What we've seen of Elden Ring (yes, it's real after all!) during E3 2021 is simply stunning, and this interview with director Hidetaka Miyazaki sheds a little light on what Soulsborne fans have in store for them.
A dark and decadent world, complex combat and monster designs that make your skin crawl - it's certainly a FromSoftware game, no two ways about it. Elden Ring's latest trailer premiered in the Summer Game Fest 2021 and instantly set the Internet alight. No stone was left unturned, no NPC escaped an excruciating analysis from fans who had waited three years for a glimpse at the upcoming game. In fact, I feel like the feverish excitement had gotten to them a little, as the Elden Ring subreddit was awash with fan art of those wee walking pot creatures. While no official name has been supplied for this enemy, they've taken to calling them the Pot Lads, Vaseboys or Urnbros. Well, whatever makes them happy.
Check out the undeniable gloriousness of Elden Ring's gameplay trailer below.
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The developer was also willing to share more on the game, including that elusive open world that players will roam within to their heart's content... before they're crushed by a behemoth with five thousand eyes. Just a guess. "The Lands Between is actually a name that was invented by George R.R. Martin himself when he was coming up for the impetus for this world and writing its history and its deep mythos," explained Miyazaki while talking to IGN. "And we hope that as well as taking away the idea of it being the sort of impetus and the starting place for the world, we want people to feel that it's really like an invitation to this mysterious new land."
The Lands Between comprises six areas that are attached to one of the demigods of this world. There is an "order" that FromSoftware wants you to explore them in, added Miyazaki, but you are free to choose any of the six to start with. "We wanted to give a free level of progression and exploration through The Lands Between, so there's a lot of different ways. You won't be able to access everything from the start, but there are a lot of different ways you can approach each area. And there's a lot of freedom as to which order you tackle different areas as well," continued the director.
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Furthemore, Elden Ring's intricate environments boast "a wide variety of catacombs and castles and fortresses which are interspersed throughout the map," as well as the "mainline dungeon map" that players will dive into. And, for those who think this open world might be daunting, the team has lifted a page from Dark Souls' book. There will be a "hub" where you'll be able to touch base and then venture out into any of the six areas, which is sounding a lot like the function of the Firelink Shrine. Honestly, I'm liking what Elden Ring is offering more and more. Now, slide us some difficulty settings, and we'll be riding into that blood-red sunset on our cow-horse hybrid buddy in no time.
Elden Ring is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X on January 21st, 2022.
Featured Image Credit: FromSoftwareTopics: News, Dark Souls, Elden Ring