Elden Ring

This is where you can deliberate anything relating to videogames - past, present and future
Post Reply
User avatar
markfm007
Member
Posts: 193
Joined: September 18th, 2016, 9:35 pm

Re: Elden Ring

Post by markfm007 »

Alex79 wrote: March 1st, 2022, 12:51 pm Are you talking about the weird old lady thing on the bridge? I listened to her but haven't found the place she mentioned yet.
Nope don't think I've met her. I'm talking about something that the merchant at the Church of Elleh will tell you if you encounter something, won't say more than that to avoid spoilers!
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Alex79 »

markfm007 wrote: March 1st, 2022, 6:53 pm
Alex79 wrote: March 1st, 2022, 12:51 pm Are you talking about the weird old lady thing on the bridge? I listened to her but haven't found the place she mentioned yet.
Nope don't think I've met her. I'm talking about something that the merchant at the Church of Elleh will tell you if you encounter something, won't say more than that to avoid spoilers!
Ooh, not had anything interesting from that merchant yet!
User avatar
Cornelius_Smiff
Member
Posts: 126
Joined: February 15th, 2018, 3:21 pm

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Cornelius_Smiff »

Still in love with this game.

Totally sold on horse combat, so much so that it makes me anxious when I cannot used Torrent in fights. I get so much joy out of cutting through a horde of enemies. The Black Knight on the bridge mini boss is a heck of alot of fun, just be wary to get the fight over with asap otherwise that convoy (with the two giants pulling the wagon) will pass through the fight area pretty sharpish which makes for a very interesting if terrifying pants soiling moment.

I love stumbling upon random dungeons. I found the Well in the lake thing with the slow moving, surprisingly durable spear wielding entities. I sufficed to take them down with alot of arrows.

I had defeated the first castle boss and moved into the deeper sanctums (those bloody eagles with the blades on their feet are all sorts of irritating). I wussed out when I saw all the knights walking around as I had to cheese a couple of earlier ones. I need to get my on foot combat savvy sorted to get through this place me thinks. I shall return!
User avatar
Tolkientaters
Member
Posts: 137
Joined: April 22nd, 2021, 10:39 pm
Location: Florida, USA

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Tolkientaters »

ratsoalbion wrote: February 28th, 2022, 1:35 pm I don't understand folks' desperation to rank it against to another, superficially similar but intriniscally very different game from five years ago on another platform. I'm not sure what that achieves.

Everyone who's played both will have their own preferences for sure - and that's interesting to talk about - but there can be no objective, empirical 'this one is better than that one'.
Compare and contrast for sure, but to try to 'rank', I just don't see the point.
I'd rather celebrate (and criticise) them both.
Completely agree, there's just so much else to talk about with this game. I can't believe how much better navigating the castle area is with a dedicated jump button. Also loving the addition overworld music. The insane amount of different enemies with incredibly creative visual designs continues to astound me.

I do feel like some of the little overworld dungeons get repetitive and feel like Bloodborne's chalice dungeons which isn't a complement.
Marlew
Member
Posts: 244
Joined: August 22nd, 2020, 11:00 am

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Marlew »

I find the incredulity quite odd, to be honest. It's completely understandable to me why people rank and categorise, it happens millions of times every day at almost every moment, it's a feature of the human brain, and it's a very short step from comparing and contrasting. It's an expression of preference, not an attempt to determine objective truth.

Separately, though, I disagree with the idea that 'everything is subjective = nothing is better than anything else'. I understand that stance if you want to set a fixed, moderate tone on a podcast but it's not unreasonable to say that one thing is better than another.

Max Roach is a better drummer than me, no matter what my nan's opinion is. Schneider Weisse is a better beer than Fosters, no matter what my mate prefers. Quality is not only perception.
User avatar
ratsoalbion
Admin
Posts: 7918
Joined: August 28th, 2012, 9:41 am
Location: Brighton, England
Contact:

Re: Elden Ring

Post by ratsoalbion »

Some 'betters' are perhaps more measurable than others, but I still don't really agree. It comes down to a semantic argument about what 'better' means. I think the word and the concept is often inadequate, or misused.

Kenny Gee may be a more skilful and technically adept saxophonist than Jenny Hollingworth, but I'd infinitely prefer to listen to her play.

