Elden Ring
- 687 Playing
- 9.7K Backlogs
- 898 Replays
- 3.4% Retired
- 93% Rating
- 15K Beat
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MartyShelby

80%PC
105h Played
Exploration et gameplay impressionnants Mais je ne retrouve pas assez ce qui m'a plu dans Dark Souls Remastered et DSII SOTFS
Peut être que le côté monde ouvert n'est pas ce que je préfère
Updated 9.5 Hours Ago
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Spiegel

100%PC
675h 46m Progress
Incredible story. Incredible soundtracks. Incredible Gameplay. Incredible Legacy Dungeons. Mediocre regular Dungeons. Amazing Open World. Masterpiece. Easy 10/10Updated 11 Hours Ago
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weirdp

100%PC
150h Played
Definitely my favorite game of all time, i seriously cannot stress how great Elden Ring is.Souls-Like is my favorite genre of game, and I also love open world games, but, this game is different, the exploration, the gameplay, the music, the world, the story, the lore, the characters, the bosses, the variety in builds and weapons and spells and equipment, jesus christ, this game just has so much great content, I have put more than 450 hours into this game and now Im starting a new playthrough, to this day, i still feel like I havent explored everything.
Elden Ring is just awesome, everybody needs to play this at least once imo.
I also look forward to playing the DLC in some time, just need to buy it.
Updated 1 Day Ago
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JTPlays

70%PC
122h 30m Played
My enjoyment has decayed over time and with 6 replays plus the disgusting DLC. Quantity over quality distilled into pure mediocrity.F**k Malenia. F**k Radahn.
Updated 1.5 Days Ago
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Marow

90%PlayStation 5
I prefer the more maze-like map design of other Fromsoft games, but this was still great. The open world was tedious at times, but beautiful to explore. Great bosses, sidequests, and gameplay as expected.Updated 2 Days Ago
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dzbnkx

100%PlayStation 5
200h Played
[Base game review]Masterpiece. I can't believe Miyazaki with From Software can set up the expectations on such a high level and then deliver. The world feels so vast and open, so it can be pretty overwhelming at the beginning, but that's what I like playing open worlds. I like when the video game doesn't treat me like an idiot, doesn't show me hundreds of points of interest on a mini map, basically taking my hand and showing me what I should do next.
I appreciate true-open-exploration-type-knowledge-based-games giving you satisfaction when you discover something on your own, often by serendipity. Elden Ring encourages you to go to every place on the map (at least in the very fist playthrough, but we'll get to that later), rewarding you with armaments, talismans, key items, but often also mushrooms. As number of smithing stones, or gloveworts is finite, progressing game you gain access to those items at Twin Maiden Husks' shop collecting certain bell bearings, so you don't need to worry about traversing the world map for 100 hours in need of just one smithing stone to upgrade your weapon.
The possibilites of building a build are basically infinite. You have a lot of armaments, incantations, sorceries to choose from to blend perfectly with your playstyle. However, when you have this number of possibilities, a lot of them will be just pure trash if you are more serious about PvP. For PvE there are virtually no limitations.
The battle system is as responsive as never before, the gameplay feels fast, the bosses are mobile and have a lot of moves, most of them are telegraphed very well. However, there are also a lot of tedious bosses, and copypasted bosses with higher stats to higher-level areas of the game. Catacombs and caves feel very repetitive - there is a big door, go find the lever, go back to the big door and fight the boss. There are some of them that feel different, such as those below the Leyndell, but a lot of them are just copypasted dungeons. Legacy dugeons, however, are amazing. From the very beginning - Stormveil Castle, through Raya Lucaria, and Leyndell, legacy dungeons feel amazing and are the essence of dungeons from the original Dark Souls Trilogy games.
However, being that big and sometimes repetitive open world hinders the replayability of Elden Ring. Some caves I've seen before I don't want to come back to, and often I don't need to. So the next playthroughs I imagine to run just for essential items, or weapons I need to build my build.
OST sounds amazing and blends with the landscapes very, very well. In the Limgrave the ambience sounds comfortable, even nostalgic, but in Caelid you feel you are in hell just with the sounds.
One thing that makes Elden Ring not being godlike, is no covenants. Multiplayer and invading feels just unnecessary and it's hard to roleplay or engage with various guilds, as it was in Dark Souls 1. The game has also problems with optimization, especially on PS4 where the frames after burning the Erdtree can drop to 15-25 fps.
Elden Ring lacks with PvP, copypasting enemies, but overall, I can't give Elden Ring rating other than 10/10. I enjoyed almost every minute playing, the satisfaction after defeating certain enemies or bosses was through the roof, juggling with builds and calculating damage, exploring, discovering, responsiveness of movements, they are all the things to make this game like no other.
Updated 5 Days Ago
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Malvados

