First opinions on Elden Ring?
First opinions on Elden Ring?
Up to now I'm feeling quite let down by From Software's choices. Even after just about three and a half hours, I find it hard to stay engaged. Here are my thoughts: I really enjoyed the Souls series, particularly the first and third installments. I think an open world doesn't align well with the Souls style of leaving out guidance, quests, or journals. This often leads to trial and error, making you constantly question whether you're underpowered or if the challenges are truly tough. After some searching, I discovered that the first boss I encountered was actually the 14th in an unofficial ranking. I managed to bypass the tutorial entirely without realizing it. It's puzzling why the tutorial was presented as an optional cave with no obvious sign—just a faint hint suggesting jumping off a ledge. I understand Souls games usually demand more independence, but I feel more confused than confident in this open setting so far. I'm also disheartened that From Software continues to release titles in 2022 without supporting ultrawide displays or FPS rates above 60. It feels outdated. Plus, with the presence of Easy Anti-Cheat, any future modifications or workarounds seem unlikely. Graphically, the game seems stuck in 2016, reusing assets from Dark Souls 3. It's disappointing because hardware has advanced greatly over the past six years, and many more achievements would have been possible within the 60 FPS limit. The HDR features are also underwhelming, and important adjustments like monitor brightness settings are missing. This isn't an issue on consoles, where these options are global, but it's a problem on PC. Ultimately, it becomes clear that this PC version was just an afterthought. I plan to play more in the coming days, but the initial impression remains unfavorable. And as we all know, this is the most crucial title. I haven't seen much of the overly positive praise yet—it's a shame. Please share your views. Edit: So far, player feedback has been mixed. Most reviews are brief or humorous, while many others highlight the same issues: 60 FPS cap, stuttering performance, lack of ultrawide support.
I've been following a specific Souls stream where they guided a total newcomer through all the titles in sequence. No research was permitted except occasional input from an experienced player. The content was quite engaging, but my goal was to gauge if it would resonate with me. So far, I see older titles versus newer releases, and from an outsider’s point of view, it seems like a generic rehash of previous entries, just adapted to the map with extra jump mechanics. There was a lot of excitement around the title, but I think the enthusiasm was mixed—similar to comparing top contenders or just the next best option. What actually came out is a game that resembles earlier ones in design, character and creature visuals, textures, menus, and item icons. The combat style remains consistent, possibly with some improvements, but the main innovation is the non-linear level layout. It’s hard to argue that rearranging boss placements or adding a jump button makes it stand out, especially since the existing system works well for the player base. I’m confident the game looks impressive and could be enjoyable for Souls fans, though my opinion remains uncertain. This is just my perspective from outside the game.
You noticed some problems with the ultrawide setting. It works well on your system but feels like just a copy of the console version. Without a controller, the experience becomes quite awkward. After playing for about 20 minutes, you might consider returning it.
It functions well on a wide format display, but the game only allows 16:9 aspect ratio. This means black bars remain visible on the sides regardless of the 3440x1440 resolution setting.
I've never shown much interest in Souls or From games (unless they released a new Chrome Hounds that would catch my eye), so I'm definitely outside the typical audience. My take doesn't really count. Still, I do enjoy seeing others play these kinds of titles—just as long as they're confident and not overly emotional. I checked out some streamed gameplay, and honestly, I was a bit surprised. I had hoped for a fresh twist, something new compared to the usual From formula like Sekiro or Bloodborne. But it didn't feel different at all. The visuals, character design, combat, and even the interface match what I've seen in Dark Souls 1-3. Maybe the story is just another dry, grimdark mess, but otherwise, if they had simply titled it Dark Souls 4, no one would have noticed. To be honest, the game probably wasn't made for me—I guess the fans are fine with sticking to what they know. I was really expecting more obvious signs of effort here.
Are you certain it wasn’t just stretched? Any deviation from 16:9 will cause black bars across the entire screen.
I'm currently four hours in and really enjoying it. The open world appeals to me, though I often feel like I should be here now. This fits the experience well, encouraging exploration and discouraging lingering too long at the beginning. The controls work for me, even if I still need time to adjust from other games. I'm still getting used to some of them, but that's normal. I've seen not enough of the game to form a strong opinion yet, but overall it feels solid. It seems to take inspiration from DS and Sekiro, which might explain why they can maintain their successful approach without major changes. The story so far is sparse, making it hard to gauge its length without spoilers. I think that's part of the reason for the open world feel, even though it can make you feel a bit lost. What brightness level are you aiming for? The game has a slider for brightness and two more settings for display nits and saturation under "Image quality" when HDR is enabled—just need to be in the game to tweak them.
I placed it on both my gaming PCs, and on the Intel it became sluggish frequently. With the Ryzen it only affected certain parts. Generally these systems run identically. On both configurations the frames remained steady at 60 frames per 4K resolution. I haven’t even noticed 59. The game appears faded (washed out) on the Intel machine despite using an OLED with identical settings to the one used for the Ryzen build. All other titles behave exactly alike across these setups. It’s been under a week since I tested both machines with Total War: Warhammer III and they performed similarly—I give it to the 5900x by one frame. Nothing has yet convinced me to play it, so it seems more suited for watching than actual gameplay.