Over the last decade, FromSoftware have grown to be one of the most respected and renowned developers in the gaming industry. If its older titles like MechWarrior and King’s Field didn’t get players on board, then its Souls series certainly did. FromSoftware games are known for many things; open-ended level design, boss fights, and crushing but fair difficulty, to name a few. But each new FromSoftware entry has given players some some kind of new mechanic or innovative design choice. And Elden Ring looks to be the perfect culmination of all FromSoftware’s previous innovations.
By now, Souls series fans should all have their own favorite aspect of the series, likely based on which entry in the franchise is their personal favorite. If players love the first Dark Souls, theyl’ll likely love its level design. If they adore Bloodborne, then its unique style and setting may have been the thing to draw them in. Even after just a brief look during Elden Ring’s extremely successful network test, it’s already apparent that it’s going to be FromSoftware’s most ambitious title yet, bringing elements from every previous title together to create the studio’s magnum opus.
Dark Souls: Interconnected World
The first Dark Souls propelled FromSoftware into the spotlight. While Demon’s Souls may have come first, Dark Souls was the game that turned heads. A major reason for this was its intricate level design, particularly its interconnected world. From the game’s hub area, “Firelink Shrine”, players can venture out to the majority of the other areas in the game, each one being linked to Dark Souls’ hub area via a series of interconnected shortcuts. Although a fast travel mechanic can be unlocked halfway through the game, the ability to travel from one end of the game-world to the other is extremely unique for a third-person action RPG, and this truly set Dark Souls apart from its competition.
Elden Ring looks as though it is going to take this interconnected level design and turn it up to 11. As Elden Ring is an open-world game, each of its vast areas appear to be connected. In the network test, players got to see this first-hand, with the opening area acting as a link between multiple environments; players started in an open field and could venture North towards “Stormveil Hill” or explore in a different direction. Most of these areas may have been blocked off via fog (as they are intended only for the full release), but it’s evident that Elden Ring is using its vast scale to its best ability.
Dark Souls 2: Weapon Variety
The black sheep of the Souls series, Dark Souls 2, is far from a bad game. Whilst it may not be the series’ best, Dark Souls 2 was still critically acclaimed upon release. Further, after a good few years of reflection, many series fans now have an appreciation for what FromSoftware was trying to achieve. For instance, Dark Souls 2’s weapon variety. From twinblades to versatile dual-wielding options, Dark Souls 2 gave players some of the most varied weapon combinations in the franchise.
This weapon variety is already present in the game based on the Elden Ring gameplay trailer. This trailer saw the player character use a variety of weapons, ranging from swords to lances to magic and everything in between. It even looked as though the twinblade is back. The network test put an emphasis on using the right tool for the job, giving tutorials about using different weapons’ abilities based on the situation gamers are in. It seems as though Elden Ring is putting a focus specifically on weapon variety and using weapons in a dynamic way.
Dark Souls 3: Creative Boss Design
Dark Souls 3 acted as a celebration of the entire series, pulling various areas and items from previous games to evoke a serious amount of nostalgia for any veterans of the franchise. But one area that was wholly unique to Dark Souls 3 was its incredibly creative boss design. From puzzle bosses like “Ancient Wyvern” to intense fights like “Sister Friede,” this entry has arguably the most varied and in-depth boss design of any FromSoft game. The vast majority of bosses have multiple stages, giving fans variety not only between boss fights, but within the fights themselves. On a visual level, each and every boss is unique and truly distinct from one another.
In just the first hour of Elden Ring’s network test, this great variety of boss design is already on display. The first three bosses within the network test (“Tree Sentinel”, “Pumpkin Head”, “Margit the Fell Omen”) all displayed very different move sets, meaning that players will have to learn and adapt to each new encounter. The visual design of these bosses was also very distinct from one another, and from what was seen in the trailer, it looks as though players will be continuously surprised throughout their game with new and unique bosses.
Bloodborne: Gothic and Elaborate Environments
The first in the series to venture a little out of the high-fantasy genre, Bloodborne gave players multiple Lovecraft-inspired environments to cautiously journey through. During a playthrough, gamers see spectacular cathedrals, dark dungeons, and a plethora of blood-soaked cobblestone streets, each one more hauntingly breathtaking than the last.
FromSoftware’s environmental design was on top form in Bloodborne, and that seems to be the case even more so with Elden Ring. Players have already seen quite a few of Elden Ring’s elaborately designed environments, ranging from gothic architecture like “Stormveil Castle” to lavishly vibrant areas like the hub of “Limgrave.” Elden Ring is sure to have a vast array of varying environments, with each one exuding that classically disturbing Souls charm.
Sekiro: Stealth and Verticality
FromSoftware’s foray into feudal Japan gave its fan base one of the developer’s most unique experiences yet. In a marriage of Tenchu-like stealth and Souls-like combat, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice gave its players some new mechanics to chew on. While its rhythm-like combat was the core gameplay element on display, Sekiro’s intuitive stealth mechanics offered some varied ways to approach some objectives. Similarly, the inclusion of a jump button (a first in the series) gave areas some verticality, with players having the ability to move around the environment in ways they may not have thought to before.
FromSotware is bringing that verticality straight to Elden Ring, with some light platforming areas dotted around the open world. Stealth is also a focus of Elden Ring, with certain enemy camps and arenas being easier to conquer if gamers sneak around and pick off targets one-by-one.
Demon’s Souls Remake: Lighting and Graphics
It may have been remade by Bluepoint Games, but Demon’s Souls Remake took the core DNA of the original and brought it into the modern age, and in a move that seems like pure “Jolly Cooperation”, Elden Ring looks as though it’s taking some graphical influence from the remake. That contrasting use of vibrant lighting against a naturalistic and dark backdrop gives Elden Ring a uniquely bleak but beautiful look.
Regardless of a player’s own personal favorite aspect, Elden Ring seems to be taking the best the developer has had to offer and is bringing it all together in one neatly polished package. While fans will have to wait for its February release date before they know its quality for sure, these influences are a good reason to be optimistic.
Elden Ring releases on February 25, 2022, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
