Each passing week is getting closer and closer to a date circled in many gamers' calendars. We are talking about nothing less than the upcoming game Elden Ring, which is expected to be released on 25 February 2022. The game has been much anticipated since the company, BANDAI NAMCO, released a trailer back in June earlier this year.

The excitement is very much warranted, the game shows great promise in terms of quality, gameplay, and we can also assume that the storyline will be top tier. The game is a much-awaited collaboration between FromSoftware Inc. and renowned American Novelist George R.R Martin, most known for Game of Thrones.


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The Experience Has To Be First Class

The three-minute trailer showed a lot, and gamers worldwide quickly turned into amateur sleuths trying to puzzle together bits and details from the video. One of the things most fans seemed to agree upon is the fact that Elden Ring strongly resembles the game Dark Souls.

The Dark Soul trilogy created a winning formula with its incredible gameplay and well-defined world. It was created with immense precision and detail. Much like when you pick your favourite new casino, the research, trialling various properties and weighing out the options, the development team put the same amount of work in to deliver what they hope will be a top gaming experience. To achieve such a level, the developers would have also considered what players and fans enjoyed in previous games and releases.

It was expected that there could be some resemblance between the Elden Ring and the beloved trilogy. Yet, many fans were surprised by the resemblance, which makes for an exciting and brewing narrative leading up to the game's official release.

Previous Releases of FromSoftware

FromSoftware has released many games in the past that all have some elements that have been influenced or inspired by the Dark Soul trilogy. This does not say much, however, since Soul-playbook has influenced the whole genre of RPGs. It more or less became a norm to have distinct worlds and significant innovations to combat.

FromSoftwares, earlier releases have had minor and insignificant similarities to the beloved trilogy, so it has never even warranted a conversation. However, in the case of Elden Ring, things are very different, and it goes deeper than just superficially following the Dark Soul playbook.

The story of Elden Ring puts you in the life of a person whose people have been exiled. You belong to the Tarnished. You are in a world called Lands Between. The goal is to take down Elden Ring's bosses, bring the scattered pieces of the people together, brandish the elden ring and ultimately become the Elden Lord.

If you are familiar with FromSoftwares earlier games, you know that they often like to include some winks and references back to their previous titles, and this is the case even when the games do not share the same world or even universe.

This is an ambitious project from FromSoftwares side, probably one of their most extensive so far. And judging by the impressive trailer, this appears to very much be the case.

Rumour Has It

George R.R Martin said in an interview that the sequel to a video game from a few years ago called Dark Souls. This, of course, sparked a lot of comments and stirred the pot immensely. However, it is believed that Martin meant to say spiritual successor or instead meant that he was inspired by the trilogy when writing the story for Elden Ring.

This has also been confirmed on numerous occasions in both the trailer and on the game's official website. So we can confidently deduce that this is not Dark Souls 4 or a game that is even remotely in the same universe. With that said, though, we do not think that we should rule out the possibility the developers will probably fill the game with some fun easter eggs. All we can do is simply wait.


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The game's storyline is also rumored to have several layers and provide the players the opportunity to venture out in the game's well-developed world and find their own way. The game is also said to have multiple endings so that you can have maximum freedom of choice. Elden Ring is set to allow you to explore the open world with a lot of freedom to find your ideal way of playing. One would almost imply that this is Dark Soul-esque, taking tactics from the Soul playbook and evolving them. Hopefully, Elden Ring positively contributes to the evolution of the fantasy RPG genre, similar to how Dark Souls once did.

Conclusion

We need to consider Elden Ring as an independent game with its own unique story for everyone's sake. It is funny that the developers have leaned into the connections that the game appears to have with the Dark Souls trilogy, but we should still not compare these games to each other. To do them justice, we should try to enjoy them as separate adventures.