Elden Ring, the upcoming game from the developers of Dark Souls, was originally slated for release on January 21, 2022. It has since been pushed back more than a month to February 25, 2022. That is unfortunate for games that are coming out the same day, as Elden Ring is expected to be a big release. In fact, some games coming out the same day have been delayed as well, such as the reboot of Saints Row.
There are some very good reasons to delay a game, especially one as complex as Elden Ring. The main reason for this is that the developers need extra time to polish the game. They will spend that time fixing bugs and testing the game to make sure it is the best possible quality upon release.
Elden Ring had a closed network test too, allowing selected players a chance to try out the game. Though Elden Ring is largely a single-player game, it does have multiplayer aspects. Players can join up to take down bosses together, or even fight one another in PvP. Additionally, they can leave messages for each other, warning of dangers ahead. For the closed network test, the development team wanted to test out the game’s servers, so hopefully, at launch, the servers won’t be overloaded, which is a common problem when new games release.
Elden Ring Delay: The Game May Need Extra Time To Get Polished
Considering that Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s biggest game to date, it makes sense that the developers may need the extra time to make sure things are functioning smoothly. After all, players have seen time and time again what happens when games are released too early. There are many games that were released well ahead of when they should have and subsequently had disastrous launches. No Man’s Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 are notorious examples. Both games have seen numerous patches and updates and now are in much better condition than when they launched. Still, releasing before they were ready inevitably hurt them.
Launching in a buggy and unfinished state would not be a good look for Elden Ring, so it is instead delayed. Elden Ring's new release date is only a five-week difference, so players don’t have to wait too long. It gives them time to play other games, or maybe play through one of From Software’s earlier games, such as the games in the Dark Souls trilogy.
In fact, it would probably be good practice for when the game does release. There are a lot of similarities between Elden Ring and Dark Souls. Players who have experienced the unforgiving magnificence of FromSoftware’s earlier game series will undoubtedly be able to draw many comparisons. Names may change, but many items and gameplay elements are similar. Sites of Grace in Elden Ring basically function like bonfires in Dark Souls, in that both act as save points. Flasks of Crimson Tears are like Dark Souls’ Estus Flasks. Both restore HP and are replenished at the save points.
Combat looks similar between the games as well. The Dark Souls games already were known for having a solid combat system, and FromSoftware got to experiment with variations on this combat system in Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. There’s no need to drastically change what already works, so instead, Elden Ring simply adds more options. This includes mounted combat and a limited stealth system. Additionally, since the game is open-world, and players will come upon larger groups of enemies, players will have new ways of dealing with them as well.
Moreover, the previous games in FromSoftware’s catalog are known for having enthralling and challenging boss fights. In the trailer for Elden Ring, players got to see some of these fights play out, as well as get a glimpse into the game’s unique boss design, such as Margit the Fell Omen. This Demigod has extra fingers on his too many arms, hinting that there are things that have gone horribly wrong with the world in which Elden Ring is set. That seems to be a recurring theme in many games that FromSoftware has made, so fans have much to look forward to when Elden Ring does eventually release.
Elden Ring's Delayed Release Date May Be Good
FromSoftware was first founded all the way back in 1986 and in recent years have become known for releasing quality games. That kind of hard work has mostly paid off with its previous game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, winning Game of the Year for 2019 in addition to winning Best Action/Adventure Game. It was nominated for several other awards, including Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction, and Best Audio Design. This means that the pressure is on for Elden Ring. There is a lot of hype riding on this game for several reasons.
First, the game is directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, president of FromSoftware, and director of the other games previously mentioned, except for Dark Souls 2. His style has been influential, and he has won several awards. Another reason why many are excited about Elden Ring is that it is co-written by George R.R. Martin. Martin is most famous for writing the series A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into the hugely popular Game of Thrones tv show. The show’s quality declined in later seasons, and the book series has yet to be finished. Nevertheless, his writing still has had a huge impact on pop culture. Miyazaki’s previous games frequently tell their stories through character conversations, item descriptions, and environmental cues, so it will be interesting to see what special flavor Martin’s writing brings into the mix.
Elden Ring certainly has a lot of potential, so it is imperative that its developers take the time to make sure to get it right. Five weeks isn’t a lot of time to make major changes within the game. Even now, the game is largely finished, and it is in the stages of being polished. Simply speaking, the developers just need a little more time to make it shine. With a game as large as Elden Ring, there will still undoubtedly be bugs that will require patching after the game has been released. Hopefully, they will be things like minor graphic glitches, or things fixed by restarting the game, rather than game-breaking bugs.