The video gaming world has been buzzing about the reveal of and E3 2021, fans didn't know what to expect from the project. However, there's plenty of information to now dive into thanks to recent interviews, presentations, and trailers.
Amongst these details are news on the developers, the creators behind the project, the gameplay mechanics and engine being used, as well as the premise for the game and some intriguing narrative information. Needless to say, for those eagerly anticipating the game's release, there's a lot of informative reports to unpack.
Developers
It was revealed early on that the epic Elden Ring would be developed by FromSoftware and published under the Bandai NAMCO banner. The studios are veterans of the industry and have turned in some truly memorable titles. However, there's one game series that they've produced which Elden Ring clearly draws inspiration from.
Both Dark Souls franchises have been created by the combination of FromSoftware and Bandai NAMCO. Elden Ring has many similarities to these previous projects, so much so that fans have theorized that they could all take place in the same universe.
Premise
Bandai NAMCO has been very tight-lipped about the premise of the game until recent industry presentations. Their official site has since written out a full synopsis for the title which gives fans a great amount of detail on what kind of story they should come to expect!
"The Golden Order has been broken. Rise, Tarnished, and be guided by grace to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the Lands Between. In the Lands Between ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal, the Elden Ring, the source of the Erdtree, has been shattered. Marika's offspring, demigods all, claimed the shards of the Elden Ring known as the Great Runes, and the mad taint of their newfound strength triggered a war: The Shattering. A war that meant abandonment by the Greater Will. And now the guidance of grace will be brought to the Tarnished who were spurned by the grace of gold and exiled from the Lands Between. Ye dead who yet live, your grace long lost, follow the path to the Lands Between beyond the foggy sea to stand before the Elden Ring. And become the Elden Lord."
Creators
One of the largest selling points of the title is the names behind Elden Ring. The two main creators of the game are some of the entertainment industry's most celebrated artists. The original story and lore have been written by George R.R. Martin, creator of The Song Of Ice And Fire Game Of Thrones.
Hidetaka Miyazaki is also on board for the project, who worked with FromSoftware on their previous Demon's Souls and Dark Souls titles. Speaking with IGN, Miyazaki revealed that Martin set out a lot of great groundwork before his own team built the gameplay functionality and narrative around his work.
Gameplay Engine And Mechanics
While most next-gen games are looking to utilize brand new engines to develop their games, it looks like Elden Rings will continue working on the same software that FromSoftware has used Dark Souls. Reports that this was the case can be traced back as far as 2020.
While Unreal Engine 4 or 5 won't be on the table, there will be significant lighting improvements within the engine being used. What's more, the game will take full advantage of its engine's capabilities, working with an enhanced stealth mode, dynamic weather patterns, and complex NPCs.
Multiplayer Options
The Dark Souls titles were well renowned for their multiplayer options, with other players being brought into a personal campaign to help turn the tide of battle. It has been confirmed that Elden Ring will learn from past multiplayer features and evolve them into something quite different.
Treading a new path, players will be able to call upon ghosts and past enemies to ally with in the field and partner up with customized characters designed by other gamers. There will also be a keyword system that acts as a matchmaker to help players connect with one another.
Character Customization
Character customization is an important part of any RPG. For a fantasy title like Elden Ring, it's vital that there are plenty of options so that a player feels fully immersed in this unbelievable world. Bandai NAMCO has promised a deep range of customizable features though.
Details are still pretty loose on the way in which these customization options will work, but it has been confirmed that the look and personality of the player will be completely unique and individual in every copy of the game. The customization suite will probably be a lot of fun to play around with.
Multiple Endings
There are perhaps few better examples of a Knights Of The Old Republic franchises. But Elden Ring looks to perhaps rival those examples when it comes to the audience actually being a part of the story.
Not only has the game been said to be around 30 hours long with the basic campaign, to allow player's choices to develop, but it also features multiple endings. Players have an array of options for how they want to tackle the story and don't even have to fight every boss battle.
The Lands Between
The setting of Elden Ring is The Lands Between. This is a world that George R.R. Martin himself has created and the synopsis goes a long way in helping the audience understand the conflict that has arisen in this landscape. Mechanically speaking though, The Lands Between are separated out into six major areas.
Featuring a hub in the middle which connects all these spaces together, each one of the areas boasts a different type of terrain, various characters, and alternative civilizations. Most of all though, each of the areas will be ruled over by a Demi-God which will have a piece of the Elden Ring and act as a boss battle.
Trailer
At E3 in 2019, the developers released a trailer teasing their latest project, Elden Ring. The trailer is still available to watch, but the visuals appear to be a little limited compared to what the studio could achieve with a next-gen console. E3 2021 showed the game's full potential.
The initial trailer felt more cinematic in nature and held a lot back because the developer was in the early stages of production. The latest trailer is based around the gameplay though, featuring footage from within the engine itself while also filling in some narrative gaps for audiences.
Release Date
Elden Ring has been given an official release date of January 21st, 2022. Despite its release sitting firmly within the age of the next console, the game will be releasing on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well as Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5.
The release date appears to be pretty secure at this point. There's still plenty of time for the developers to make any last-minute changes and while the global situation might have slowed down the production process, the release date has been announced after the potential for any delays has largely ed.