95%PC
95h Progress
I was having PC trouble after picking this game up again and since have fixed my pc but realized I still had a lot to go. I may decide to pick it up again this year but it isn't on my back log schedule right now. Phenomenal game so far. This is the first souls game that really grabbed me. I did beat demon's souls but I didn't jump to NG+ and just considered it done.
Updated 5 Days Ago
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Rune_

95%PC
38h 4m Played
Actually just a beautiful souls game. The map is huge, there are so many unique bosses, and so many mechanics.Updated 5.5 Days Ago
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Macattakpro

95%PlayStation 5
57h Played
I finally did it..... I started on launch day and I finally beat Elden Ring a week before the DLC came out. Literally the day before the patch that allowed you to fight the Elden Beast on Torrent. Stuck on the Fire Giant and set the controller down in frustration for years. Came back and still took about 10 tries to beat the Fire Giant before breezing through to the Elden Beast, who took a few hours.Nothing to be said about this game that hasn't already been said. Absolute masterpiece. That said I do prefer "legacy dungeons" and the curated experiences they bring over the open world, which got a bit tedious in the end. Lots of exploring which led to... not much at all. But those legacy dungeons... and those bosses... chef's kiss. What an experience.
Updated 1 Week Ago
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maxr96

100%PC
90h Played
This game is a masterpiece. It has so much build variety, amazing open world and unique approach to the story telling. My first Souls Game and while being challenging always stayed fair in its difficulty.Updated 1 Week Ago
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realjohanlee

95%PC
Personally I think it's a hugh improvement from the previous soul games. It's a nearly perfect game and 100% deserved game of the year award. But I wish the game could be a bit easier so I could suffer less in some boss fights...Updated 1 Week Ago
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Private

95%PC
124h 35m Played
5 points off for Melania being so hard but a great game <3Updated 1 Week Ago
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Sauce_Boss

100%PC
60h 10m Played
Amazing game, perfectly nails and refined the souls formula. The world is beautiful, so many vistas look like a painting. I love the medieval architecture and how interconnected everything feels.Updated 1 Week Ago
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TheFlowey27

100%PlayStation 5
137h 4m Played
I am miles from the first and will be far from the last person to say this, but this game is an absolute masterpiece. It's development process must have been something to behold because there is a nigh upon ENDLESS amount of content in this game. Every. Single. Place you look, there is something new to find. I have no doubt I could replay this game 5 times and still discover new things. The gameplay is impeccable obviously, its a Fromsoft game. The story itself was nothing special, but the lore surrounding it is where my attention really was. This game has a lore so deep I don't know if I'll ever know it all. I will certainly try though. It's really got that Fromsoft touch where (to me) no boss EVER feels unfair, only challenging. Every time I died, it felt like my fault rather than the game's. My one complaint is that the ending(s?) is very VERY anticlimactic compared to the insane ride that is the rest of the game. They also made the terrible design choice where after beating the final boss you just spawn outside their arena before having fought them. Granted, it's difficult to make a compelling post-game even in the most optimal of mediums, which a Fromsoft game is definitely not. Overall though, just an undeniable masterpiece.Updated 1.5 Weeks Ago
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DR0CK9

