Fans of Dark Souls have been going through withdrawals for a while now, but the wait is almost over. FromSoftware's next entry in the punishing Soulsborne genre, Elden Ring, has emerged from years of silence to burst into the public eye in spectacular fashion. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, fans now have mere months to wait for the next title.
Elden Ring has remained shrouded in mystery. The game is billed as From’s biggest game, and it's highlighted by a collaboration between Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki and popular Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin. However, if the new trailer drives home one thing, it's that Elden Ring carries on the epic legacy of Dark Souls in epic fashion.
Elden Ring was first announced at E3 2019, but FromSoftware quickly clammed up on the subject. That trailer opens with a mysterious figure who appears to be placing a dismembered arm over their own, as other mysterious arms hold them up. From there, the trailer features a blacksmith at a forge, a mysterious knight who appears to be reattaching an arm, and knights on a battlefield -- one of whom ignites in flames. At the forge, the blacksmith cracks and their body appears to begin to fall apart as the title drop appears.
To date, not much is known about Elden Ring’s plot, as FromSoftware has remained incredibly silent about development. It was revealed that George R. R. Martin is contributing to the game, but his contribution is said to be limited to enriching the game’s overarching narrative. Miyazaki himself remains the game's lead developer and described writing based on Martin's work as akin to using a Dungeonmaster’s guidebook to create a campaign.
However, at 2021's Summer Game Fest kickoff, fans were surprised when the show's main feature was a brand new trailer. The new trailer is something of a clip show but highlights what is presumably in-game footage of the title in action. All of the Souls hallmarks appear to be here, including massive weapons, magic and towering, intimidating bosses. The appearance of a howling wolf knight leaning over a ledge in a very specific pose also indicates Dark Souls' traditional references to the late Kentaro Miura's Berserk manga may continue as well.
There aren't any clear plot details provided in the trailer, but a lot can be gleaned from the less than three minutes of footage released. The trailer starts with characters referring to the returning of The Tarnished, which appears to be this game's term for its player character (similar to how Dark Souls featured the Chosen Undead and Dark Souls III featured the Ashen One), who is in search of the titular Elden Ring. We learn something called the Golden Order has been broken. The trailer showcases several anticipated mechanics, including horseback combat that looks to rival Breath of the Wild and a number of magical abilities and sword skills, as well as gorgeous locations that certainly seem to take style queues from Dark Souls and Bloodborne locations.
Of course, the trailer shows off plenty of massive characters who are presumably bosses. From giant monsters with flaming chalices for heads to a particularly imposing foe who appears to be made of extra arms, the FromSoftware hallmark of horrifying and challenging bosses appears to be continuing in a big way with Elden Ring.
It's believed that Elden Ring will be a huge project, larger than anything FromSoftware has produced before. The game includes a massive open world, which players can explore on foot or via horseback. Previously, Miyazaki indicated the world would not have NPCs as other open-world games do. However, the game would still presumably feature the occasional plot-based NPC or vendor. These NPCs have become a staple of the Souls genre, offering advice and assistance, albeit in an increasingly cryptic fashion.
According to reports, Elden Ring will have a free next-gen upgrade available for players when it ships. For PlayStation 5 owners, this will likely be an update file (similar to the process used for titles like The Last of Us Part II and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales), while Xbox Series X owners will have the best version available via Smart Delivery.
Elden Ring is developed by FromSoftware and will be published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game launches on PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S|X on January 21, 2022.
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