Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    Elden Ring

    Game » consists of 18 releases. Released Feb 25, 2022

    Elden Ring by FromSoftware is a collaboration between Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin.

    Why IS Elden Ring so popular?

    • 52 results
    • 1
    • 2
    Avatar image for mindbullet
    MindBullet

    879

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    Everywhere I go see it's face. My coworkers are talking about it. My family is talking about it. Social media hasn't stopped talking about it for the last 2 years. Now we've got everyone talking about a specific player that has been elevated to Gamer Sainthood. Are FromSoft games a religion?

    Okay, let me back up. This isn't necessarily new. I know that. Souls games have been a particularly hot topic for years now. The communal aspect is an undeniably huge part of the whole Souls experience. Streaming Souls games is almost an entire sub-genre in itself. There are YouTube channels dedicated solely to Souls LORE.

    But Elden Ring is bigger than that, right? Like, it's breaking out of the usual gaming circles and entering 'the outside world'. It's a massive thing that is, in real time, overwriting the term 'Souls-like' to be 'Elden Ring-like'. People have been asking how other games will compare, or if they'll reconfigure themselves to fall more in line with the shape Elden Ring has taken. In so many places it's assumed that someone has been, will be, or currently is playing it. Elden Ring is for most already the de facto GOTY and saying otherwise can get you burned at the proverbial stake. Have we seen the face of Gaming God?

    My question to you is, why? What is it about certain games, or From games and Elden Ring specifically, that makes them take over and engrave themselves as "good" or "worthy" in the minds of so many that participate in the conversation?

    Avatar image for av_gamer
    AV_Gamer

    2868

    Forum Posts

    17819

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 15

    User Lists: 13

    #2  Edited By AV_Gamer

    I think it goes down to the challenge of the games. It's hard, but rewarding when you overcome a difficult area and a hard boss fight. The game can be brutal at times, especially later in the game, but it makes those victories all the more epic. There is also the lore that you uncover. This game, like other From Soft games, doesn't hold your hand with the story. You can choose to uncover it or completely ignore it if you want to. Though, I got to say, for a story claiming to be influenced by R.R Martin, the overall lore is kind of weak compared to other Souls games. The sense of mystery and discovery isn't as well hidden so to speak. You can pretty much guessed what happened and why, but it's still decent. But this is why you literally have Youtubers making bank making lore videos for Souls games. What makes this game special, is the fact that its From Software's first open world game and it's truly open. You can go where ever you want and explore where you want. And the art design and overall scenery is pretty to behold. Basically, this game is everything From Software has done well, and some things it hasn't done well but has been accepted in one big, pretty, package. And Ranni rules.

    Avatar image for undeadpool
    Undeadpool

    8414

    Forum Posts

    10761

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 20

    User Lists: 18

    #3  Edited By Undeadpool

    The biggest complaint about previous popular FromSoft games, beyond the challenge even, was that the game was intentionally impenetrable, lacking even basic tutorials or instructions and quite frankly: Elden Ring did away with most of that gatekeepery bullshit. There's a tutorial area, basic concepts are fully explained in-game, and items are only mysterious in terms of their lore and not their ACTUAL usage.

    Add onto that the fact that open world games are still very popular in the mainstream, but they're also incredibly prolific, and the organic, "Breath of the Wild"-style discovery and high quality open world is very, very appealing to people at this moment. And rather than the open-world "barf icons onto the map and use record profits to shield sexual abusers"-style of Ubisoft, you get to actually explore and find both stories and challenges on your own, at your own pace.

    Nextlander's own Alex Navarro talked about how great the game is an hour or two per day, and I've found that to be very, very true. It's got a much more relaxed pace than previous games in the series, and that makes it far more approachable.

    Avatar image for tartyron
    tartyron

    788

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I think it’s the amount of care put into the whole thing. I’m an era where open world games seem less crafted or curated, Elden Ring feels like the devs cared deeply about every little part. Even the modular stuff like the mini-dungeons all felt unique and thoughtfully designed. Compare that to am Unbisoft game where shit my be pretty but all you do is fight ten boars in it and you start to see why there has been a turn in sentiment against open world games. But I don’t think it’s that people don’t want open world games, it’s that they want them to be well done.

    tl;dr: human design

    Avatar image for retris
    Retris

    1234

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @mindbullet: I'd say it's because people have gotten fucking tired of the AAA (open world) formula. Elden Ring challenges that formula, by making an open world game that's about exploring and not just filling boxes by doing chores and watching long cut scenes. It's still a From Soft game, but I'm pretty sure Breath of the Wild would've gotten this reception if it was a multi-platform release.

