Elden Ring - 1 Year Later 

Honestly the game is so massive that I only recently went back to play it after 10 or so months and I couldn't remember where anything was.

Maybe the fact that your initial experience was so awesome and long lived is a wholly acceptable trade off for the lack of replay ability you felt. I’m still on my first play through and enjoying the game but I think that I may well feel the same way as you when I’m finished. To me, the game was worth every penny even if I never go back to it. Great thought provoking video, thanks.

Elden ring is my first FS game. I usually only play online shooters, but figures I'd give this one a try. All the hype had to be for something I figured. I'm now over 300 hrs in on 2 different characters. This is one of my favorite games of all time. Idk if everyone ranks it among "the best games ever" but for me, it's definitely up there

Elden Rings experience relies very much on the exploration aspect. That just means that the 1. playthrough is really magical, thats how these type of games work. And every future run is a challenge run you impose on yourself.

I kinda agree with you, but with ER the journey itself is so fun that I don't mind doing everything again, because each time I explore, I find something new. Not to mention the fact that when you change your build the game changes so much. I agree with you that you are constantly longing for that magical first playthrough. But that goes for all great open world games right? I mean, I would do ANYTHING if I could experience Witcher 3 for the first time.

I share the sentiment, and I don't see it as a bad thing. The first Elden Ring playthrough consumed me, it was magical. The second playthrough was less so, but then I realized; the first time, I played Elden Ring, the second time I played a Souls game. It was linear, less exploration and more of what you described; going for the optimal thing for my build and playing the game that way. The same way you'd play any other FS game.

I just platinumed Elden Ring today, I would say yes. After my first playthrough I wasn't done with the game so I went back and got Ranni's ending, but was starting to crash and lose intrest. I hadn't touched the game in 9 months, but last week I got the urge to play it again and got the Lord of the Frenzied Flame and felt similar joy and excitement I felt a year ago when I played it for the first time. It may not be my favorite game, but it sure is one hell of a game that deserves every bit of praise it gets.

Man after I beat the game the first time, I immediately played it two more times and platinum it. Did a samurai/dex, godslayer/strength, and finally a mage. Now I’m playing DS3 for the first time and Waiting for the ER DLC and it’s fire 🔥

I am wholeheartedly content with how they made the game. I’ve beat all from games after I first played ER! But no game has EVER given me such a great In the moment experience. I’ve replayed BB, Ds3 and Ds2 a couple times also

I've already played through the game four times, and I'm excitedly anticipating my fifth. I can't relate to this idea that the game has nothing of value left in replays. My second playthrough was done knowing where everything was, giving me a completely different, power trip of an experience. My third playthrough was done with an item randomizer, recreating the initial experience of not knowing where anything is, and being constantly surprised with unique armours and items. My fourth playthrough was done with doubled enemies, bumping up the difficulty which had long waned. And my fifth playthrough will be in first person. I can't wait!

It probably depends on how a person thinks. When I'm traveling I'm scheming. I'm not so much getting from A to B as much as I am planning things while on a horse riding around.

It's easy to be overwhelmed by the freedom you have playing ER. I think players need to apply restrictions in order to not fall into this freedom trap. Don't use Torrent, for instance (except spire and other places where it is required). I played an explorer of Limgrave and Weeping Peninsula repeatedly with all the builds I tried as if playing for the first time. For me, playing a game does not have to be efficient, but I understand that people have limited time to waste.

Don't feel the same way personally. I have just as much fun with my multiple playthroughs, just different. It's nice to feel less powerless while still being challenged. The great things about Fromsoft games is even when you over grind, unless you're an incredibly seasoned and skilled player, the game is still pretty challenging and it's fun to go back through to see how much better than last time I can handle things.

I found the best way of playing elden ring is on a fresh character, I don't explore dungeons or do quests unless I need to and I don't try to kill every boss except the main ones, I just plan on doing a certain build and plan my route accordingly and build my character gradually and it's fun because of how much freedom and build variety there is, I don't think elden ring is a game you should 100% at least not on a single playthrough

Yes. It is. Not a shadow of a doubt. From's design is a timeless classic.

It's the sort of game that gives you one of the best gaming experiences ever on your first playthrough, but thereafter is maybe a once a year kind of game unless you're a challenge runner. But that's OK, that one experience alone makes for one of the best games of all time.