95%PlayStation 5
70h 40m Progress
Great game, a little too many reused assets however to be rated as high as Bloodborne.Boss Attempts:
Margit - 4 attempts w/ true weapon
Godrick - 30+ attempts
Red Wolf - 5 attempts
Rennala - 2 attempts
Spirit Loretta - 10 attempts
Radahn - 30+ attempts
Ancestor Spirit - 1 attempt
Mimic Tear - 1 attempt
Draconic Tree Sentinel - 7 attempts
Elemer of the Briar - 17 attempts
Gold Godfrey - 8 attempts
Morgott - 9 attempts
Astel - 7 attempts
Adula - 2 attempts
Fire Giant - 4 attempts
Niall - 7 attempts
Borealis - 4 attempts
Valiant Gargoyles - 1 attempt
Deeproot Crucible - 4 attempts
Fia’s Champions - 1 attempt
Fortissax - 1 attempt
Godskin Duo - 2 attempts
Mohg - 8 attempts
Rykard - 4 attempts
Maliketh - 9 attempts
Placidusax - 4 attempts
Gideon - 1 attempt
Human Loretta - 1 attempt
Godfrey - 30+ attempts
Malenia - 40+ attempts
Dancing Lion - 3 attempts
Nokstella Dragonkin - 1 attempt
Rellana - 9 attempts
Golden Hippo - 8 attempts
Messmer - 50+ attempts
Romina - 8 attempts
Gaius - 40+ attempts
Metyr - 3 attempts
Ymir - 1 attempt
Scadutree Avatar - 30+ attempts
Radagon + EB - 15 - 20 attempts
Jori - 2 attempts
Midra - 3 attempts
Needle Knight Leda - 1 attempt
Putrescent Knight - 15-20 attempts
Bayle - 6 attempts
Radahn + Miquella - 80+ attempts
Updated 1.5 Weeks Ago
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Araxar

95%PC
109h 31m Played
Really good but a really frustrating user experience (user interface and quest mostly). The level design and boss encounters are top notch.Updated 1.5 Weeks Ago
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Mobiusx2

65%PC
Start off really liking it, particularly the dungeons, but it felt like it took forever to make any real progress. By the time I made it to the third act I was already fatigued with the game play and the rest felt like a slog more than anything else.Updated 2 Weeks Ago
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Clurtzy

100%PlayStation 4
280h Played
MASSIVE game, constantly high quality, perfect combat, beautiful environments, incredibly in-depth lore, fantastic bosses and voicelines, nice soundtracks, VERY nice exploration and gameplay, etc.Updated 2 Weeks Ago
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Devillilluminin

100%PlayStation 4
208h Played
Elden Ring è il coronamento di un percorso, di un ideologia, che una casa produttrice come From Software, ha portato avanti per anni, con i souls che sono riusciti ad inventare un genere e a passare da essere un gioco per una nicchia ristretta come ai tempi di Demon o addirittura anche del primo Dark Souls, ad essere mainstream e conosciuto da tutti. Elden Ring offre al giocatore un mondo totalmente esplorabile che permette al giocatore di impersonarsi nell' omonimo "Tarnished" e vivere pienamente un mondo pieno di pericoli ed insidie. Sono proprio queste ultime ad essere forse la parte più bella del gioco; con mob e nemici di ogni genere, moveset e armi totalmente diverse, abilità e magie che sfiorano i limiti della spettacolarità e fantastici boss che rimangono stampati nella memoria del giocatore. Ma quando si pensava che Elden Ring avesse già dato tutto quello che avesse da dare, ecco che From Software rilascia il DLC Shadow of the Erdtree, che possiamo considerare come la ciliegina sulla torta di quello che si può definire un cult, già dopo solo 2 anni dalla sua uscita; innalzando completamente la qualità, già molto evidente nell'originale, ed elevando a livelli sovrumani tutti i punti forti del gioco base, rendendolo un vero capolavoro. Inutile dire che Elden Ring è e rimarrà per sempre una delle esperienze videoludiche più belle di sempre della mia vita, addirittura fino ad essere per molto tempo il mio gioco preferito, anche se inaspettatamente è stato superato da Final Fantasy VI.Updated 2 Weeks Ago
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Private