    Avatar image for nodima
    Nodima

    3878

    Forum Posts

    24

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 13

    User Lists: 0

    #6  Edited By Nodima

    It is pretty baffling. Last week, a host of a basketball podcast I listen to joked that a player was sitting out an extra game with his broken middle finger to make sure it felt good playing Elden Ring first. That podcast was the last place I’d expect any video game reference other than Halo or 2K, it was wild.

    Avatar image for mindbullet
    MindBullet

    879

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    @av_gamer: Okay, but if difficulty was the determining factor, why was a game like Nioh 2 pretty much forgotten the year it came out? Did George RR Martin's involvement in ER elevate the game in some manner it wouldn't have gotten otherwise? Are dedicated YouTubers the secret sauce to maintaining hype and popularity? Are people just that horny for Ranni the Witch?

    @undeadpool: I would push back on ER being as easy to understand as people make it out to be, but instead my question to you is: Is Elden Ring's success attributable to it being a FromSoft branded game rather than something coming from a studio like Ubisoft? How much does the creator factor into a game's success or popularity?

    @tartyron: It's easy to blast Ubisoft games, and I'm not going to say they don't deserve it, but making worlds that incorporate historical knowledge and blending them with the fantastical is the whole thing behind their Assassin's Creed games and they do an incredible job with that. I would also argue that one of the main complaints I constantly see about ER is that the mini-dungeons are dull and uninspired so I don't think "every little part being curated" is quite correct. My question to you would be, with everything you've come away with after playing Elden Ring, is an open world setting the thing that can catapult a video game to such lofty heights?

    @retris: I dunno, the fact that Elden Ring was and still is getting compared to BotW says to me that they are in conversation with each other. Though, the idea of multi-platform being a factor is interesting. If ER had been a PS5 timed exclusive or something, would that have completely overshadowed it's legacy?

    Avatar image for tartyron
    tartyron

    788

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @mindbullet: my point is that it doesn’t feel like a game made by committee or focus testing or an algorithm, but by craftsmen. People that cared about the finer details. It’s like good scotch vs generic scotch, its technically the same thing but you wouldn’t know it from the taste.

    Avatar image for onemanarmyy
    Onemanarmyy

    6406

    Forum Posts

    432

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 0

    #11  Edited By Onemanarmyy

    Hmm, i wondered this too. I might be completely off, but this is how i perceive this situation.

    - Demon Souls was a very rough gem, with a limited audience

    - Dark Souls was the first true break-out hit for FromSoftware, but it's players were fairly wide divided over the years instead of it having one clear moment where everyone was playing the game. Also, having to go through the whole DSFix stuff on PC might've turned some people off from giving it a try

    -Dark Souls 2 & 3 are continuations of an IP, which means that a certain part of the audience will not even think about picking them up because they are not yet invested in the IP yet.

    - Bloodbourne was one of the stand-out games on PS4 and introduced a whole new audience to Fromsoftware, while non-ps players are frustrated by it's exclusivity.

    - Sekiro didn't move the needle much in terms of popularity.

    - Demon Souls remake is one of the best games available for PS5 right now and might've opened the door for some new souls to be excited for the next game.

    - Elden Ring now bundles all the Bloodbourne and Demon / Dark Souls players hype together in one product, plus the positive word of mouth around the previous games might've attracted newcomers that are now hyped to also get in on this new IP from the start.

    Wildcard: There's a large portion of the gaming audience that is allergic to linear games and this being open-world suddenly attracts a whole new mainstream audience that doesn't even bother with linear games. Especially ones Fromsoftware makes, where you might find yourself be stuck on a boss with no alternative paths to take.

    Avatar image for brian_
    brian_

    1267

    Forum Posts

    12560

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    #12  Edited By brian_

    Pot friend.

    I think it's a lot of different things. I think it's partially the Souls series growing over time, partially pre-release hype, partially the tons of perfect review scores it got, and partially it being a 200-hour game that doesn't tell you much of anything and forces people to talk about it with others constantly. It all leads to a lot of hype being spread through word of mouth, and more people checking it out.

    Avatar image for maaarii
    mAAArii

    37

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 0

    @mindbullet: Streamers are the secret sauce. The Youtube algortithm, review embargos, and twitch streamers all converge at the same time. Look at a game like Apex Legends . That game was 1/4 of the multiplayer experience found in Titanfall 2, 0% of the single player experience in that it didn't have one, and 10% of the maps available. It was probably readily discounted to $20 or less. It was considered a strong title with a poor release schedule. However ninja secretly dropped that game back in February of 2019 and we have the zeitgeist of "free," and my best friend but he doesn't know it yet says this game is cool as he cashes a check to say such things. 3 years later that check was some well spent money.

