Elden Ring Base Game Review: A Masterpiece of Open-World Design
Elden Ring Base Game Review: A Masterpiece of Open-World Design
Quick Verdict: Elden Ring is one of the greatest action RPGs ever made, combining FromSoftware’s signature challenging combat with a breathtaking open world. Its few shortcomings are dwarfed by its ambition, depth, and the sheer wonder of exploring the Lands Between.
Rating: 9.5/10
Key Specifications
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Developer | FromSoftware |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Release Date | February 25, 2022 |
| Platforms | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| Genre | Action RPG, Open World |
| Playtime | 60 to 150 hours |
| Price | $59.99 base, $39.99 DLC |
What We Like
The open world is genuinely awe-inspiring in its scope and density. Every direction you ride reveals new dungeons, bosses, NPCs, and environmental storytelling. Unlike many open-world games that fill space with repetitive content, Elden Ring’s world feels handcrafted with surprising variety in its locations and encounters.
The build diversity is extraordinary. With hundreds of weapons, dozens of spells, and deep stat customization, every playthrough can feel fundamentally different. A strength build plays nothing like a sorcery build, which plays nothing like a bleed-focused arcane build. This variety drives the game’s incredible replay value.
The boss design at its best is genre-defining. Malenia, Radagon, Mohg, and Morgott represent some of the finest boss encounters in action game history. The sense of accomplishment from finally defeating a boss you have been struggling against for hours is unmatched.
The DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, adds an entire second game’s worth of content that somehow matches or exceeds the base game in quality. The Realm of Shadow is a stunning new landmass with its own progression system and some of the most challenging bosses FromSoftware has ever designed.
What We Do Not Like
The late game difficulty spike in the Mountaintops of the Giants feels unbalanced compared to the excellent pacing of the first two thirds. Enemy damage and health increase sharply while the quality of new enemy encounters does not keep pace. Some reused boss fights in side dungeons become tedious by this point.
The PC port launched with significant shader compilation stuttering that has been largely but not completely fixed through patches. High-end PCs still occasionally experience frame pacing issues that can be distracting during precise combat encounters.
The narrative delivery, while intentionally cryptic and rewarding for lore enthusiasts, can leave players who want a clearer story feeling lost. Important quest triggers are easy to miss, and some NPC questlines can be permanently broken by progressing too far in the main story.
Who Should Buy This
Players who enjoy exploration, challenge, and deep character customization will find Elden Ring to be one of the best games they have ever played. Fans of previous FromSoftware games will feel right at home while enjoying the benefits of the open-world format. Newcomers to the genre should strongly consider Elden Ring as their entry point thanks to the freedom to explore at your own pace and the many tools available to reduce difficulty.
Players who prefer clear narrative direction, minimal punishment for mistakes, or guided experiences may find Elden Ring frustrating. The game respects your intelligence but demands patience and willingness to learn from failure.
Who Should NOT Buy This
If you dislike difficult combat and have no interest in improving your skills through practice, Elden Ring will frustrate you more than it entertains you. While the game offers tools to reduce difficulty, the core experience is built around challenging encounters that require learning enemy patterns.
If you need a strong, linear narrative to stay engaged, the fragmented storytelling approach may not hold your attention through the game’s massive runtime.
Final Verdict
Elden Ring is a landmark achievement in game design. Its combination of open-world freedom, deep RPG mechanics, and masterful combat creates an experience that will be studied and imitated for years to come. The few rough edges in late-game balance and PC performance are minor blemishes on an otherwise extraordinary game. If you have any interest in action RPGs, this is an essential purchase.
The addition of Shadow of the Erdtree elevates the complete package to even greater heights, offering a DLC expansion that justifies every penny of its price tag. Whether you are starting fresh or returning for the DLC, the Lands Between remain one of gaming’s greatest playgrounds.