The things I would do to walk into limgrave for the first time

My second play through has been just as enjoyable as my first

I've played through Elden Ring over 20 times by now. I started noticing the issue you bring up after my first three times since I didn't look anything up. I solved the issue by limiting my access to the open world. I wouldn't level my weapon past the appropriate level for the next boss, I would not farm runes and I would try new things every time I play. This way I don't break the game and I make use of everything the devs put into the game

I had the exact same experience when I first played this game except it never got old to me.. even over a year later, I will turn it on every so often to explore some more or just retread old ground, it always keeps me interested.. I am just glad I can enjoy the game for what it is and not be like Oh woe is me now its boring because I've seen it already.. Just saying.

this was beautiful to watch. your poetic narration and the gameplay is gem

My second playthrough wasnt a speed run cause i was testing out different builds using different weapons i came across. i certainly didnt know where everything was just because i’d play the game once already there are hundreds of items in this game. it sounds like you’re creating a checklist for ur build using the wiki and then bee lining for those items which is fine but i dont think thats what they had in mind. It’s basically speedrunning the game which is why it will feel that way if thats what you are doing.

Thank you for putting into words why I never felt like going back to Elden Ring. I've played and beaten every From Software game multiple times, ran several builds and played many NG+++'s in each game. I still come back to them almost yearly, DS3 and Bloodborne being my personal favorites, but I've tried several times to get back into ER and I just can't do it. Probably the best game ever for a 1st playthrough it was almost perfect, game is incredible but I don't see myself going back, and there's nothing wrong with that, I have the other From games to play.

Funnily enough ER is the only one I am playing multiple times. I never played again of ds1, 2 or 3 or bb

I agree this was a memorable experience, my cousin in the Bahamas and friends in Florida did the co-op and we stayed up all night leveling up and laughing

Always nice to see a vid from our boy Tonald Loke!

Patch 1.03 added a lot of smithing stones into the world and made a lot of enemies drop smithing stones more frequently; especially the soldiers and knights, and it made the stones cost less. For the small dungeons, I would double the health of many of the human sized bosses (excluding Limgrave), and made every single boss recharge your rune arc. If you were stuck on a harder boss, you could cool off with a bit of side content and return to the boss with the slight buff of your rune arc being activated. I was able to get an enjoyable new playthrough by playing Rune Level 1, solo, and specifically doing each region in order before I can move on to the next one. (Limgrave, then Liurnia, then Caelid sans Dragonbarrow but with the Divine Tower, then Altus and so on), and by limiting horse use to only going between places I had already been to. I've had a ton of fun this way, and side content feels more worthwhile when it actually poses a challenge.

Hey there nice video, you bring up some good points. It's fully understandable to feel like not wanting to replay Elden Ring as much as previous games. Though I do feel like the game does have replay ability maybe even more than the previous games. It does heavily rely on two types of playstyles for that replay ability in my mind. The first being players who set specific goals for themselves. This includes speedrunners and challange runners but also just people who stick to a specific boss progression to keep the boss fights more interesting. And the second playstyle being perfectionists. The bosses in Elden Ring compared to previous From Software games have intricate usage of moves. This makes the skill ceiling higher for bosses especially when looking at rememberance bosses. As one from software fan to another I just wanted to share what I felt when playing and replaying Elden Ring. If one day you have that itch to play it again I would recommend trying to go with one of these mindsets. You might come to really enjoy Elden Ring in a completely different way to previous FS games or even your first playthroughs.

I disagree but because I started playing Elden Ring December of 2022, and recently just beat it… all the reviews were talking about how everything was so hard that my first play through was about how to get as OP as possible before every boss. Also, most npc are hostile so I sort of did my first playthrough how no one should lol. I was impressed with the world and everything but it was overshadowed by rune farming and getting my moon veil build as good as possible. I just started NG+ a couple of days ago, and I am playing it with peace on a new different build while exploring since I know I destroy anything that’s hostile. I’m excited to go through caves without any hurry to grab what I need and leave but to explore all that I can. Like, I’m level 279 at ng+ so yeah lol I’m ready to have fun with the game and not sweat about it dying and losing my runes to level up since one level is more than 700k at that level lol