    Another thing is i think people want to beat a Souls-like as some sort of badge of honor. I beat Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order kinda because it's a souls-like. I tried sekiro and owned all the other souls besides demon souls because I want that merit badge. Everybody seems to be on board with this being one of the more accessible souls like so I will justify this purchase at some point down the line. Some of us are game-starved in that we want to explore new genres. I would kill to be in the top echelon of Fifa player or relevant on the Smash scene but those ships have sailed. I still want to game and some of the drugs don't get me very high anymore. So if somehow Elden Ring moves me then all of sudden I have 5 or 6 games to play next much like when i discovered AC:Black Flag well after 2013. I went back and devoured those other games and then proceeded forward at a nice cadence when i got caught up with Odyssey. Peaced out after that. Gaming is that infinite loop. Only other games can pull us out of one loop into the other. Elden Ring does that, or so i've heard.

    Avatar image for efesell
    Efesell

    7499

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Yeah I think you just can't underestimate what being picked up by every streamer, youtuber, vtuber, and what have you in the entire scene will do to a games exposure. On top of already being a very long awaited hyped game that received universally high reviews.

    Avatar image for constantk
    constantk

    232

    Forum Posts

    539

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I really don't mean to be reductive, but I would wager the marketing budget for this game far outstripped the other FROM games. It's also a game that appeals to a variety of geographic/demographic markets. Add to that a snowballing popularity from game to game in the Souls series and it being released on PS4/5/XboxOne/SeriesX/PC. Also, it doesn't hurt that it's a darn good game to play and stream. Perfect storm.

    Avatar image for therealturk
    TheRealTurk

    1411

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Not necessarily specific to Elden Ring, but what I generally appreciate about From games is that, as obtuse as they can be, they generally trust that players are smart and can figure things out. One of the things I absolutely cannot stand as a player is feeling like I'm being patronized, which is the bucket that way too many damn games fall into these days.

    I found all those pearl-clutching tweets coming from other game-designers looking down on Elden Ring's UX simultaneously hilarious and kind of sad. It's like, guys, do you even play your own games or listen to play feedback? Do you really think you need to have one entire unskippable tutorial mission teaching players how to attack, and then another teaching them how to dodge, and then another teaching them how to heal, and then have constant in-game pop-ups reminding them to do these things?

    Are From games perfect? No. There are still tons of things in these games that are way too hard to figure out without a guide, but on the balance I'd rather have something like Elden Ring than another Assassin's Creed.

    Avatar image for atheistpreacher
    AtheistPreacher

    826

    Forum Posts

    1

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I read a cnet article about this last week, FWIW:

    Why the Hell is Elden Ring So Popular?
    (subheading: It makes no sense.)

    I don't think any one thing explains it. All of the factors that people have already mentioned are part of the puzzle. If it were only one of these reasons then making a 10-plus-million-selling game would be easy (or at least easier).

    Avatar image for mindbullet
    MindBullet

    879

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    I don't necessarily disagree with the people saying it comes down to marketing, but I do want to dig into that a bit more. It's not just that Elden Ring is popular. There are plenty of games that are popular. There are still a lot of people playing and discussing World of Warcraft.

    The thing is that Elden Ring is Good. I mean that as in it is seen as an overall positive for Gaming as a whole and taken for granted that you think the same way. So if we are saying that content creators are the driving force behind popularity, are they also what determines what games are Good? Have we fully entered the age of streamers becoming the marketing forces behind our media, and getting enough of them (or just the right ones) convincing people that something is Good is all it takes for it to be so? Has ER reached beyond the Gaming sphere because of those voices, or because the underlying material is truly that shatteringly brilliant?

    Avatar image for mellotronrules
    mellotronrules

    3603

    Forum Posts

    26

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @efesell: @maaarii:

    i think yall have got this exactly right. i've said as much in-and-around this website's various social spaces, but to me Elden Ring feels like the ULTIMATE INTERNET GAME, and i think the unrelenting streaming numbers back that up (seriously, it feels like every single twitch streamer has queued up to play Elden Ring like it's an entrance exam for their Internet Cool Kid licensure). and the reasons for this (many of which have already been mentioned in thread) i propose are:

    1) a firmly established fanbase that already commanded serious streaming numbers (it feels like every streamer is obligated to play RDR2 and a From game at some point). people talk about it being a slow simmer, but by the time this game launched From games feel like they were boiling over on Twitch.

