By Jason Saldivar
Elden Ring is the latest game in the Souls series produced by FromSoftware Inc, released on Feb. 22, 2022. It began development back in 2017 and was fully released with Fromsoft not failing to disappoint after those five years of development. Like earlier titles in the Souls series, Elden Ring is a game where trial and error is core gameplay. You are expected to die repeatedly while learning the area and enemies throughout the game. I would recommend the game to those that like to improve as you play since Elden Ring requires you to learn how to fight with each death allowing you to figure out what you did wrong.
You play as a “Tarnished,” an individual who lost their grace and was banished from The Lands Between by Queen Marika. You are brought back to The Lands Between by fragments of grace guiding the tarnished back after the Elden Ring has been shattered. It is your goal to find the Great Runes, held by the demigod offspring of Marika, to repair the Elden Ring.
There are eight runes in total, but only seven are attainable in the game due to the character Ranni having discarded hers. She stole the Rune of Death and used it in the Night of Black Knives to murder Marika’s son, Godwyn. It was his death that caused Marika to shatter the Elden Ring with her hammer, but the event was followed by her consort and male half Radagon attempting to repair it.
You start your journey in Limgrave and travel roughly north by following the Sites of Grace that radiate a path to guide you. Otherwise, there is no actual direction nor a way to get stronger until you meet and form an accord with the character Melina. She is a mysterious girl that wishes for you to take her to the foot of the Erdtree.
The final battle in the game is against Radagon, but once he is defeated, you must face the Elden Beast. The Elden Beast is a creature sent by an outer god, called the Greater Will, to be the Elden Ring. Using Marika as a Vessel, it acts as the concept of Order. Upon defeating the Elden Beast, the player is free to choose an ending. These are the “New Ages,” which are available depending on the choices made on the journey to the Erdtree. The default ending is the Age of Fracture, where you repair the Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord.
