I Beat Elden Ring

Elden Ring took the gaming world by storm upon its release less than two months ago. While some savored the exploration of the vast, open-world environment of The Lands Between, others with less patience continued to press their luck against bosses and regions far above their skill set and experience level. I found myself in the second camp, as I often do, looking to grind my way through challenges to achieve the maximum results possible as quickly as possible. In Elden Ring, this means reaching the end of all quests, discovering all areas, defeating all necessary bosses, and finally tackling the final foes: Radagon of the Golden Order and The Elden Beast.

While it would take many blog posts to properly discuss and explain the rich lore and backstory behind this final boss fight, I can succinctly say that FromSoftware made the right choice making this the final duel along this incredible journey. The two-part fight consists of a matchup against a more traditional yet challenging opponent in Radagon of the Golden Order, and then an ethereal battle against the Elden Beast, who the game refers to as a “God” upon its death. Frustrating, attention-demanding, and eventually extremely rewarding, this final boss fight was everything I hoped for to finish Elden Ring.

Luckily, the fun doesn’t stop when the credits roll. In a world as vast as that of Elden Ring, there is still so much to discover and accomplish in the world even after the main story is complete. And even then, the game presents the option to reset the world while retaining all of the collectibles, armaments, and materials gathered along the way in “New Game +,” which is a feature I’ve enjoyed since my formative years on console since series like Ratchet and Clank.

New Game + allowed me the opportunity to relive the joy of finding new enemies, map locations, and weapons, while this time focusing less on the easy-to-learn but hard-to-master combat mechanics the game has to offer. While walkthrough one took me more than 80 hours to complete (you read that right,) New Game + was complete in just about 10 hours, as a ran my way from boss to boss on a wonderful victory lap from Limgrave to Leyndell.

Even though I have now beaten Elden Ring (twice,) there’s still so much to do in this game that I don’t see putting the controller down for good any time soon. There are incredibly difficult optional bosses to tackle, more areas to discover, and plenty to re-visit with all of my best gear. This game certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but the attention to detail, intricate and beautiful storyline, and satisfying gamplay are unmatched, making Elden Ring one of my favorite games of all time, let alone being a lock for game of the year in 2022. If you’re looking for an immersive gaming experience, look no further - and arise, ye tarnished!

I Can't Stop Playing Elden Ring

Video games have played an important role in nearly every part of my life. Whether it was playing Ratchet and Clank with my friends growing up, rocking out to Guitar Hero and eating pizza every Friday night, or enjoying the cinematic quality of the Uncharted series with my parents as a teenager, I can correlate a game to any era or season. I know I’m not alone in relating so closely to the digital escapism that games provide, as video games have quickly become some of the most popular forms of media and entertainment on the planet. That is because these pieces of art aren’t simply escapism; instead, video games are able to teach us about our humanity, engage our mind’s eye, and take us on immersive emotional and spiritual journeys unlike any other medium.

It’s very possible that you’ve recently heard of a new release called Elden Ring that has taken the gaming world by storm. Part of the Souls series, Elden Ring is the product of years of development, devotion, and dedication from its founding studio From Software, creator Hidetaka Miyazaki, and “A Song of Ice and Fire” author George R. R. Martin. This series has garnered a reputation for its sprawling landscapes, extensive lore, and addicting yet punishing gameplay, but Elden Ring takes all of those qualities to the next level.

Completely open world and exploratory in style, Elden Ring channels the medieval intrigue of “The Lord of the Rings,” the mystical and magical nature of “Game of Thrones,” and the horseback epic storytelling of Red Dead Redemption. It’s quickly apparent that this game will hold your hand just enough to get your bearings, but its guidance doesn’t overstay its welcome as you are quickly thrown into the deep end. With little direction, the player is allowed to simply take on this brand new world after creating their character, while appreciating the enriched lore and spectacular graphics and landscapes that so incredibly hold the game together.

Elden Ring makes you the chosen one, in a way, starting from humble beginnings as a “Tarnished” and making your way to eventually attempt to rule all of the lands and become the Elden Lord. Throughout this absolutely incredible journey, you are taken to different locations, forced to fight different creatures, and introduced to various NPCs who help push the story along. Each one of these battles and interactions is satisfying, and the game never feels like it has a good stopping point despite providing hundreds hours of fresh and explorable content.

Although I haven’t beaten the game yet, (hell, I just started playing a few days ago,) I can already tell that Elden Ring will be a video game that I look back on fondly. Its larger-than-life scope was overwhelming at first, but now exploring all that it has to offer is starting to feel more and more accomplishable after every gaming session. The satisfaction after finally defeating a difficult boss level is unrivaled (especially you, Margit and Renalla,) and the giddy, child-like feeling that this world has given me is unparalleled. After being skeptical at first, I now understand the resounding and deserved acclaim Elden Ring is receiving, and I can’t stop playing. I suggest you start.