    2) the game provides the EXACT drama that makes for highly entertaining streams- enormous, visually impressive and easy-to-follow adversities that celebrate the triumph when it eventually comes

    3) tight control of information that truly nurtures community-building

    4) outstanding early press (not sure if this is much of a factor, but people claiming it was a 10/10 doesn't hurt)

    5) depth of challenge that prevents the game as being dismissed as for the plebs or casuals

    now if you hadn't noticed i tend to skew slightly contrarian when it comes to my Elden Opinions, so obviously take everything i say with an enormous grain of salt (FWIW i binge platinum'd Elden Ring and had a great time, but i've also just completed Horizon Forbidden West last night and had more enjoyable time with that...so do keep an eye out for my forthcoming TAKE/sour grapes).

    i don't buy the line that Elden Ring is somehow transcending the form, "doing it better" or even pushing the envelope when it comes to design. it felt like a From game with an open world as the connective tissue between proper dungeons- my character stands amongst the carcasses of 20 dragons, 56 ulcerated tree spirits, and a bunch of [boss, but now with rot] that will attest to that.

    it is, however, a FUCKING GREAT FromSoft game, and i think the internet was primed for that.

    Avatar image for efesell
    Efesell

    7499

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I also noticed that seemingly the entirety of Hololive ALSO picked up on Sekiro after the intial Elden blitz so it seems From has learned how effective this strategy is and is handing out permissions for its old stuff too.

    All in all it seems very good for them.

    Avatar image for sweep
    sweep

    10886

    Forum Posts

    3660

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 4

    User Lists: 14

    #21 sweep  Moderator

    Personally, the refreshing appeal of Elden Ring is in it's obscurity, lack of exposition, lack of hand-holding, and general refusal to compromise. I'm pretty fed up of being patronized by game developers who feel like they need to hold my hand for the first 15 hours of a videogame before they let me loose on the good shit.

    Elden Ring is the antithesis of every MMO which makes you grind for 80 hours before you can access the "real" content at the end. Here's a sword, go hit stuff. Figure it out yourself.

    Avatar image for av_gamer
    AV_Gamer

    2868

    Forum Posts

    17819

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 15

    User Lists: 13

    #22  Edited By AV_Gamer

    @mindbullet: The first Nioh was pretty well received as one of the best Souls clones out there, it also added some elements of the modern Ninja Gaiden games to it, which were also very challenging. It also had an interesting storyline with a character that was like a western Samurai version of Geralt of Rivia. I haven't played Nioh 2 outside of the demo, so I could be wrong, but in the sequel, the game didn't do anything new and the lead character narrative is gone in place of a self-made character like the From Software games. Also, From Software is seen as the original when it comes to these games, and therefore will always get the more hype from fans. Tunic, for example, is a very good and well praised Zelda clone, but if Breath of the Wild 2 came out tomorrow and its a huge improvement over the original BOTW, Tunic would be forgotten the next day. So I wouldn't say it's marketing and more so reputation that makes the From Software games like Elden Ring huge. And it also helps that they delivered and made an overall great game to live up to that reputation. CDPR had that same huge positive reputation when they announced Cyberpunk 2077 because of The Witcher 3, and then it came out and you know the rest. As far as Ranni, I don't know about people being horny for her, but she is a liked character, much like Radhn, who is one of the demigod bosses is well liked because of his awesomeness, even though they nerfed him to death.

    Avatar image for mindbullet
    MindBullet

    879

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    @sweep: Is not welcoming people outside of the usual gaming sphere the thing that is welcoming them now, then? Has there been some untapped vein of players that previous From games somehow neglected?

    You mention MMOs, but instead I'd bring in Battle Royale games and the likes of Fortnite or Apex Legends, games that do very much let you get to 'the good stuff' immediately. They're also incredibly popular right now, as it turns out. Are we sliding into the Fire Escape approved zone of 'Do-ey over Talky' gaming?

    Avatar image for csl316
    csl316

    17001

    Forum Posts

    765

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 10

    The From games are just super well made, so I understand why they kept grabbing new people over the years (they got me at Bloodborne). So over time the audience just grew and grew, and it seemed like Elden Ring could offer something for everyone that liked their past games.

    So take that big core base, add some stellar reviews, sprinkle in a bunch of marketing, and I'm not surprised that it's done very well. But I am caught off guard by just how well.

