I wish you and the Hive-Gaming community a very merry christmas!
Even if some countries are going through a really tough time, I hope you all can spent some time with your beloved ones in peace and safety.
My wife and I will be leaving soon for our yearly christmas dinner, but first...
Well, I made a purchase that was long overdue.
Steam Christmas sale made it unavoidable and I finally purchased Elden Ring!
The game sends you into a world for which not only series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki, but this time also George R. R. Martin have dug into the dark corners of their minds.
Since the disappearance of Queen Marika and the shattering of the Eldenring, demigods gone mad have been marauding through the lands.
Instead of noble lords and ladies, decay and madness now reign, and the world is sinking into chaos.
In order to appoint a new Elder Lord to restore order, the stained ones are brought out of their graves.
Among them, my self-created character.
A new hero rises...
However, so that you don't declare yourself a hero right away, the first enemy you encounter will probably disassemble you first. First death, then the tutorial.
Opening the doors to certain death... but also great adventures!
Elden Ring creates a refreshing contrast to its gloomy scenario the moment you enter the game world for the first time.
I have a lush green forest landscape in front of me, goats roll merrily in the grass, and the earth tree shines in the sky.
Alright, the crucified corpses that scream their guts out at night, deviant monsters and buildings that have sunk into the ground might dampen the vacation mood a bit.
But it's not only the cryptically told story that will lure you into every corner of the world. The game also manages to awaken the explorer in you non-stop.
Since your map is still empty when you reach a new area, you'll have to orient yourself by the country's architecture, geography and art design. And all of this has been impressively transformed by the developers.
Everywhere you look, massive fortresses, towers and striking rock formations rise into the sky.
YOU DIED
Enemies are aggressive and fast that Elden Ring throws at your feet.
In the beginning, you'll fight the usual enemy material, i.e. knights, zombies and annoying dogs. However, as the game progresses, the enemies become more and more grotesque and dangerous.
There are land octopuses that eat their own tentacles, puppet soldiers with four arms and two bows, and dancing flower women that bite their arm and spit blood at you.
The enemies are wonderfully creative and deviantly designed.
Besides, they will make you sweat with nasty tricks and many attack patterns.
Event the short tutorial which teaches you the basics of the game, is dark and dangerous. The tutorial itself is limited to basic movement and tactics anyway.
Of course I died.
To be honest, it took me exactly 23 minutes for my first death.
The fact that this is my first game playing with a controller (I only used for Forza Horizon/Motorsport :D ) doesn't make it easier.
Although, I have to admit, even as a controller refusenik, using a controller seems to be more practical and easier than using a keyboard.
Yep, the small tutorial boss showed me how the dice roll
After all, it is my first souls like at all... so it will take some time to get used to a controller and its buttons and the game mechanics...
Second try... good enough
Anyways, after a couple of hours I totally understand the hype around this game.
The world is beautifully designed, the enemies are vicious and sometimes pure hightmares and the exploration of the world is joyfull.
Defeating monsters after several tries is motivating and bulding your character up to new strengths is awarding.
For my own surprise, I actually did not rage quitted yet, even after getting abused as a wetmop several times.
Maybe, the christmas peace will not be distracted too much after all
Elden Ring is currently on Sale and available for about 42€ ON STEAM