After nearly two years of radio silence following its E3 2019 reveal trailer, FromSoftware's highly-anticipated action RPG Elden Ring has finally been released. It seems to have lived up to every expectation - and perhaps even exceeded some - as it launched to resounding critical acclaim, and part of that is due to many well-executed gameplay mechanics.
FromSoft's famous brand of subtle yet immersive worldbuilding, lore, and storytelling are all there to complement The Lands Between, with the open-world traversal and unique approaches to combat pull their weight.
Ashes Of War
Though there are many early-game items crucial to Elden Ring, the various Ashes of War found within The Lands Between rank among the highest. Players will need to find the Whetstone Knife first to be able to use them, but they're a great feature to enhance weapons.
In previous FromSoftware RPGs, a weapon's special Skill was tied to it. However, Elden Ring makes it so Ashes of War can be swapped between different weapons - including their Weapon Skill - and with unique stat scaling (Affinity) to suit the player's build. Likewise, there's also a process to duplicate Ashes of War.
Horse-Mounted Combat
FromSoftware expectedly borrows from the best of Dark Souls' features when developing Elden Ring, but one of the biggest game-changers was Torrent. The Tarnished's spectral steed is a must for expanding the Souls formula into an open-world setting, and it translated impressively well into combat.
Aside from traversal, of course, horse-mounted combat is the best thing introduced into the game and is even preferable at times. It's a great way to handle enemy mobs that might otherwise gang up on the player, as well as making certain boss fights (e.g. Tree Sentinel) much more manageable.
Stance-Breaking Attacks
Among the influences FromSoftware took from their past games, Sekiro is one of the most noticeable when it comes to melee combat. The feudal Japan-themed game focused on swordplay where players had to master positioning and breaking the enemy's guard.
Elden Ring feels like a blend between Sekiro and Dark Souls III, where stance-breaking attacks are an important factor to keep in mind during battle. This is an excellent tool at players' disposal, as finding openings to use heavy/charged attacks will pay off even in the most grueling encounters. Successfully doing so leaves enemies vulnerable, creating an opening for a devastating Critical Attack.
Guard Counters
Another core component of the combat system in Elden Ring is the Guard Counter. It's one of the fundamentals the game teaches players in the tutorial, and can easily turn the tide of battle in the Tarnished's favor.
Successfully executing a Guard Counter is a calculated risk, of course, but if the player follows up a well-timed block with a heavy attack, the Guard Counter can catch even bosses off-guard. This attack works even better if it manages to lead into a Stance-Break. And while it's even riskier, players can now block with weapons like swords as well.
Stealth Combat
Again borrowing from Sekiro and notably different from Dark Souls, Elden Ring also makes stealth combat key to gameplay. With a dedicated crouch button players no longer have to resort to walking methodically slow to sneak up on enemies. Stealth being as fluid and deliberate as players like opens up a whole new avenue to approach combat.
Naturally, this lends itself well to ranged weapons like bows and crossbows to pick off enemies from afar but also makes backstabbing more seamless. Attacking from vantage points is another excellent way to deal massive damage in stealth situations.
Stakes Of Marika
Elden Ring retains the degree of difficulty of FromSoftware's past Souls-like games, but something it smartly streamlined was the "boss runs" back from reviving. It understandably felt a bit antiquated to some fans, and Elden Ring using the Stakes of Marika in addition to Sites of Grace as respawn points is a great answer to this.
These can be found in areas of a particular challenge even aside from boss fights, and players are given the option after death to respawn either at the last Site of Grace or Stake of Marika visited. It's a smooth feature to get players back into the action faster.
Straightforward Crafting
While crafting mechanics can become tedious open-world tropes like in many Ubisoft games, it can make a great addition to a game's gameplay when implemented with care. Blowing up FromSoft's formula onto an open-world canvas made crafting an expected - and perhaps even necessary - feature, and it's used painlessly in Elden Ring.
The game encourages players to loot whatever they can find in The Lands Between, with on-the-fly crafting available as soon as obtaining the Crafting Kit key item and expanding one's recipe book. Using this system is a good contribution to the in-game economy, as players won't always have to buy from vendors. As expected, it's also possible to sell items back to them.
Dedicated Jump Button
It's a very basic addition on paper, but players coming off Sekiro will especially feel at home with Elden Ring's combat and general open-world exploration with having a dedicated jump button.
With the latter having such a dense, content-rich open world that invites players to scour through every nook and cranny, having a dedicated jump button (and a double jump when riding Torrent) gives The Lands Between a breathtaking sense of verticality. Exploration is rewarding for it and offers yet another approach to combat, both on foot and mounted, in the process.
Day/Night Cycle & Dynamic Weather
Elden Ring has one of the most naturally implemented dynamic day/night/weather systems that work both in terms of gameplay and immersion. Using the cover of the night is the perfect option for players looking for stealthy approaches, likewise with heavy wind and rain.
However, they do come with tradeoffs, as the player will also have a harder time hearing/seeing enemies. Nighttime also brings out tougher enemies to roam the world that typically don't during the day. It's tailored to player choice, though, as time can be passed manually too when resting at a Site of Grace.
Overworld Events
To keep gameplay exciting when venturing from point A and point B, Elden Ring has special overworld events. These events further complement the sense of discovery prominent throughout the game, with players able to stumble upon these various encounters while traveling.
It's an important mechanic to have whenever roaming the land in between dungeon adventures, with two able to be triggered fairly early in the game. The dreaded Tree Sentinel is the easiest to find (and potentially fall victim to), as well as the menacing Flying Dragon Agheel in the lake of the same name.