    Avatar image for ares42
    Ares42

    4558

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    I think it's worth mentioning the Corona effect. Elden Ring is the first multi-platform big-budget wide-appeal game (that's not an utter mess) in long LONG time. While 2020 and 2021 had a decent smattering of great games there was a distinct lack of blockbuster titles. People have been aching for something big new and exciting, and Elden Ring delivers on all fronts. Not to mention the fact that there's been a console change without any real flagship titles.

    Avatar image for yasha
    Yasha

    25

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    To me, this was inevitable because the Souls games speak for themselves so well as a marketable property. The games have a phenomenal art style and direction, and look great in motion, while also looking very different from everything else out there. Ever since they switched engines (I think around Bloodborne) the fluidity of movement in their games has become pretty striking. Elden Ring blew up because it wasn't a sequel (DS3), it wasn't a console exclusive (Bloodborne) and its open world combined with different class options made it way more accessible than prior entries.

    What puts Elden Ring above contemporaries like Nioh or other open world games is that AAA gaming is in a rut at the moment where enough games all function similarly that you need someone to explain to you why THIS open world is interesting, or why THAT combat system is cool. You see 5 seconds of ER and there's just a bunch of buck-wild shit everywhere that immediately makes you curious. There's no baggage of the game being a sequel so there isn't a feeling of past games acting as a barrier between you and this enticing world.

    The gameplay also doesn't look that complicated in what you need to consider moment-to-moment - the UI is pretty minimal and you can intuit how it might control based on over big games.

    It just shows REALLY REALLY well.

    Avatar image for topcyclist
    Topcyclist

    1340

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @mindbullet: According to many YouTubers and Reddit post its popular cause they paid for the reviews and everyone who likes it is a fanboy of the older series and doesn't realize its a dark souls 4 but open world and brings nothing new to the table and should be treated as such but is being carried cause no good games came out during this time.

    I'm a firm believer in reviews not being "brought" so I think its popular cause little competition in its genera...besides a few other souls likes many don't replicate souls quite as well as souls from From...they don't come out every year...they presented what the game has and turns out it had way more so it surpassed expectations, the few issues are overlooked due to how easy it is to go anywhere when you run into an issue. The biggest issue for people is theirs too much stake and chicken on my plate and dessert is on its way ie the game is burning them out cause they try to do and explore everything but unlike Skyrim where you're always feeling in control...Elden ring has a sense of progression where you go to spots you just can't bang your head against and get worn out if you do. Overall the game came out now but can at any time cause much like Kojima's games...they have a niche that the mass market now jumps on, much like A24 films being a niche for being unique so much that the average person now tries them out looking for something different. People are also finally getting it in their heads that souls games aren't that hard and pushing past the tutorial (learning pains of the first hour or so and getting confident and dying less or not getting frustrated by it, the comradery also helps online along with GGMartain's name even if I don't notice his input personally. GOT lovers jumped on it.) Also a bit of luck, and gaming without micros. PS something about it just feels different even if it's familiar. Like how there is stealth but dark souls games minions don't operate like normal stealth with cons of vision and calling alerts like the game is a mishmash with souls mechanics, and it's all sorta silly.

    Avatar image for thatpinguino
    thatpinguino

    2988

    Forum Posts

    602

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #28  Edited By thatpinguino  Staff

    Coming out in a relatively dead part of the year to near universal critical praise did a lot. It dominated every gaming site and channel for a month and that trickled out to the main stream. The dedicated Souls fan base is also incredibly loud so they take up an outsized amount of attention in general. Much of the praise this game received feels like hype more than reality, but hype is what generates discussion.

    Avatar image for cikame
    cikame

    4464

    Forum Posts

    10

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    While you might be exaggerating in places just a wee bit i don't disagree.

    The pre-release hype was stupid, even the insane reactions to the first pre-rendered teaser were stupid, i don't know what got people so excited was it just because it's a new Fromsoft game? Was it George R. R. Martin's involvement? Is this going to happen every time they make a game? Can you think of any other game where someone posts a video every day for two years waiting for any shred of news?

    I won't say people's reactions after release are unwarranted, the AAA space was making bad decision after bad decision leading up to its release so fans were praying it wouldn't suffer the same fate and it didn't which is awesome, but yeah... it's like it's the only game on the planet right now, my friend wants to play it and hasn't been able to watch any of his favourite streamers since it came out because they're all still playing it 2 months later.
    I'm personally still Dark Souls'd out after playing the 2nd game, i don't know how people have so much energy for these.

    It won't be an anomaly going forward, you can probably expect a similar reaction when GTA6 comes out, not the same level of hysteria maybe but it'll be everywhere for a couple months unless "GTA Online 2" swallows the planet, so look forward to that.

