
In my experience playing Elden Ring, it might initially seem similar to games like The Witcher or Skyrim, offering an expansive fantasy world filled with monsters, realms, and plenty of horseback riding. However, what sets this 2022 Game of the Year apart is its unique, challenging gameplay style, often referred to as “soulsborne” – a term associated with Hidetaka Miyazaki’s work at FromSoftware.
In Elden Ring, I found myself navigating through various hostile creatures and bosses, collecting runes (formerly known as souls) upon defeating them. Yet, the game carries a distinct risk-reward mechanism: if I perish before redeeming my runes, they vanish into thin air. Upon respawning, I get one chance to return and reclaim my lost runes at their exact location, but if I meet my demise again before reaching them, the runes are gone forever.