Our best look at Elden Ring is here thanks to a 15-minute gameplay video shown off by developer FromSoftware. The footage isn’t completely unedited, but the long cuts of combat and exploration still do a great job at showing off wide-ranging landscapes and gargantuan bosses. A dragon enemy is the first combat encounter shown, as it strikes from the skies without warning and breathes fire from afar. Elden Ring’s scale is no doubt impressive, but a bit of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice-like stealth proves that FromSoftware gives players the freedom to approach situations however they would like.
Freedom to explore and tackle the wilderness is something seen in the sprawling open-world gameplay as well. In the video, lighting strikes as the Elden Ring player rides their horse through a field just before an invading player teases the character to jump from a high ledge to engage in battle. But just as there are long atmospheric paths through open fields and lush fall forests, Elden Ring promises dense dungeons, caves, and caverns that offer bosses, treasures, and, of course, traps. FromSoftware adds that these darker, hidden areas are designed with experimentation and strategy in mind, so you’ll likely become familiar with each multi-layered level as you die over and over again. Meanwhile, a map will help navigate the populated open world and allow players to set waypoints.
Elden Ring looks just as weird as Dark Souls and Bloodborne, too, with Alexander aka the Iron Fist being one of the quirkiest NPCs we’ve seen in a while. We’re also introduced to Melina, a mysterious, cloaked character with a scarred eye. It’s unclear how she’ll play a role in FromSoftware’s next title, but the emphasis the Elden Ring gameplay video puts on her is intriguing to say the least. Several bosses are shown off in the 15 minutes of Elden Ring gameplay, but one of the most impressive spectacles comes toward the end when we’re introduced to a particularly handsy enemy with a dragon head for an arm.
Elden Ring launches February 25, 2022, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S. Today’s gameplay presentation also revealed a collector’s edition, which includes a 40-page artbook, digital soundtrack, special gesture, and statue of Malenia and her Blade of Miquella. Purchasing the Elden Ring Collector’s Edition will cost you $189.99, but if you really want to show your support, you can buy the premium collector’s edition, which comes with all of the previously mentioned goodies but adds in a life-size helmet collectible. The premium collector’s edition is not yet up for preorder, but when it is eventually sent live, you’ll need to purchase it from the Bandai Namco Store.