    Avatar image for giant_gamer
    Giant_Gamer

    1007

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #30  Edited By Giant_Gamer

    for an open world game to be this polished and fun while still maintaining the style of souls games. how can we not fall in love with it?!

    Souls game have always been fun to watch on streams but now that it's open world, more viewers will certainly jump in adding to the overall player's reception.

    Avatar image for theonewhoplays
    theonewhoplays

    580

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Because it's an open world game with a sense of mystery and discovery, with spectacular level and enemy design. I can't think of a single other game that does that, at least not for 100+ hours. I think the game runs out of steam before the end, but that doesn't diminish what the devs accomplished. It's also less annoying from the get-go than any of the Souls games. Apart from Bloodborne (which I HATED before finally getting past the first area) and Sekiro, it's the first From Software game I've finished. I've tried getting into Demon's Souls and Dark Souls multiple times but have always fallen off them.

    Avatar image for mellotronrules
    mellotronrules

    3603

    Forum Posts

    26

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @cikame said:

    It won't be an anomaly going forward, you can probably expect a similar reaction when GTA6 comes out, not the same level of hysteria maybe but it'll be everywhere for a couple months unless "GTA Online 2" swallows the planet, so look forward to that.

    this is a good point, and serves as reminder that although it might seem like it's Death, Taxes, and Elden Ring until heat death of the universe- it might be indicative of the particular sphere we inhabit (given we're a subset of a subset, posting on video game enthusiast forums and whatnot).

    the GTA online numbers continue to be confounding to me- and whether we're discussing it or not, i imagine the next version of GTA Online will consume all.

    Avatar image for undeadpool
    Undeadpool

    8414

    Forum Posts

    10761

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 20

    User Lists: 18

    #33  Edited By Undeadpool

    @mellotronrules:Maybe I'm naturally cynical, but I think GTA6 has a ton to prove, and no one likes resting on laurels and counting money, relying on 'that little bit of game magic,' like management in the AAA game sphere.

    @mindbullet:Nothing happens in a vacuum and reputation means something. FromSoft has had hit after hit after hit after hit (all 3 Dark Souls are well-liked to varying degrees, Bloodborne is a wild success of a spin-off, and while Sekiro is polarizing, its quality isn't questioned), so when they say they're entering the Open World arena, it means a lot more than Far Cry 19: This Time It's In England Or Something, We Got Charles Dance to be the Badguy.

    You seem like you have an ax to grind a little bit, cause while I can't speak as someone truly on the outside of FromSoft games, the accessibility this one offers is far greater than previous entries. That doesn't automatically mean: it's perfect for someone picking up a controller for the first time, Elden Ring is still not a game for EVERYONE, but it's widening the circle of appeal of FromSoft games. That doesn't mean the circle encapsulates everyone, but it is MORE approachable/understandable. Things don't exist in a vacuum, again: it's not a binary choice. Approachability is a scale: Elden Ring is far, far, FAR kinder than "Demon's Souls" to newcomers to the genre.

    Avatar image for mindbullet
    MindBullet

    879

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    @cikame: @mellotronrules: Very interesting connection. I'm curious now if there is some connective tissue between the sustained popularity of something like GTA Online and the continual fervor around FromSoft games. They seem to be exact opposites on the gaming spectrum in a lot of ways.

    @undeadpool: This was never about accessibility. I don't have an axe to grind, but I do want to push people to consider just how massive Elden Ring is compared to previous Souls games (which were already plenty massive), the impact that it's having on the way both gamers and non-gamers (however you want to define that) view what makes a game "good", and if this is something unique or if there are connections to be made to other games that have gotten big in the current gaming environment.

    Your answer as to why the open world is important to Elden Ring is perfectly fine. I don't disagree with you and I'm not going to challenge that. To put it as simply as possible what I am interested in is if people here lean more towards a solid open world being what brings people in, a developer's pedigree, or outside factors like social media and streamers. Or all three! I'm genuinely curious to dig into people's thoughts on why a popular game is popular.

    Avatar image for cptbedlam
    CptBedlam

    4612

    Forum Posts

    7

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #35  Edited By CptBedlam

    I've been playing Souls games since DeS / DS1 and increasingly over the years I've been trying to actively stay away as far as possible from all the weird exploding online fandom. From "Vaati" to "let me solo her" ... I've never cared about any of these one bit. To the contrary, my cringe detector won't let me near these guys. I still look up a resetera thread or so to get a question in about my progression but that's it and I'm happy. Apart from that, I enjoy talking to friends who also play ER the most.

