Recording summary · November 2021
DO NOT BUY Elden Ring - Nothing Special
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Overview
Elden Ring delivered a disappointing, lackluster experience resembling an inferior blend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, New World, and The Witcher 3, rather than establishing its own identity.
The game suffers from flat, non-dynamic lighting with reversed shadows, clunky and slow movement, repetitive boss battles reliant on tedious health pools and pattern memorization, odd character proportions, and generic open-world tropes.
Elden Ring received a 4.9 out of 10 score in its current state, alongside advice to wait for price drops and bug fixes rather than buying at launch amid excessive hype.
Themes
Visual and design comparisons to Zelda: Breath of the Wild, New World, and The Witcher 3, highlighting unoriginal assets, camera pans, and spells.
Standard dark fantasy tropes and playstyles, including warrior, magic, and minion-summoning classes.
Open-world visual flaws involving flat, non-dynamic lighting and reversed shadow directions.
Movement and combat responsiveness evaluated unfavorably against past Dark Souls titles and The Witcher 3.
Boss battles criticized for excessive health pools and repetitive pattern memorization.
Character model aesthetics and improper body proportions across Elden Ring and the Dark Souls franchise.
Overhyped features such as the waypoint map system and comparisons to the release of Cyberpunk.
Overall scoring of 4.9 out of 10 and suggestions to postpone purchase until patches and discounts arrive.