Elden Ring is scheduled for release in February 2022, and fans of FromSoftware's "Soulsborne" series can't wait to get their hands on it. Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has collaborated on the game's setting and lore, giving gamers even more reasons to be excited.
Fans on Reddit have been filling the time until the game's release by discussing what they're most looking forward to, and what they most hope to see in the latest installment of the beloved franchise. Whether it's the tight parrying of Sekiro or the worthwhile exploration within Dark Souls 2, fans are hoping Elden Ring is a culmination of all of the best elements from the previous games.
The Ability To Envision Themselves Playing It
For one user, their wish list is simple: "I just want to see myself playing it." An obvious sentiment perhaps, but indicative of the varying, eclectic experiences offered by FromSoftware.
The Soulsborne games have all had their own specific feel, leaving some fans alienated when a shift in the series' formula occurred. The Souls games, Bloodborne, and Sekiro all have their own particular combat systems, and with the upcoming entry, the last thing any fan wants is to find it's not the experience they were hoping for.
Awe-Inspiring Areas Like DS2
For one user, they want the incredible world-building and exploration from DS2. They felt that the second game was "like an adventure through ancient worlds which I hope makes a return with Elden Ring."
While there are some who consider Dark Souls 2 to be the weakest entry in the series, the game's atmospheric and memorable settings are usually praised regardless of what one thinks of the rest of the game. Some of the most immersive locations in the Soulsborne series can be found in that game, and a similar world would be most welcome in Elden Ring.
New Movesets For Weapon Classes
For one user, the movesets for weapons have started to feel a bit recycled. "I know we'll have interchangeable weapon arts, but they're situational and won't make up for reused movesets IMO. I just want combat to feel new and exciting to match the world. Maybe I've just sunk too much time into the series."
One of the first things many fans do when playing a new Soulsborne game for the first time is test out the combo attacks. Chaining together one-handed, two-handed, light, and heavy attacks with a halberd feels different than doing so with a greatsword, which feels different than a cestus, etc. However, the animations have become overly familiar over the years. One of the best things for fans would be playing Elden Ring and immediately seeing a whole new move set per weapon class.
Make It Rain (Literally)
For one user, they've apparently found the locations in past games rather dry. According to them, "I literally just want an entire zone devoted to rain. Please FromSoftware! I NEED MY RAIN!!"
A giant kingdom fit for gods, a Bowser-esque lava castle, and a nightmarish shantytown in a swamp of pestilence has shown fans just what the FromSoftware can do with a cool concept. With such a high standard of interesting locations, they could certainly deliver an awesome rainy level, with enemies and bosses designed to suit the area's themes. It certainly sounds like an area that would introduce a new entry into the list of the most annoying enemies in the Soulsborne series.
Make Archery Viable
For one user, they want the bows and arrows to pack a bigger punch. To their point, "I want better bow mechanics, like maybe a farther lock on, mobility and speed."
The dozens of bows in the series may be cool to look at and even fire shiny projectiles, but they've never been much use in a fight. Big shields, dodge rolls of invincibility, and the superiority of swords and sorcery have made archery an obsolete afterthought. Aside from "aggroing" a single enemy from a distant pack, or cheesing enemies who can't return fire, there's never been much incentive for gamers to unleash their inner Katniss. There's no explanation required for why there are no ranged weapons on the list of the best weapons in the Dark Souls series.
Diverse Magic Spells
For one user, they want spells that do different things, instead of just doing the same thing more proficiently. "A larger variety of spells, rather than just a handful of spells that you can get better versions of. That might be too much to ask for though. The amount of spells in DS3 is nice but a lot of them feel too similar."
Indeed, while there are a great many incantations that gamers can wield, most of them boil down to either dealing or healing damage. More spells that do cool things like disguise the player as a piece of scenery, or turn dead enemies into explosive traps, would be most welcome to find in Elden Ring.
A Counter System Similar To Sekiro's
For one user, they want more of Sekiro's highly addictive swordplay. They opined that "I would like to see a counter system at least inspired by Sekiro. To me, it's still the best combat system in any From game. The boss fights were incredibly immersive."
To anyone familiar with the parry mechanics in question, it did indeed appear to be the future of countering in the series, if not for the Souls-like genre in general. Each boss acted as an unforgiving skill test of the exacting timing, while beating the final boss required the player to become one with the game's rhythmic dance of attacking and defending.
Anti-Cheat
For one user, they're sick of being invaded by hackers. In their words, "I hope this time, Fromsoft has learned to develop a better anti-cheat system. People running around with hacks, invading and corrupting player files is not fun, and also they need to improve their net code for these games."
The unique multiplayer offered in Soulsborne games allows gamers to summon others as friendly blue phantoms, or invade others as murderous red phantoms. The game's trailer revealed that phantoms would be making their return, but hopefully, the cheaters won't be making theirs. Fans should be sure to check out the top 10 moments from the Elden Ring trailer for more things to get excited about.
The Rusty Iron Ring
For this one user, their build has one essential item: "I'd love the return of the Rusty Iron ring, which removes the movement speed penalty while traveling in deep water, marsh, tar, etc."
One of the best uses for this item was invading areas with deep water and sprinting towards players who slowly trudge around without it. Though another user replied that Elden Ring should "...abandon all that slow-walking environmental stuff altogether, it's so mind-numbingly boring." Perhaps that's the real scariest enemy of the Dark Souls series: Tedium.
Hidden Paths To Interesting Places
For one user, they can't wait to take the road less traveled: "The moments I'm most excited for are moments where I'm walking through some spooky forest and find a hidden cave. Or I go into the subterranean labyrinth and there is a ladder that leads up into some old ruins."
DS1 featured Ash Lake, an underground beach area guarded by a giant hydra. To get there, players first needed to traverse a giant hollow tree, which was hidden behind an illusory wall at the end of a giant poison swamp, in the opposite direction of forward progress. As long as the seemingly pointless exploration of a distant corner in a dreary, dreadful, and dangerous place is likewise rewarded with interesting areas, enemies, items, and covenants to discover, many fans will get what they want.