Anyway, back to Elden Ring. My fault for derailing.
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Alex79 »

Kenny Gee is rubbish. John Coltrane or go home.
User avatar
ratsoalbion
Admin
Posts: 7918
Joined: August 28th, 2012, 9:41 am
Location: Brighton, England
Contact:

Re: Elden Ring

Post by ratsoalbion »

Alex79 wrote: March 3rd, 2022, 1:02 pm Kenny Gee is rubbish. John Coltrane or go home.
I mean, obviously.
:D
Marlew
Member
Posts: 244
Joined: August 22nd, 2020, 11:00 am

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Marlew »

Kenny 'G', you disrespectful heathens.
User avatar
ratsoalbion
Admin
Posts: 7918
Joined: August 28th, 2012, 9:41 am
Location: Brighton, England
Contact:

Re: Elden Ring

Post by ratsoalbion »

Marlew wrote: March 3rd, 2022, 6:07 pm Kenny 'G', you disrespectful heathens.
:oops: :)
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Alex79 »

I'm about 22 hours in now and just defeated Godrick the Grafted last night. He wasn't so tough, took three attempts, and his second phase is brilliant!

I'm not sure if I've mopped up all the bosses in Limgrave or not yet though, and want to do that before moving on through the castle.

If anyone is interested, I've done:
Spoiler: show
Godrick the Grafted
Margit the Fell
The big Pumpkin Head lad
Tree Sentinel
Nights Cavalry (x2 - separate ones)
Beast of Farum Azula
Demi-Human Chief
Flying Dragon Agheel
Leonine Misbegotten
Stonedigger Troll
Grave Warden Duellist
I'm sure there are some I'm missing, though. Just the opening area alone is huge, bound to be some more in there...! I don't really want to look at a guide yet, but has anyone else found any other interesting bosses?
User avatar
Pconpi
Member
Posts: 63
Joined: January 9th, 2020, 5:57 am
Location: Seattle, WA USA

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Pconpi »

Your list looks pretty similar to mine (as is your Godrick experience).

The two I’m thinking of are
Spoiler: show
Patches - debatable if he is worthy of the boss marker :)
The nighttime only Samurai looking guy that wrecked me and I left alone
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Alex79 »

Pconpi wrote: March 5th, 2022, 3:54 pm Your list looks pretty similar to mine (as is your Godrick experience).

The two I’m thinking of are
Spoiler: show
Patches - debatable if he is worthy of the boss marker :)
The nighttime only Samurai looking guy that wrecked me and I left alone
Ah yes, I did do him too! Although I didn't finish him off, I thought there might be more to come from him later. Ooh not found the night time samurai though. It's pretty cool how some bosses only come out at night. Wonder if there's any that are only available in the day. I'd like to imagine some of the more disgusting creatures in the world have to be home in time for tea.
User avatar
Jon Cheetham
Member
Posts: 524
Joined: October 29th, 2019, 12:49 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Jon Cheetham »

I think is every boss I’ve killed so far:
Spoiler: show
Tree Sentinel
Margit the Fell Omen
Godrick the Grafted
Leonine Misbegotten
Demi-human Chief
Bloodhound Knight Darriwil
Tibia Mariner
Black Knife Assassin
Crystalian
Runebear
Erdtree Burial Watchdog
Erdtree Avatar
Ancient Hero of Zamor
Spirit-caller Snail
Adan, Thief of Fire
Magma Worm Makar

So far my favourites would be Godrick - hilarious mid-fight cutscene and second phase, the Mariner and the Spirit-caller Snail as they’re good weird bosses in the vein of The Witch of Hemwick, and the Ancient Hero and Darriwil just for pure stylish duels.

I like how the decision to have tons of field bosses means that they can once again include some less challenging ones that people would complain about being too easy if they were on the critical path. Lots of encounters that are just about the aesthetic flair or the spectacle of the fight and add to the atmosphere of the world, and a couple that feel like big callbacks to Souls bosses of old.
Marlew
Member
Posts: 244
Joined: August 22nd, 2020, 11:00 am

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Marlew »

I don't think this is necessarily a spoiler but I'm amazed at how the map keeps expanding and zooming out further. When I was 30 hours in, I thought I'd hit the furthest NW and NE that things would get and that seemed massive to me. I felt like I shouldn't have been in those areas and they would be endgame. In hindsight, they're like 2nd and 3rd gear. It just keeps opening up further and further with some incredibly cool new areas.

I found an area that was very
Spoiler: show
Hemwick
but with a lovely
Spoiler: show
Earthen Peak
DS2 reference with loads of messages buzzing off it. I also finally found those mechanical nightmares from one of the loading screens and shit my pants. I also had my best fight yet with the recurring TM halfway up the
Spoiler: show
Altus Plateau
.