    Edit: and to comment on the actual topic: the more I played ER the more I longed for the more condensed Souls experiences of the past. ER is excellent in many ways but after 180 hours played and nearing the end, I can't but feel like it is a tad overhyped and over-appreciated by critics.

    Avatar image for topcyclist
    Topcyclist

    1340

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @mellotronrules:Maybe I'm naturally cynical, but I think GTA6 has a ton to prove, and no one likes resting on laurels and counting money, relying on 'that little bit of game magic,' like management in the AAA game sphere.

    @mindbullet:Nothing happens in a vacuum and reputation means something. FromSoft has had hit after hit after hit after hit (all 3 Dark Souls are well-liked to varying degrees, Bloodborne is a wild success of a spin-off, and while Sekiro is polarizing, its quality isn't questioned), so when they say they're entering the Open World arena, it means a lot more than Far Cry 19: This Time It's In England Or Something, We Got Charles Dance to be the Badguy.

    You seem like you have an ax to grind a little bit, cause while I can't speak as someone truly on the outside of FromSoft games, the accessibility this one offers is far greater than previous entries. That doesn't automatically mean: it's perfect for someone picking up a controller for the first time, Elden Ring is still not a game for EVERYONE, but it's widening the circle of appeal of FromSoft games. That doesn't mean the circle encapsulates everyone, but it is MORE approachable/understandable. Things don't exist in a vacuum, again: it's not a binary choice. Approachability is a scale: Elden Ring is far, far, FAR kinder than "Demon's Souls" to newcomers to the genre.

    I think undead is right. It just seems popular but most small streamers started off with this indie hard game dark souls and grew a fanbase off it. A game where you struggle is more interesting to watch for some than some turn off your brain game streaming wise. People watching know how hard things are and learn since they didnt see the same stuff the streamer may have. Overall if minecraft 2 was announced we'd have the same discussion. Its all not as popular as it seems, just not much competition no matter how hard people try to say tunic is better or something. Halo infinite was poaring in popularity as well, gta 6 will be popular (i was one of the naysayers that said the online was a smart idea when people said they failed and should quit due to day one issues), one day something will be released bigger than fortnite and roblox combined...games are popular cause for the most majority people dont overthink what they like and just play. Its like when i go online to hear comments on a show or movie...vitrol about how bad it is everywere, overrated, all the flaws, go watch with pals and they love it and dont dive into the myrid of issues people online discuss. People generally go with the flow, and the flow is Elden ring.

    Avatar image for undeadpool
    Undeadpool

    8414

    Forum Posts

    10761

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 20

    User Lists: 18

    #38  Edited By Undeadpool

    @mindbullet: I think it's no one thing, but games management and marketing are always trying to tell us their trends are what we like (remember "I don't think there's a future for single-player story-driven games" from the brilliant minds of EA?) but they just keep using that to be lazy. To, again, barf out icons onto a map, each more generic than the last. But it turns out: people love big, expansive open worlds, but what they like more? Is all that done WELL. It's yet another reason No Man's Sky flopped on release: who cares about 5 quintillion planets if none of them feel special?

    Whereas Elden Ring's open world is filled to the BRIM with content, and it's content you can find organically. You don't find a "main character" who then walks you to the waypoint while spouting exposition and "making jokes" the whole time, so the danger of the player wandering off and finding something for themselves is minimized. This, I think, makes it IDEAL for streaming because truly: no two games will be alike. People who look east from Margit's waypoint are going to have a different time than those who went west, people who stick to high roads won't find the caves and hidden alcoves that people who really explore do find, and while those all won't be supremely diverse content, it's different. Hell, I have a friend who's WAY ahead of me, has 3 different characters going, I asked him about one boss I stumbled upon, and he'd never even HEARD of it.

    THAT'S a big reason the game is so popular to watch: there's shit to FIND.

    In other words: what @topcyclist said!

    Avatar image for wollywoo
    wollywoo

    1049

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    Wildcard: There's a large portion of the gaming audience that is allergic to linear games and this being open-world suddenly attracts a whole new mainstream audience that doesn't even bother with linear games. Especially ones Fromsoftware makes, where you might find yourself be stuck on a boss with no alternative paths to take.

    Yeah this is me. I mean not that I don't bother with linear games, just that I don't bother with From Software-type linear games. Too frustrating. But when I can go do something else on the other side of the world when I get stuck on a boss, and come back later with a higher level, I'm much less likely to just turn the thing off and read Twitter or whatever. Still pretty frustrating so I don't know if I will stick with it. But I see the appeal.

