Gamescom, like most events this year has been a digital-only event. During the event From Software showcased 16 minutes of gameplay from their upcoming game Elden Ring, set to release early next year. This gameplay should give players a better understanding of what to expect.
The game is set in an open-world area known as The Lands Between. Similar to previous games from From Software there will be checkpoints scattered around the world that players can fast travel between, known as Sites of Lost Grace. This area will feel far more open in terms of exploration than the usual Souls game.
Those looking for a classic experience can look no further than legacy dungeons. These areas will be scattered around the world and offer a more traditional souls dungeon experience. These areas are closed off from the rest of the game’s world and therefore cannot be fast-traveled to a frow like in the open-world area.
Now the map to the game is pretty big so there will be multiple ways to help players navigate it. The first is a classic trope known as landmarks, which the player will find as they explore the world. On the other hand map fragments, have various ways of being found. They will add locations to the map and act as breadcrumbs for things such as hidden areas and optional bosses.
Something that might be familiar to souls fans is a hub area where NPC characters will congregate, similar to the Firelink Shrine or Majula. You can travel there to talk to NPC’s, upgrade your items, and more although much of these abilities are also available through a character named Melina who appears at the Sites of Lost Grace.
Melina severs a role similar to The Maiden In Black, and similar characters throughout the soul’s legacy. She can be summoned at any site to level up your character and allocate skills. Unlike in past games from From, abilities can be slotted into every weapon in this game as opposed to being weapon dependant which should offer a far greater variety for your character build. Though there was no core explanation given about healing items, it was explained that they replenish at the Sites of Lost Grace, which implies they will be similar to most souls-like games.
You can also use your trusty Horse to move around the map with quick speed. Another tool of traversal will be boost points that, should the player move on them, they will get a massive amount of verticality to quickly traverse cliffs or get the distance.
Elden Ring will release on January 21, 2022 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
