This is my main complaint against the game. Fromsoft has cranked up the size and speed of the bosses while keeping the player character’s speed and reactivity to slowpoke trudging-through-mud Dark Souls level, and it leaves the player with no other option than to find some broken mechanic that can melt the boss in seconds, rather than engage in a fun and dynamic way as in Bloodborne. Many of the Elden Ring bosses would be cool if I was playing as Sekiro.

So, funny story… I recently went back to Elden Ring because I just wanted to play something where I could run around with a club and not have to think too much. I’m now nearly finished it, and while I still think the game has some overlooked issues, I’m enjoying it more this time round. Maybe the constant hype annoyed me – now that’s gone, I’m just chilling and doing my thing in the game without any pressure.

Bloodborne was the first I Souls like I played, and that almost ruined the genre for me, but unlike Elden Ring, because it was so good that nothing I have played since has even come close to it, except Sekiro, which isn’t really a Souls like.

I’m glad that you wrote this article, because almost everything you said about it was true.

The item scrolling and lock ons I could work around. But everything else sums it up for me.

Also, the fact that as a new ip, they reverted back to a combat system from 2009 is disappointing to say the least.

Before anyone says it, Bloodborne combat system is nowhere near the same as Demon’s Souls.

Couldn’t agree more! It’s so weird how there’s no space for reasonable disagreement in games. It’s okay for people to like Elden Ring and also fine if I don’t like it either – not everyone has to like everything. Also “tHe BesT gAmE eVAh mAdE!!” made me laugh so hard!

Everyone’s rattling on about how it’s “tHe BesT gAmE eVAh mAdE!!” and throw a spittle-flecked hissy fit whenever someone dares voice a differing opinion. It baffles me that the fan community simply can’t accept the idea that the game may fall short in some regards, that some people won’t enjoy it and that it’s perfectly fine for them to express that sentiment, just like it’s perfectly fine for Elden Ring stans to say how much they love it. Some comments above saying this is satire show how hard a concept it can be for the fanbase to grasp. No matter how well-argued the point, they’ll just spout the same tired, brain-dead “git gud” retort over and over. It can’t *possibly* be that the game might have some issue that hamper enjoyment for some people, it *must* be the gamer’s fault, right? I guess that’s what happens when they tie their pathetic excuse for self-esteem to mastering a game after spending hundreds of hours grinding at it. The notion that some people dislike a video game that feels like a second job simply bruises their fragile egos.

To put it into perspective, games like Dead Cells are similarly unforgiving and punishing. They don’t hold your hand and you are expected to fail, die, learn, overcome and repeat. However, the process is varied and entertaining enough that each run is genuinely enjoyable and you truly feel like you’re making progress with each run. The controls are responsive, the camera doesn’t get in the way, and overall the game feels very difficult, but also very fair. Same goes for Hades, another spectacular and incredibly well-made game. These two games are prime examples of how you can make a game that is both very challenging and very enjoyable without devolving into a grindfest.

Yeah Sekiro is really good, I like it a lot more than Elden Ring. Beautiful game too.

Yeah I’m still confused as to the plot lol… I didn’t mean this as satire, but I like to keep things satirical in tone 😉

If you’re looking for a much better open world RPG, I thoroughly recommend Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s fantastic, and has a well-told story alongside strategic combat. Much more fun than Elden Ring!