95%PC
50h Played
Pros - Beautiful world. Always a sense of progression, secrets, and wonders that unfolds around every corner. The story is mysterious but interesting. The gameplay is satisfying with the ability to build your character how you want to play. Cons - Locked at 60 FPS with occasional freeze frames which can feel brutal in the middle of combat/boss fight. Didn't happen enough to where it was unplayable but it is definitely annoying. Input reading and bosses like Godskin Duo feel awful. No room to breathe, no room for practicing precise dodges. The fact that enemies can attack you through solid walls is bullshit. They should operate the same way that you do in the world.
Updated 2 Weeks Ago
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finaltom

85%PC
75h Played
A Mesmerizing World with Intriguing LoreElden Ring is a game that excels in world-building and lore, creating a deeply immersive experience that is hard to put down. The world is vast, beautifully designed, and full of mysteries waiting to be discovered. Every location feels unique, and the attention to detail is simply astounding.
The lore is equally impressive, offering rich backstories and fascinating characters that draw you in. FromSoftware has once again crafted a narrative that is both deep and engaging, encouraging players to explore every nook and cranny to uncover its secrets.
The combat, while functional, is somewhat meh. It gets the job done but doesn't stand out as much as the world and lore do. It's solid but not particularly innovative or exciting compared to the other aspects of the game.
Despite this, Elden Ring is a must-play for anyone who loves exploring beautifully crafted worlds and diving into deep, intricate lore. The game's strengths far outweigh its minor shortcomings in combat.
Updated 2 Weeks Ago
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Private

100%PlayStation 5
An amazing experience from the very first time you walk through the doors and into Limgrave, you know this is something special. The open world is one of the best in the industry as i lost countless hours just wandering and finding new horrifying enemies to slay. You know a game has been made well when the first area available to you can take up 20+ hours of your time. Weeping peninsula & Limgrave are astoundingly well made with heaps of secrets and dungeons with bosses & new enemies its ridiculously impressive. Margit & by extension stormveil castle stand as the major hurdle stopping players from progressing into the rest of the map & oh god is it a fantastic level. Stormveil may be one of the most well made dungeons fromsoft have ever made & Margit one of its most brutal skill checks. But i love it because from here you feel like you can take on anything. The rest of the game is equally expansive so much so that after 3 playthroughs i'm still finding new areas and items that i missed first time around. If anything i would say the lack of a precise quest log may turn people off but to them i say trust in the process and play the game as it is. Fromsoft are professionals at this style of game design & they absolutely nailed it once again. The story is told in such a cryptic way that it encourages you to explore and find out the mysteries for yourself. Whether that be background on the Shard bearers or the history of the world itself the information is out there you just need to be capable enough to find it. I know its not everyones cup of tea but it makes the game feel so much more lived in. The bosses are top notch and perhaps some of the best ive ever faught. Godfrey, Malenia, Rhadan, Placidusax are all 10/10 in my books & thats just my favorites with plenty of others that are equally as enjoyable. Ive seen criticism of re using bosses but i think this is a mute point considering the scale of the world and the amount of variation already put into the game. "Oh the re used godrick" yep they let you re fight one of the 3 dozen unique boss enemies in the game. If the game was only 10 hours long then sure that is a valid critic but not when there is already so much to offer its like hey we made so much so why not let you have another romp on this boss? Weapons and builds are so in depth that i could play through the game 8 times and each one of them would feel and play differently. Magic? Faith? Arcane? Dex? Strength? choice is completely yours and every option is viable. I could go on about my love for this game but then this review would be 20 pages long. All i have to say is that this game retroactively made it harder for me to play other games due to its quality.Updated 2.5 Weeks Ago
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Private

90%PC
259h Progress
Souls like, open world, top notch combat, now with a DLC. One of the few downsides of this game are the repetitive secondary bosses. Surely I can come back for more of this game, I don't care that currently I have more than 250 hours.Updated 3 Weeks Ago
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Private

80%PC
117h 1m Played
Very fun but too longUpdated 3 Weeks Ago
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kingdawoo

100%PC
348h 32m Played
The culmination of over a decades worth of souls games. This is THE videogame. It's clear throughout the 300+ hours of playing, from every small detail to the grandest boss fights that these developers put all passion into this.Updated 3 Weeks Ago
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Wishes

