Recording summary · March 2022
I WAS SO WRONG about Elden Ring
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Overview
Daniel revised an earlier negative review of Elden Ring, raising the score from 4.2 to 6.5 out of 10 after reaching nearly 50 hours of playtime and altering playstyle and control preferences.
Switching to an Xbox controller greatly improved Daniel's dodging, blocking, and rolling relative to keyboard and mouse controls, prompting a recommendation to use a controller on PC despite movement still feeling somewhat clunky.
Daniel commended the tactile weight of the combat system, the wide weapon variety, the ability to test different builds and special skills, and the engaging process of overcoming tough boss encounters through tactical adjustments like altering equipment, learning patterns, and upgrading spirit summons.
Reversing a prior assessment that the open world lacked interest, Daniel praised the distinct art style, scenic vistas, European-style castles like Redmane Castle, and discoveries including secret dungeons and chests.
Themes
Revised assessment and updated review score for Elden Ring.
PC controller recommendations versus keyboard and mouse controls.
Combat mechanics, weapon diversity, and boss battle strategies.
Open-world exploration, visual design, and architectural landmarks.
Developments
Daniel fell off a cliff two times while trying to retrieve 10,000 runes, permanently losing them.
Daniel defeated a boss after four hours of attempts by swapping dual claymores for a sword and shield, adopting medium armor, and raising a spirit summon to level 2.
Daniel came back to an early area 20 levels higher to defeat an initial mounted boss carrying a large polearm and obtain the weapon.