After i finished the game i immediately went through it again 3 times. Just looking for secrets, little nooks and crannies i might have missed, went for the platinum trophy. Tried weird builds for invasion etc. I still go back to it quite often

I know this sounds far fetched, but hear me out: in this sense Elden Ring feels to me kinda like Outer Wilds. Both are absolutely unforgettable experiences, and I will never forget playing them, but most of their value was in discovery, and unfortunately the fact that they are so memorable kind of works against them for replayability. That said, I wouldn't have them ANY OTHER WAY. In a way, I feel like the fact that they are "limited", that they "run out" for you makes them more special. I am SO SAD that Outer Wilds is completely and utterly impossible to replay, more than any other game I've ever played, and I would spend an UNGODLY AMOUNT OF MONEY to be able to delete my memory and experience it again... But isn't this a testament to its greatness? Elden Ring is not quite on the same level of unreplayability, but I feel like it makes us sad in the same way: it was so unbeliveably good we just wish we could experience it again for the first time. I think it's ultimately good we can't, because it gives these experiences more meaning.

Seamless co-op mod is absolutely must. Get it and you will have forever fun as Elden Ring is now a full fledged DnD party adventure

It's about what you want out of the game. I never play NG+ in these games, I have no desire to play through with all my top gear, maxed out character in a world full of familiar enemies with bigger numbers. I always start entirely new games with an entirely new build in mind and the fun for me is figuring out how to make this new idea work in the game or if it even CAN work in the game. So I keep coming back to Elden Ring over and over to try new things because that's how I've always played these games. My first playthrough of Dark Souls 1 probably took longer than all of my friends because I'd keep getting to Anor Londo, exiting my game, start on a new file and try out a whole new character with all new gear and spells and stats just to get to the same point and do it over and over until finally deciding to pick one of them to actually finish the game with. I still go back to Dark Souls 1 now just to do the same thing, trying out new stuff and new ideas. Sure, there's nothing in the world left to surprise me. There are no new items, no new enemies and no new areas to explore, but that's not what keeps the experience "fresh" for me. It's about how I can game the game, how I can master the mechanics, how I can make new builds viable and try out stuff I hadn't my first seven times through. Not for meta or the world or the story, but for the sheer "what if" factor, for the systems and mechanics. I guess that's what sets me apart from some people that play these games and it's why I find such enjoyment in them. I approach them the same way I would a new playthrough of Fallout: New Vegas. New character, fresh start, new ideas, ready to try it all out and see how it goes. I wish more games gave me that kind of freedom.

New Game Plus 13. And 3 characters with New Game Plus 4. I freaking love it.

On my 9th run now and by now I obviously stopped exploring, yet I still every now and then find something new. And testing new builds for each run is so much fun and always feel like a different game.

I played it again after a year and I had no clue where stuff was. I’m also not good enough to skip a lot because I’d be under leveled so I still had to go do things on the side. I was thinking that I would be bored of it coming back because it wouldn’t have the fun of being new but I had almost as much fun as my first play through

One thing i appreciate from this game is that lack of constant dialogues and chattering. There are no edgy marvel esc/anime one liners for your character to spill every minute or a navi like character that constantly talks and doesn't shut up for one sec through out your adventure. It's just you,your horse and the lands between and you can take it all in and when there is actual Dialogue,it's never a miss and all of them are equally memorable. Playing this game feels like i am reading an amazing book with deeper lore the more you dig in rather than watching a blockbuster movie where such games feels like you're in the back seat.

I do think that they made a big mistake by making smithing stones just able to be found in the world, even +10 somber dragon smithingg stone, literally can just find it in the open world...And I believe that the way that great runes were implemented was terrible in that they have to be activated with a consumable and the powers them selves are very underwhelming.. However these 2 criticisms asside, the game was an absolute masterpiece and i loved every second of it.

Maybe this is the biggest flaw of Elden Ring, it's a masterpiece and one of the best games of all time, but only for your first playthrough, after that, you don't want to go back and replay it. I've seen many youtubers and people in general, including me, that 100% the first time and up until now, don't feel replaying the game. Dark Souls, Sekiro, Bloodborne, are super linear, but maybe it's what makes them super replayable. Now, I will say that maybe 1 year is not enough, but give it a couple more, give it time to our brains to forget a little about all the details and secrets in the game and maybe we can have a satisfying second run. I think the game is still too fresh in our minds.