100%Xbox Series X/S
215h 52m Progress
It always seems like some of the greatest games I have ever played always seem sneak up on me. I've played all 3 Dark Souls games, and while I liked them, I never really considered myself a massive fan. I knew that this game was on the horizon for a while, but my excitement for it didn't begin until about a week before it dropped. But by god when it did I didn't realize it would consume my life.Elden Ring is functionally the same as any of the Dark Souls games, albeit with From Software's approach on an open world. I was curious going in how the very clever world and level design from previous games would be affected by this, and I'm happy to say they nailed it. The open parts of the map are filled with areas that naturally peak curiosity and reward it with interesting encounters, good environmental story telling, or sometimes even just a beautiful vista. Pair that with more sectioned off areas that have a more traditional From Software level design and you have what, in my opinion, is the best of both worlds. Combat, like the Dark Souls games is solid, and while it may seem difficult at first, this game is better than it's predecessors at easing you into it. Leveling up and character building is a little obtuse. There is little to guide how you assign stats aside from finding a weapon you think is neat, but I feel like figuring things out like that is part of the fun in these types of games.
No game is without criticism, but most of the ones I have here are more nitpicks than anything else. First of all, as with all From Software game I have played thus far, the multiplayer still feels a clunky to use. Myself and a lot of my friends were at different points in the story at different times, and not knowing where and where they could not be summoned in a world as open and with as much stuff to do as this one was frustrating. I didn't realize until 60 hours in that you can't summon someone in an area that you have already defeated the boss in, why not? Second is that some builds have far less variety than others Intelligence builds have far less spell variety than Arcane and Faith spells. Lastly, I wish that the smaller dungeons that veered off in the open world sections had a little bit more variety. Or at the very least there was some way to know what the rewards for doing a cave was, that way I could do just the ones necessary for whatever type of build I was going for. It'd help cut down on the repetitiveness and defeated feeling I'd get for doing a mini-dungeon, just to get something I don't need.
Nitpicking aside. Elden Ring is a phenomenal video game. Truly the first From Software game I think nearly everyone could come away from enjoying at least something.
Updated 3 Weeks Ago
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Asep666

100%PC
176h 52m Played
souls like paling gila dan paling kerenUpdated 3.5 Weeks Ago
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eald_Monk

100%PC
24h 48m Progress
I'm bad at the game, and I'm probably spending far too much time in the beginner's area of Limgrave, but I'm learning more about how to play/vibe with this game purely from learning how 2D fighting games work. I'm probably never going to be super good at the game, and I'm likely overleveled for getting the full experience of the game, but I'm enjoying the learning process nonetheless.Updated 3.5 Weeks Ago
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dudu115

100%PlayStation 5
100h Played
Best game ever, simply a MASTERPIECEUpdated 3.5 Weeks Ago
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dahokeypokey

100%PC
114h 13m Progress
One of the best games I have ever played.Updated 3.5 Weeks Ago
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Pepe9198

100%Xbox Series X/S
789h Played
Probably one of the best games i've ever played. I finished the story 8 timesUpdated 3.5 Weeks Ago
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markiedarkie

95%PC
Another 99% game here. I'm not going to explain furtherUpdated 1 Month Ago
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Yannis_Spirou

100%PlayStation 4
100h Played
After 80+ hours, I finally get to talk about Elden Ring, FromSoftware's first Open World game.Unexpectedly enough, despite being FromSoftware's first Open World game, the open world in Elden Ring is... quite possibly the best open world I've seen in a videogame, and that's mind-blowing. Seriously though, Elden Ring's open world proves how talented the developers at FromSoftware are; it has an overwhelming amount of optional content and surprises, the map size is absolutely massive, the world design is fascinating and the sense of freedom & exploration is simply unmatched, however, it's not necessarily perfect; the catacombs are repetitive and some bosses are re-used multiple times.
On top of the open world though, Elden Ring features the Legacy Dungeons; big areas that follow the traditional, complex level design of Dark Souls.
The gameplay in Elden Ring is Dark Souls III's gameplay but much better in every way, and it has some additional mechanics to make things more accessible, even though the camera is still awkward at times.
The visuals are beautiful, the environments are breathtaking and the music is incredible.
Also, there's an endless amount of different weapons, spells and items for unique builds.
Lastly, while some bosses feel a bit unbalanced, most of the bosses are some of the most spectacular and challenging bosses I've ever seen in a videogame.
Pros:
+ Huge map filled with content
+ Engaging & rewarding exploration
+ Wonderful level design
+ Fun & diverse gameplay with accessible mechanics
+ Amazing visuals and music
+ Impressive bosses
Cons:
- Re-used content in some instances
- Flawed camera
- Balancing issues
Final Rating: 10/10
- Masterpiece -
Elden Ring is the culmination and evolution of everything FromSoftware has done in the past 13 years, making it the ultimate Souls game yet.
With Elden Ring, the developers at FromSoftware have outdone themselves and managed to deliver their best work to date... and one of the best videogames I've ever played.
Do I recommend it?:
Elden Ring is a must-play, especially if you're a fan of Open World games.
Updated 1 Month Ago
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milkdud92

