Elden Ring hands-on: Impressions from the closed network test preview

Elden RingThe brand new game, Dark Souls BloodborneDeveloper FromSoftware feels like a reunion with an old friend. Playing through a few hours of the game’s upcoming network test — a beta version of the game that offers a walled-off slice of Elden Ring’s large open world — felt like slipping back into a game of Dark Souls 3The only difference is that it’s bigger and wider and has many more things you can see, gather, and fight for.

But it will assuredly feel familiar, especially if you’ve been playing the new breed of FromSoftware game pioneered by Demon’s SoulsIt is more than a decade since its inception.

In the beta’s opening area, there’s a section called the Cave of Knowledge, a tutorial zone that teaches players the basics of Elden RingIt is. The education is not necessary for Dark Souls veterans. Instead of seeking relief at Dark Souls bonfires they can rest and recuperate at Sites of Grace. Players no longer harvest Souls to make all-purpose currencies, but instead collect Runes. There are the requisite items to summon other players to your world, colorful stones that one can leave behind as breadcrumbs, and a pair of flasks to refuel one’s health and magic points. The combat itself is nearly identical to that of FromSoft’s most recent fantasy action RPG, 2016’s Dark Souls 3It is fine. (That’s fine. They have great combat.

This means that even seasoned FromSoftware users should feel at ease after they have learned the language.

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Stepping out into the unknown world Elden RingA vast and open expanse called the Lands Between offers an entirely different experience. Contrary to areas that are tightly controlled in games such as Dark SoulsThe Lands Between, however, are nearly as large and expansive as the Hyrule. Legend of ZeldaBreath of the WildYou can also visit The Elder Scrolls land in Skyrim. In fact, you’ll get a summonable horse, known as a Spirit Steed, to help you explore Elden Ring’s map quickly and (surprisingly) safely.

Other reasons make the Lands Between easy to travel through. Sites of Grace can provide visual direction on where you should go. In the case of a major threat to your location, there are ways you can travel stealthily. In the beta version, I was able for my character to travel from one place to another from any location on the map. Sites of Grace are plentiful, and at one point during my time with the beta, I briefly groused about a long trip back to a different location only to realize “Oh right, I can just instantly teleport there from here. From anywhere.” Players even have the choice to revive themselves at other holy sites, called Stakes of Marika, if they encounter one.

FromSoftware is known for offering a new level in convenience. Through the years, players have had more freedom to explore its various worlds. It is amazing to me how interconnected the worlds that are unlocked. Bloodborne Dark SoulsWill be offered up for sacrifice Elden Ring’s open-world ambitions.

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A slice of Elden RingI was able to explore and found some fascinating things. The threat of a golden armored, mounted forest warrior drove me home that not all threats must be ignored. After trying to battle him twice, I realized I was too weak and inept to win. Elsewhere, I encountered a shallow lake filled with crabs — many large, a few of them gigantic, some hidden underground until I walked close to them. A few human guards were visible outside the keep. I also saw groups of goblins doing their own thing, as well as slimy creatures wandering around a beach nearby. You’re sure there are more dangerous and bizarre things out there. But we have just scratched the surface.

Another section of the game, a “Legacy Dungeon” called Stormveil Castle, feels plucked from a Souls game and dropped into Elden Ring’sOpen-world. At the castle’s gates, a helpful (but suspicious) character told me that the castle had two routes: one very difficult, one very easy. He was right. Although the easy route featured a horrifying, multi-armed monster at its end, it was populated by grunts who could be easily killed. The hard route threw more than a dozen guards armed with crossbows at me — plus some vaguely lion-shaped beast that thrashed me when I got too closeIt is. (The beta limits how deeply players can venture into Stormveil Castle, so expect a “To be continued…” message if you play the beta.)

The difficulty of FromSoftware’s pedigree is certainly here in Elden Ring. The game’s demo offers a taste of it in a battle against Margit, a giant, hammer-wielding man with too many arms who really shouldn’t move as fast as he does. He’s tough. He was tough. I took at least 12 attempts to defeat him. This required patience, understanding his moves, and keeping my shield up. In other words, he’s a boss in FromSoftware’s style: headbangingly difficult, but only if you’re careless.

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So don’t expect Elden Ring, despite fantasy author George R.R. Martin’s well-publicized involvement, to be much more approachable than Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It is hard work. Players will die and die again. They’ll experience a mostly threadbare narrative told through lore and the occasional interaction with other characters, who seem to know much more about this world than you do. While some may be worried about it, others might enjoy the thrill of taking down an formerly frightening threat.

Elden RingIt is innovative in many other aspects of gaming. There’s a high emphasis on crafting. Instead of relying on merchants or random drops to sell your consumable goods you can make them yourself using recipes and natural resources. You can expect to harvest flowers and hunt animals, as well as purchase stoneware to make your bombs and balms. Merchants can sell ashes to summon new summonable characters. These ashes will allow you to call forth undead magic and undead skeletons as well as wolves. You can summon players via the internet and help other players in their worlds. As an evil spirit, you can invade or summon other players.

FromSoftware’s taste of Elden RingThis game is quite intriguing. While much of it feels incredibly familiar, the Lands Between’s open world already offers all-new opportunities for exploration, memorable moments, and discovery in just a small quadrant of the game. In February players will find more places to explore. Elden RingAvailable for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows PC.