2020 was a long, hard year, and it was a year without Elden Ring. After its E3 2019 reveal, we saw and heard virtually nothing, as FromSoftware toiled away in secret. For so long, we knew Elden Ring was still coming, but we hadn't seen it in action, or even gotten another scrap of concept art. At last, that's finally changed. I doubt you could even imagine it!
Elden Ring has finally reemerged, not in a leak, and not in cryptic hints. It's very real, and it's coming relatively soon, actually. It isn't making it out in 2021, but it's arriving in January 2022. It looks worth the wait: the new trailer is absolutely packed. From what we've seen so far, this is definitely a Souls-style game. A very pretty new Souls game.
Here's what we know about Elden Ring, which is, finally, a lot, including its release date and what it looks like. We've gone deep analyzing the trailer and collecting every interview quote we can find.
Check out Elden Ring's first gameplay trailer
Damn, there is a lot going on here. Let's just take a minute to absorb it. Then watch it a few more times.
As hoped, Elden Ring did show up at the Summer Game Fest event hosted by Geoff Keighley at the start of E3. In this three minute trailer, FromSoftware showed off a good chuck of gameplay with all sorts of familiar Souls game action. The art design is absolutely Souls, and a lot of the series staples are here, too. Resting at bonfires, backstabs, giant bosses. Let's talk details.
When is Elden Ring's release date?
Elden Ring launches on January 21, 2022. Wow, that feels pretty good to write down. We'd been hoping for a look at Elden Ring for a while but weren't sure if we'd be hearing about a release date when we did.
Thank goodness whatever curse is keeping George R.R. Martin, from finishing The Winds of Winter hasn't transferred its bad energy to Elden Ring.
Fast facts about Elden Ring:
- Open-world: Elden Ring is an open world with six main areas to explore
- Co-op: Co-op for up to four players is supported
- PvP: Unclear so far whether invasions are present
- What else is new: You can jump and fight on horseback
Here are a bunch of screenshots from the trailer
What is Elden Ring's combat like?
Based on what we saw in Elden Ring's gameplay trailer, combat looks rather similar to the Souls games, which is not at all a bad thing. We like Souls games.
Elden Ring's combat seems to be the kind of action RPG fare that we're already familiar with From producing. There are large bosses. There's dodge rolling, backstabbing, blocking, and spellcasting. Even the combat animations are familiar. As for the stamina system, FromSoftware says: "The stamina bar exists in Elden Ring, but we feel it has less influence on the player overall. We wanted to make it feel less restrictive."
That's what's staying the same. Here's what's different.
Stealth and mounted combat
Elden Ring will have horseback combat of some kind. We've not seen much
of it, but there are definitely instances of slashing at an oncoming
enemy while you're both on horseback. There's also a stealth system,
though FromSoftware has said that it's a light part of the game.
Summons are back, but bigger
There also seems to be a big focus on summons. Souls games have allowed
you, at points, to summon the spirits of friendly characters to help you
in battle. They're always located in particular spots, often near boss
fights, but Elden Ring's summon system seems much larger and more
freeform.
Miyazaki explained in his IGN interview that players can summon creatures as allies that would otherwise normally be enemies:
"And these spirit summons, we feel like—as well as there being a large variety to them—they're a nice collectable hidden element within the game world to discover and to equip as you go. They offer a lot of different strategic options, but also the player might find that they just like a certain enemy tagging along with them, a certain summon pleases them aesthetically. So there's a lot of strategic and a lot of personal touch to these summons."
Less restricted weapon skills
You'll also have more freedom over how you construct your build, which
will be less restricted by your weapon choice. "Before, where there was a
certain skill attached to a certain weapon, now you're actually able to
freely interchange skills between a large variety of weapons," Miyazaki
says. "There are, I believe, around a hundred skills in total.
Obviously you're free to combine your different skills with different
weapons. You're free to build your character with different weapons and
equipment.
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