100%PC
70h Progress
First full playthrough, did some of the DLCUpdated 1 Month Ago
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SouthKardel

100%PlayStation 4
162h Played
Elden ring, pra mim o melhor sols like que já foi feito, primeiro sols feito em mundo aberto e muito mais muito bem feito, mundo aberto gostoso de se explorar, seu combate não tem segredo e igual aos seus pais dark souls porém com vários golpes e magias novas e muito iradas, seus Bosses são memoráveis em sua grande maioria, esse e um jogo que vale cada centavo afinal você pode jogar ele por centenas e mais centenas de horas, afinal eu mesmo zerei esse jogo e fui atrás da platina no meu ps4 na época e agora em 2023 eu rejoguei ele inteiro com outra build no Pc, e simplesmente incrível no que se propõe esse jogo e mais um pra lista dos awesome NOTA 10/10Updated 1 Month Ago
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Private

90%PC
150h 35m Progress
GOTY 2022 in my mindUpdated 1 Month Ago
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NapoleonGR

95%PC
172h 5m Progress
1st Playthrough - Ranni ( Claymore ) - Lv 174 - 99.56.512st Playthrough - Fia ( Eleonoras Blade) - Lv 253 - 72.08.18
Updated 1 Month Ago
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Private

100%PC
106h 8m Progress
no hay plata para el dlcUpdated 1 Month Ago
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Lieber

80%PC
62h Played
I dropped the game once because I got easily lost (no clear path to follow) in the vast open world. So, in my second attempt I'd used a guide and all perfect I enjoyed the game a lot; the only problem was the final boss, the rest was like a charm. PD: I'd playes all other souls games before this one, and for me the best rigth now is the 3, even though, the 1 was mindblowing for me at the time.Updated 1 Month Ago
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Gilsinho777

100%PlayStation 5
133h Played
Masterpiece, a primeira vez que joguei nao consegui pegar direito tudo que a lore entregava e nem tinha feito tudo que tinha pra fazer. É o jogo com melhor história não contada que ja joguei, voce ve a influencia de tudo no mundo e nas açoes dos npcs, a maioria dos bosses sao espetaculares e grande parte das trilhas sonoras tb. A estetica é braba e a variabilidade de gameplay é única, de uma forma que poucos jogos entregam, joguei do lado da Anna que fez com que o jogo fosse ainda melhor, pq ela percebia coisas q eu nao percebia, alem de que ela vivia as coisas de uma forma muito mais intensa, afetando positivamente minha percepçao sobre o jogo. A DLC serviu pra concretizar esse jogo épico como obra prima e ser um dos melhores, se nao melhor jogo que ja joguei!Updated 1 Month Ago
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benchui

90%PlayStation 5
64h Played
Incredible game, amazing graphics and fights. Some of my favourite boss fights in video games period. Came back to the game after over a year, so was kind of hard to re-situate myself and figure out what I was doing, I know many people are anti-questlog, but even a very simple one would help people who aren't playing the whole game in a short period of time.Updated 1 Month Ago
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CitrusFury