Still running with the glass cannon build, up to 40 INT but found some insane sounding 52 INT sorcery that's my goal. Once I hit that, I'll look up the soft cap and then dump everything into health.

This sounds ridiculous but I'm also enjoying how much platform puzzling there is. Some of the memory stones require a bit of like Assassin's Creed antics and it's always satisfying to feel like you're breaking the game with the horse jumps, even though it's intended.

Also, after my initial hype settled down, I've come to a more moderate conclusion:

This is a towering, swaggering unimaginable achievement, one of the greatest games ever made, a monumental combination of Skyrim, BotW, Dark Souls and Bloodborne and nothing this generation will come close to it.
User avatar
seansthomas
Member
Posts: 856
Joined: March 31st, 2015, 8:10 am

Re: Elden Ring

Post by seansthomas »

I never got a second phase in the second main boss fight? Keep reading how cool it is but I never triggered a cut scene in the three attempts it took to beat him...?
Marlew
Member
Posts: 244
Joined: August 22nd, 2020, 11:00 am

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Marlew »

You must have steamrolled him! Very cool fight albeit I took him down from distance like a coward.

I just did the second major boss after about 40 hours or so, I got absolutely melted within the first couple of seconds maybe half a dozen times but managed to get there with a tanky spirit summon (Oleg). Another outstanding boss fight, actually. Partly Demon's Souls, partly Bloodborne, but in the coolest ways, didn't feel like a retread.
User avatar
Jon Cheetham
Member
Posts: 524
Joined: October 29th, 2019, 12:49 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Jon Cheetham »

I think I've just been to the same place Marlew.
Spoiler: show
Very Hemwick, very folk horror. I went there during daytime but still found my first encounter with the witches very unsettling. The area is really striking with all these bright colours and contrasts but just seems decaying and horrible at the same time. The boss fight at the top rules as well. Overall one of my favourite areas in the game so far.
I am nearly 30 hours in and in terms of the main story bosses (the ones the opening cutscene shows you) have only done Godrick. I've got maybe half the map unfogged and have been getting my rear handed to me in the far west and north areas, making some very hard-won but satisfying progress and seeing some spectacular set pieces and vistas. Any direction you pick to go in with this game you end up being funneled into these brilliant authored moments, it's never "just" a cave or a mountain.

The way From have taken the concept of an open world and just added it to their toolbox of ways to guide you around and send you on these adventures, while always letting you feel like you're making meaningful progress taking footholds in the Lands Between, is just sensational. It lets you approach the main "campaign" in sort of concentric circles, milling around the critical path, sequence breaking... I think if you avoid guides and spoilers then everyone playing this would have really different experiences and that's so exciting.

It seems like most of the people talking about this only compare it to BOTW, but honestly the last time I can remember an open world feeling this dense with incident and rife with weird and wonderful creatures and adventures is Morrowind.
User avatar
Rhaegyr
Member
Posts: 258
Joined: July 29th, 2019, 2:47 pm

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Rhaegyr »

30 hours or so in and still really loving it. Done all of central starting area and the bit to the south too.

A couple of criticisms have cropped up for me, nothing earth shattering though.

- I'm starting to see the pattern/repetition in the open world re: churches, caves, catacombs and re-skinned minibosses. Guess it can't be helped in a open world game but it's a little peek behind the curtain you hate to see.

- I've only done 2 'proper' bosses in 30 hours (both in Stormview castle) that had any semblance of personality, dialogue and cut-scenes. Dark Souls 3 was stuffed with quality, memorable bosses (around 15-20) - hope this is the same and I've just been doing the 'open world' stuff too much.

It's not hit the same heights for me as BOTW yet but I'm still only (hah) 30 hours in and it's not far off at times!
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Elden Ring

Post by Alex79 »

I thought I was done with Limgrave but went back down south to the Weeping Peninsula some more and found loads more stuff. Must have done at least 15 bosses now, keep finding caves and catacombs all over the place. I'm not sure where the next main place to head is, but I'm assuming it's carrying on through Stormveil, which I've not done yet. The guy at Roundkeep told me about all the main people I'm seeking out, but didn't really give an indication of where to go - only where to definitely NOT go!

I did go back to speak to a certain character you meet early on through and he's now vanished, leaving a message which may be pointing me a certain way.
Post Reply