Elden Ring

Elden Ring
Developer(s)	FromSoftware
Publisher(s)	Bandai Namco Entertainment JP: FromSoftware
Director(s)	Hidetaka Miyazaki
Writer(s)	George R. R. Martin Hidetaka Miyazaki
Composer(s)	Yuka Kitamura
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S
Release	January 21, 2022
Genre(s)	Action role-playing
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Elden Ring is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game is a collaborative effort between game director Hidetaka Miyazaki and fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin. It is scheduled to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 21, 2022.

Premise

Elden Ring takes place in the realm of the Lands Between, sometime after the destruction of the titular Elden Ring and the scattering of its shards, the Great Runes. Once graced by the Ring and the Erdtree which symbolizes its presence, the realm is now ruled over by the demigod offsprings of Queen Marika the Eternal, each possessing a shard of the Ring that corrupts and taints them with power. As a Tarnished — exiles from the Lands Between who lost the Ring's grace — summoned back after the Shattering, players must traverse the realm to ultimately find all the Great Runes, restore the Elden Ring, and become the Elden Lord.

Gameplay

Elden Ring will be an action role-playing game played in a third-person perspective and will feature elements similar to those found in its predecessor, the Souls series, with gameplay focusing on combat and exploration.

Director Hidetaka Miyazaki explained that players start with a linear opening but will eventually progress to freely explore the Lands Between, including its six main areas, as well as castles, fortresses, and catacombs scattered throughout the vast open-world map. These main areas are interconnected through a central hub that players can access later in the game's progression — similar to the Firelink Shrine in the Souls series — and will be explorable using the character's mount as the main mode of transport, although a fast-travel system will be an available option. Throughout the game, players will encounter NPCs and enemies alike, including the demigods who rule each main area and will serve as the game's main bosses.

Combat in Elden Ring relies heavily on role-playing elements found in previous Soulsborne games, including calculated, close-ranged melee-based combat with the use of skills, magic abilities, as well as blocking and dodging mechanics, albeit with a few differences. Elden Ring will introduce a stealth system and mounted combat; these new features are expected to encourage players in strategizing their combat approach with each unique enemy they encounter. The game will still feature a player character stamina bar, although its overall influence over combat has been reduced. Resurrection mechanics after in-game death won't be available, however, "some elements" have been added to ensure players' progression within the game.

Miyazaki stated that the customization in Elden Ring would be richer, as players will be able to discover different skills through their exploration of the map instead of unlocking skill trees as in previous FromSoftware titles. These skills are interchangeable with a large variety of weapons which, alongside equipment, magic abilities, and items players can craft using materials found within the world, can be used to customize the player character.

Elden Ring will also feature summoning mechanics, where players can summon a large variety of collectible spirits hidden throughout the game's world map (including previously defeated enemies) as allies to assist them in battle. Miyazaki also confirmed the game's multiplayer feature through the summoning mechanics, where other players can be summoned for cooperative play.

Development and release

Elden Ring was announced at E3 2019 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. No further information was revealed until a June 2021 trailer announced a release date of January 21, 2022, with additional releases on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Elden Ring is being developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game is being directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding by fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin, best known for his A Song of Ice and Fire novel series. A fan of Martin's work, Miyazaki contacted him with an offer to work together on a project, giving him the creative freedom to write the overarching backstory of the game's universe. Miyazaki used his contributions as the foundation of the game's narrative, comparing the process to that of using a "dungeon master's handbook in a tabletop RPG". Some staff from the Game of Thrones television series adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire assisted with the game's development.

Work began on Elden Ring in early 2017, following the release of The Ringed City, a piece of downloadable content for Dark Souls III. As with games in the Souls series, players will have the ability to create their own custom character instead of using a fixed protagonist. Miyazaki also considered Elden Ring to be a more "natural evolution" to the Souls series, featuring an open world with new gameplay mechanics such as horseback riding. Unlike many other open-world games, Elden Ring will not feature populated towns with non-player characters, with the world having numerous dungeon-like ruins in their place. When asked about the possibility of the story being novelized, Miyazaki stated that he would rather have players experience it themselves by playing the game, as he thinks the game's secrets and mysteries would be spoiled otherwise. The score is being written by Yuka Kitamura, who has composed for many of Miyazaki's previous games.

External links

• Official website
• Xbox.com profile