Roundup: Elden Ring Previews Suggest It Will Be Worth The Wait

Elden Ring is one of the most anticipated games in a long time. The levels of hype are astronomical and the fanbase is foaming at the mouth to learn more about the next title by FromSoftware.

Luckily, a ton of previews have surfaced today dropping a boatload of new information. From being able to fast travel from anywhere to multiple optional encounters, the world of Elden Ring seems to be the biggest Souls-like world so far.

Multiple media outlets managed to feast their eyes on over 15 minutes of gameplay this week, with an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the majority.

Here are just a few of the preview articles:

Eurogamer

"Don't think for a second that Elden Ring has gone soft on you though - this is a From Software game through and through from what I've seen, and despite this demo leaving me with more questions than ever before, I cannot wait to get my hands on the game come January."

IGN

"Going back to the theme of player choice, all throughout the presentation I was reminded at just how much freedom and choice was offered to the player. The freedom to go in any direction right from the start in the open field; the freedom to engage or not engage the passive roaming enemies; the choice of whether to run or fight when the dragon swooped down; the choice of stealth or reckless violence when attacking the enemy camp; and the choice of whether to go through the main or side entrance in the Legacy Dungeon."

Gamespot

"My biggest takeaway from the short gameplay demo I saw is that, yes, Elden Ring is an open-world game, but not the kind that I've become thoroughly exhausted by in recent years. It doesn't seem like we'll be going through the motions of repeating three kinds of side-mission in between moving from one designated main story point to the other, and occasionally being distracted by some sort of meaningless trinket to collect."

Polygon

"There will be other familiar elements from FromSoftware games past: fast travel via Elden Ring’s equivalent of bonfires (Sites of Lost Light); a young maiden who will help them level up and learn new skills (her name is Melina); a hub world where friends and allies met in the fields will congregate; and fragmented storytelling that will let the player interpret the events and history of this world. It will also be, in the FromSoftware tradition, a challenging game. The developer may encapsulate that best in its own description of Elden Ring: 'a good, old-fashioned RPG.'"

The Verge

"One thing that hasn’t changed: Elden Ring still has the inventive and often horrifying monsters for which From games are known. During a brief gameplay video I witnessed gigantic dragons, a troll that look ripped from Attack on Titan, an unsettlingly stretchy snake-man, and a boss that looked like a whole bunch of dead bodies smushed together. At one point there was a giant bird with swords in its talons, tossing explosive barrels at the player."

Elden Ring will be launching on January 21 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Judging by the sound of these previews, it sounds as though it'll be worth the wait.

Are you looking forward to Elden Ring? Let us know in the comments below.