    Avatar image for strings19
    strings19

    57

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    My From games played are Bloodborne, Demons Souls Remake and Elden Ring.

    Bloodbourne was incredible, but it was work. I had my first young kid, so free time was precious. I would study routes at work, then try to beat the levels in a reasonable amount of time. Very satisfying. It also taught me to play fast and aggressive, which carried over to both other games.

    Demon Souls was done getting a ton of advice from friends. Which weapons to focus on, how to cheese bosses, and that’s the only way o would have got thru it, I think. Still really enjoyed it, but the tight areas like the prison were not as enjoyable for me.

    ER has been my favourite game ever. I use all the tools available (summons, multiplayer) whenever I feel like it, but the ability to move on if I’m stuck and try something else brings the experience to a whole new level. The Art design is beautiful, Atlas Plateau is my favourite, simply because of the nice open bright spaces. So different from BloodBourne.

    Avatar image for brich
    BRich

    548

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    I had always been intimidated by from games and never even booted one up (own them all due to the sickness)

    Elden ring is my favorite game of all time now. Finished all the achievements, used everything in the game except multiplayer to make it relatively easy throughout. I think the game is just so damn good it has transcended the typical closed bubble of the medium.

    Now going back through the games with confidence, Sekiro hasn’t broken me yet but I can see how it did most people when compared to ER.

    Avatar image for onemanarmyy
    Onemanarmyy

    6406

    Forum Posts

    432

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 2

    User Lists: 0

    I'm just happy that people that didn't get into the Souls games yet are now giving it a go and some are seeing how satisfying and beautiful these games can be :)

    Avatar image for cornfed40
    cornfed40

    809

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    The only thing missing from Elden Ring for me is a Bloodborne style glitch where you kill three dogs and walk around in a circle collecting the same souls for 24 hours to level up enough to actually have fun with it.

    I love the environments, i love watching the creepy ass monsters and minions shamble around with unsettling animations. But MAN do i just not enjoy playing these games the "right way"

    Avatar image for efesell
    Efesell

    7499

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @cornfed40: Ah there’s plenty of that. Two of the better farms are tricking a bird to make it fall off a cliff and killing a sleeping dragon over and over.

    Avatar image for bybeach
    bybeach

    6754

    Forum Posts

    1

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 1

    @cornfed40: Then this will make you happy.

    I killed a Dragon last night with bow and arrow. I ran out of FP, but then the Dragon managed to get hung up on one those huge basalt rocks, or something similar. Somehow, I was at the perfect angle to keep it coming forward with the geometry in the way, locking it up.

    Avatar image for cornfed40
    cornfed40

    809

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @efesell said:

    @cornfed40: Ah there’s plenty of that. Two of the better farms are tricking a bird to make it fall off a cliff and killing a sleeping dragon over and over.

    Like, im so bad at From games that i cant even figure out how to dodge the respawning 2K rune boulder before it falls off the cliff. Grinding last night and it kiled me like 20 times lol

    Avatar image for cornfed40
    cornfed40

    809

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    @bybeach said:

    @cornfed40: Then this will make you happy.

    I killed a Dragon last night with bow and arrow. I ran out of FP, but then the Dragon managed to get hung up on one those huge basalt rocks, or something similar. Somehow, I was at the perfect angle to keep it coming forward with the geometry in the way, locking it up.

    The only dragon i even have the balls to take on is the giant sleeping "cheat" one lol

    Avatar image for monkeyking1969
    monkeyking1969

    9095

    Forum Posts

    1241

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 18

    #48  Edited By monkeyking1969

    I think ist the combination of art style, the mechanics of the games in motion, the reputation of From (lately), and cutting monsters up with sharp things is cool!

    Maybe I am biased but the Japanese's developers have artists who tape into Eastern Art with influences in designed that appeal to Western tastes. Ask an European artist to draw a goblin and they do a fine job. As a Japanese artist and they always make the sickest looking goblin you have ever seen or will see. That is biased and likely undercutting other artists...but they just seem to be the way it happens.

    Avatar image for mindbullet
    MindBullet

    879

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 4

    @monkeyking1969: I know it's not really what you meant, but I did get a laugh out of the idea of judging games based solely on the quality of their horrible little goblins.

    The idea of Western audiences craving Asian aesthetics is an interesting one, but likely deserves a whole separate discussion.

    Avatar image for rich666
    Rich666

    532

    Forum Posts

    0

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 0

    User Lists: 0

    #50  Edited By Rich666

    umm... Maybe because it's a very, very, very good game?

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.