You’re a Tarnished, a descendant of exiles and one of many that are regularly used as fodder, even sometimes being stripped of their limbs in order to strengthen the begins of this world. Your role is simply to explore, gradually uncovering more about this messed up world that’ll have you grimacing and pushing forward to the next revelation and fight. You’ll be happy to know that Elden Ring kicks off with a classic FromSoftware encounter, and whether you win or lose, you’ll find yourself in The Lands Between. The open-world feels as though it’s been pulled from a different dimension compared to those that are littered with question marks and 0.1% stat increases. I’ve not seen everything there is to see in Elden Ring yet, because it offers up a world so painfully fascinating that it feels as though your attention is being drawn in thirty directions at once, and all I want is to spend more time with it to see all the different permutations and outcomes it offers.

For every stunning new vista, there will be a new horror, and for every new life-threatening foe, there will be the promise of treasure that compels you to try again. The game masterfully flits between awe-inspiring and horrifying in a way that would be agonising if you weren’t so caught up in it all. After years of pent up expectation, of FromSoftware’s most ardent followers poring over even the tiniest morsels of new information, and my own anticipation shooting through the roof, Elden Ring somehow exceeds everything I was expecting. The greatest joys of Elden Ring lie in its ability to surprise you.

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