What's the Hype Around ELDEN RING?

Have you been away from the internet for a while, or just don't understand why something is so famous currently? Well, fear no more, because we've got you covered! Here's why everyone is so excited about the upcoming ELDEN RING.

What is ELDEN RING?

Winner of four "Most Anticipated Game" awards, including the most wanted game, most anticipated game in 2020 and 2021, and best of gamescom; ELDEN RING is the next and upcoming game from FromSoftware. For those unaware, FromSoftware is infamous for its "Souls" series, whose games are focused on difficulty and perseverance. 2019's GOTY, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, sparked a controversy due to players' inability to finish the title under the pretence that they were incapable of enjoying a product they paid for.

ELDEN RING is most closely related to another franchise by FromSoftware, DARK SOULS, which ended with its third and final instalment: DARK SOULS III, released in 2016. It is a new franchise in which players will be able to explore an open-world map new to the genre, featuring the same notorious difficulty.

What's the hype around it?

And should you be excited too?

There are many reasons why some fans are excited about ELDEN RING.

A big part of the anticipation surrounding ELDEN RING is the great track record that FromSoftware and Hidetaka Miyazaki (the game’s director) have had over the past decade. This has built a trusting relationship between fans of the games and the developers, as each new mechanic added to the games is received positively; namely the open-world map that the game will have. This could promise to be one of the longest soulslike experiences in the genre, especially considering that once you've mastered some of the others it becomes almost stale for thrill-seekers, as they escalate difficulty through self-imposed challenges.

Another reason fans are so excited for the game is that this promises to be a spiritual successor to the DARK SOULS series, as its graphics, medieval setting, and overall story seem reminiscent of the franchise. Especially since the last FromSoftware title was set in Sengoku Era Japan, players are itching for a more medieval experience featuring greatswords and magic rather than katanas.

Although the development process for both Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and ELDEN RING overlapped, FromSoftware took some key elements that fans loved from the former to add them to the latter, including the posture system and stealth elements.

Lastly, the story seems to be a tad more intricate this time around, as fans will be able to experience a mythos built from the ground up by the notorious George R. R. Martin, writer of the novels that the Game of Thrones TV series was based on. If you don't know, mythos is basically the mythological foundation of the world; the lore built for the game, including the events that transpire before the gameplay, was built by George R. R. Martin. That said, this was changed and built on by Hidetaka Miyazaki; fans are excited to see how the story will unfold, considering there are dedicated fanbases within these franchises that seek to understand the cryptic yet intensive lore present throughout the game.

The short and sweet of it is that ELDEN RING has players excited for many reasons. Beginning with Hidetaka Miyazaki's infallible track record that has gone a decade strong without any hiccups in-between, but also including the mythos written by a renowned author and the game's open-world setting that gamers love so much. If not for its accolades dating almost a year before its release with all of the awards, then the community-wide excitement from outlets and fans alike speak wonders of the anticipation centring around this title.