go.

@colonelkilgore @TheBrandedSwordsman I can’t wait either. It’s easy for me to forget how niche these games still are but most of my friends have zero interest in them. Maybe Elden Ring will rip the scales, that extra name on the billing seems to carry some real weight behind it, eh? Hopefully more people are able to discover just what makes these games so special.

@Jimmer-jammer I’m hoping so. Personal perspective can be a difficult thing to separate ones self from, particularly when feelings are so strong for a game/film/book/comic/TV show… work of art… but even though I know I’m being incredibly subjective and almost judgemental (something I despise) I just wanna grip people and shake them until they see the From Soft light! 🤩

@Jimmer-jammer As I was saying to @colonelkilgore I am furiously making my way through the LotR trilogy in book form as we speak, to prepare for the game, as it is allegedly heavily inspired by the trilogy. I take it you have read all the books/seen all the films? If not will you be reading/watching them in preparation for the game?

@TheBrandedSwordsman hey, so I’ve brought Demons Souls PS5 forward from December to September… so I can go straight into Elden Ring at release and it feel fresh.

I’ve decided to play Elden Ring on PS4 first as I’d imagine that the PS5 version will be more active for a longer period of time, should there be any online requirements. Still, I plan to have plat’d both versions by the end of 2023.

@Jimmer-jammer @colonelkilgore There were already dialogue choices of some sort in the last three games which led to different endings (along with other stuff you could do), maybe they will expand on that a bit and push it more to forefront, but I'm not getting the impression we will be getting Bioware levels of stuff like that either.

@JohnnyShoulder there’s obviously the stuff right at the end of each game… and the stuff with the primordial serpents in 1 (they should have been brought back in 3 imho). Am I forgetting any others?

Edit. Oh and was there some one involving marriage or something in 3 maybe?

@colonelkilgore Good shout on the primordial serpents in Dark Souls, I had totally forgotten about that. In Sekiro you could miss a whole chunk of the game depending on your decision with the first Owl fight. In Bloodborne, iirc it depends on who you save and get back to the church? Along with the stuff to do with the embryos.

@colonelkilgore Excellent, I'll be playing on PS4 first at launch myself so we can definitely enjoy some jolly co-op. Hope you can look forward to some more Guts cosplay assistance!

@JohnnyShoulder oh yeah, I wasn’t even thinking about Sekiro & Bloodborne… and with Bloodborne there was something about Queen Yarnham too iirc. I have a screenshot next to her in a wedding dress with what appears to be the remnants of a miscarriage over the front of her dress can’t remember if there was some specific choices which led to that playing out though… maybe completing the Chalice Dungeons or something.

And obviously Demons Souls has the whole NPC serial killer who wipes out the Nexus, which leads my memory back to Dark Souls and Lautrec… which in turn leads a vague memory to Lucatiel. In fact all (or at least most) of the NPC’s (in DeS, DS, DS2, DS3, BB & S) have some interaction and subsequent cause and effect repercussions. It’s been a while since I’ve played them but this has caused a flood of memories that I had almost completely forgotten.

@TheBrandedSwordsman yup, as long as you don’t mind us both rocking UGS builds 😉