90%PlayStation 5
Elden Ring is an absolute beast of a game. As one of my friends said, it's basically Dark Souls 4, 5, 6, and 7 put together (and the DLC is Dark Souls 8). That's reductive of course, but man this game is huge. I played through it pretty thoroughly, not doing absolutely everything but as much as I could just exploring a lot and following guides for some questlines, and it took me some 116 hours or so. Far, far longer than any other FromSoft game.As you'd expect, the gameplay is very much what you expect from a Souls-style FromSoft game, so I won't bother explaining. However, there are various mixups and additions that make things interesting, like Spirit Ashes and Ashes of War. There are also a crazy amount of weapons, items, spells, and so on, as well as a basic but expansive crafting system. You get a horse too for traversal, and well, you probably know all the basic stuff already since the game is so popular. I ended up going for a strength build with a colossal sword which was a lot of fun, but pretty straightforward so I didn't really use any of the many, many spells or a lot of the other items.
Overall, I enjoyed the game a lot, but I actually felt that it suffered because of its size. The game is so large that it's basically forced to reuse assets, and so after the first 30 hours or so I started to see a lot of repeated enemies and even repeated bosses. Some bosses are repeated several times with minor variations. I probably fought at least a dozen dragons in my playthrough. A lot of these bosses are optional, so if you don't explore so much you may not have the same problem, but it really lessens the impact of a cool or challenging boss when you fight them for the third or fourth time.
I also felt that the game overstayed its welcome. There were multiple points throughout the playthrough where I got a little bored. The gameplay is great, but it's a pretty straightforward loop of mostly combat and exploration, which is hard to sustain over such a long runtime. Things always picked up again, and there are some excellent areas and bosses that helped get me excited again, but I still felt like the game would have been better had it been half the size with most of the copy/paste stuff removed.
On that note, there are so many caves in this game that are clearly reusing assets and have similar layouts, and they got rather predictable a lot of the time. They would have interesting gimmicks often enough to stay interesting, but some of them were just boring, pseudo-repeated caves without much excitement or surprise. Also, I feel that the open world is very cool and varied, but it amounts to mostly big empty areas with enemies dotted around and occasional items or bosses or caves to find. The best level design comes in the more enclosed areas, which are clearly FromSoft's forte given their history. Again, a smaller world map and more of that design would have been better I think.
I have other nitpicks, such as game balance not being great. I got overleveled for a good 20-30 hours in the mid-late game which only evened out in the endgame areas. Not due to grinding, but just because I explored a lot and gained a lot of levels. Made the game too easy. The mimic tear is also overpowered, and when I'm struggling with a tough boss I can usually just bring out the mimic tear and win on the first try. It's a nice out, but the boss will just attack them half the time and it makes it so much easier it's not funny. I also feel that some of the attack chains of certain enemies and bosses are a bit ridiculous, as well as the breadth of some bosses' movesets. It ends up being a lot to handle, and having to block/dodge 6-8 attacks in a row with only a second or two before the next 5 attacks is a little much.
Also, the quest design is problematic in this game. While I think the vague quest design works pretty well in other FromSoft games, the huge world in Elden Ring makes it sometimes nearly impossible to know what to do next. With this style of quest design and no quest log, guides were practically necessary.
Anyway, I'll leave it there. There's probably a lot more I could say, but it's pretty late and I'm reaching the word limit. I wanted to give my nitpicks because this game mostly just gets endless praise. I do think the game is excellent overall. It's an incredible world with excellent art, characters, and boss/combat design, and a truly impressive size with loads of content. However, I think there are some aspects of it that hurt the experience, at least compared to other FromSoft games.
The bottom line is that the game was very good, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, I just wish it had been somewhat shorter and I feel that the design of FromSoft's other, shorter games is more airtight. I'm looking forward to playing the DLC which I hear is also really good, but I'm going to take a little break first. I don't think I can face another 30+ hours of Elden Ring just yet.
Updated 1 Month Ago
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gerushiii

100%PlayStation 5
first soulsborne game ive played its so good will play more of this genre in the futureUpdated 1 Month Ago
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qujo

90%PC
264h Progress
Immersive exploration, vastly expanded weapon types, move sets, and builds, great boss fights. Beautiful environments. Played at launch and kept crashing every few hrs until I beat the game and unbalanced pvp as usual. Last boss was meh.Updated 1 Month Ago
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