Elden Ring's Open World: Did FromSoft Just Cast a Spell Too Good to Break?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
After sinking 400 hours into Elden Ring, Game Rant's José V. Rossi argues it's impossible to go back to FromSoftware's linear roots, a sentiment Jeff totally gets. Elden Ring's massive success and innovative open-world design, mounts, and quality-of-life features have fundamentally reshaped player expectations, leaving FromSoft with a delightful, chaotic challenge: how do you follow up a spell cast *too* perfectly?
Right, so I've been tinkering with a piece from Game Rant that's got my digital antennae twitching, and bloody hell, it’s a cracker. Our mate José V. Rossi over there, bless his cotton socks, has sunk a whopping 400 hours into Elden Ring. Four. Hundred. Hours. That’s not just playing a game; that’s practically a second job, or maybe a dedicated apprenticeship in the art of getting repeatedly clobbered by a giant, angry tree spirit. And after all that dedication, he reckons it's going to be mighty difficult to go back to the standard FromSoftware formula.
And you know what? He's probably not wrong. It’s like FromSoftware, who previously were master alchemists concocting exquisite, intricate linear dungeons (think Dark Souls 1, 2, and 3 – each a masterpiece, but essentially variations on a theme), suddenly decided to open a portal to an entire, sprawling, ridiculously massive world. It’s a bit like casting a spell to summon a familiar imp, and instead, you accidentally summon a friendly, horse-riding dragon and an entire continent to explore. Once you've got the dragon, are you really going back to the imp?
For years, FromSoftware's 'Soulsborne' games have built a reputation for brutal difficulty, intricate level design, and a lore so opaque you needed a dedicated PhD in fan theories to untangle it. Each new iteration, as Rossi points out, certainly brought improvements. Dark Souls 3, for instance, arguably polished the combat to a gleaming, deadly sheen and refined the interconnected world design. But, let's be fair dinkum, you knew what you were getting. You were walking down a path, albeit a beautifully crafted, monster-infested, trap-laden path.
Then came Elden Ring, swaggering in like the new kid who somehow knows all the cheat codes to reality. It wasn't just an evolution; it was a mutation. A glorious, chaotic, unexpected mutation that still felt utterly 'FromSoftware' at its core. It kept the punishing combat, the cryptic storytelling, the sheer joy of overcoming a seemingly insurmountable foe. But it threw out the linear rulebook faster than you can say 'Try finger, but hole.'
**The Tarnished and the Tectonic Shift**
So, what were these seismic shifts that Elden Ring brought to the Lands Between? Well, first off, the colossal open world. This wasn't just a bigger playground; it was a fundamental shift in how players approached the game. Remember that feeling of getting absolutely walloped by a boss in a Dark Souls game and being stuck, endlessly grinding or banging your head against the same brick wall? Elden Ring said, 'Nah, mate. If that dragon’s too tough, just trot off on Torrent, explore that mysterious glowing tree, find a new dungeon, level up a bit, then come back and stomp that oversized lizard.'
This freedom to roam, to choose your own challenges, to flee and return when stronger – it’s a game-changer. It lowers the barrier to entry (slightly, mind you, it's still FromSoft) without compromising the core challenge. It transforms frustration into exploration. And speaking of Torrent, mounts were a genius move. Navigating that massive world on foot would have been an absolute nightmare. Plus, having a proper world map? Revolutionary for a Souls game. It's like they finally decided to hand you a GPS instead of just a compass made of existential dread.
And let’s not forget the smaller, yet equally impactful, quality-of-life additions. Full use of jumping, for crying out loud! A mechanic as old as time itself in gaming, but conspicuously absent or extremely limited in previous Souls titles. Now, platforming puzzles and secret pathways felt organic and fun. Infinite out-of-combat stamina? Mini-checkpoints near bosses? Waypoint marks? These aren't just minor tweaks; they're like finding out your magic staff can also make a cracking cup of tea. Once you've had it, going back to just a stick feels a bit... primitive, doesn't it?
**The People Have Spoken (and Bought a Lot of Copies)**
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding – or in this case, the staggering sales figures. Over 30 million copies sold worldwide. Thirty. Million. That’s not just a clear message to the developers; that's the Lands Between yelling 'More of THIS!' into Hidetaka Miyazaki’s ear loud enough to make his ears bleed. If FromSoftware were to suddenly revert to a more linear setup for their next big outing (and there are whispers of 'The Duskblood' or other future projects, though no solid details yet, as is tradition), they'd be facing an uphill battle against player expectations.
Now, Miyazaki himself has always championed taking risks, pushing boundaries. That's precisely why FromSoftware has churned out so many iconic, genre-defining games. They’re the digital wizards who refuse to settle for the same old spells. But there's a delicate balance here, isn't there? The success of Elden Ring wasn't just about 'open world good'; it was about how they *integrated* the open world while retaining the essence of what makes a Souls game special.
So, where do they go from here? Will they double down on the open-world freedom, refining it even further? Or will they, as some worry, see the success and try to shoehorn it into every future title, even if it doesn't quite fit? The cynical part of me always worries about corporate types seeing a successful formula and demanding it be replicated without understanding the underlying magic. But the optimistic wizard in me hopes FromSoftware continues to experiment, to find new ways to surprise us, and to push the boundaries of what a brutally challenging, exquisitely designed action RPG can be.
One thing’s for sure: if José Rossi's 400 hours have taught us anything, it's that the 'Souls formula' has officially evolved. And trying to cram that genie back into the bottle might just result in a magical explosion. And honestly, I'm here for it.
Tags: Elden Ring, FromSoftware, Open World, Souls-like, Game Design
Original article: Game Rant