That was Sekiro for me. To this day it's the only FromSoft game that I haven't got the Platinum for. It was a good experience and a fun challenge, but my god am I glad that they went the complete opposite direction from it and made Elden Ring. I realized that the builds and exploration aspect, for me, are why I play those games. Also, I guess that when I start a new play through of ER, I always tell myself "okay, I'm going to do a ____ build, so I only need these things" and then 17 hours later I'm still wandering around Liurnia, collecting shit that I absolutely have no use for before realizing that I'm basically just doing another full play through. I just can't bring myself to rush through and skip things, even most catacombs and dungeons. I have over 600 hours in ER, so I guess that I just don't have the same viewpoint as you do here haha.

this is why i can't wait for some actual dlc for this game, i just want to feel how i did the first time playing this game, and i hope that the dlc could at least somewhat do that for me

Its been a whole year and I still haven't beat it yet. Stuck on the woman who has never learned defeat.

I do not comprehend the replayability point being made. This is one of the most replayable games ever made, purely due to its mechanics of builds. You create a brand new build and it's almost a totally different game. There is no restrictive narrative, so you won't feel like you're repeating the story beats, it's almost sandboxy.

I think the repeatability relies on how much exploration you do in your first play through, if you completely scan the map and make sure you leave no stone unturned the you probably won’t feel too much of a need to replay it but if you choose to leave certain stones unturned and focus on a more specific play through you can always replay the game and find all the things you missed the first time around

I really don't share this experience AT ALL. I play and I have to stop myself from fighting every boss because at the end of the day, it's fun. I find it odd that way to many people break their own game experience and take all the fun out of it. Outside Speedrunners who are making their own fun. Also specifically how can you have this experience with the second playthrough, every quest was so much better understanding what you need to do to progress their story. 1st playthrough I messed up almost every quest, second playthrough was so much better figuring out what to do next since I understood the game better, and seeing the story lines progress.

I actually had the exact opposite effect. I completely agree with you on the linear Souls games being much more fun because they forced you to engage with the game and its challenges, which is why I found my first time around in Elden Ring to be the worst experience I've ever had since Dark Souls 2. But, when I picked up to replay the game again 1 year later, knowing where everything was, it was the most fun I've ever had. The reason for this is because I had the tools to *forcibly make* the game *fun* for myself. By knowing what to do and where everything was, it made the process of build-making and preparing for upcoming fights wayyyyyy more interesting to me. I played as an archer/scout build, which essentially made me *want* to engage with the entire map and collect ingredients to craft arrows for my needs and upcoming occasions as I was going along. I fought every single boss in the game, even all the reskins I had complained about my first time around and I was actually having *fun* because I was meeting the challenge properly. My first playthrough made me extremely sour because of the strange difficulty balancing, the vast emptiness of the open world since I never crafted nor had incentive to and the many, many reskinned and recycled fights. But this 2nd playthrough changed my outlook in that I viewed this game and all these fights as tests for the build I was making - to test whether I needed to make it stronger, iron out some kinks or to see whether I was already strong enough. That created an impressively fun feedback loop and greatly enhanced my positive criticism of the game. I genuinely believe this is the only game compared to all the others that is MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE when you know everything.

This was captivating as I feel the same way! This is one of my favorite games of all time. I was very thorough in my play through as well. I’ve essentially done everything and I loved every second of it. I haven’t felt the need to touch it since. I think the idea of dumping 120-150 hours into a game that I’ve essentially done everything just isn’t appealing. I do understand that the second play through would be shorter. Without playing it again, I know I would feel the exact way you did. I’ve also played every through all the FromSoftware games multiple times.

what you need to remember though is that the bosses and legacy dungeons in this game are some of the absolute best in the entire series which means even without the open world the game is still fanstastic

I felt this way the first time I played the game. After that, it felt like reading a massive book, and the only reason I would re-read it was to see if there were details I missed or chapters I glossed over. I could keep re-rolling since certain classes like magic builds, are a different experience from warrior or knight builds.

Think what would help the game is every new game you start, the items are changed. Obviously key items stay the same but weapon placement, spells, smithing stones etc change to make you want to explore once more to find the things you want.

One thing that helped me with replay ability was taking advantage of ng+ more than ever. Spending the time exploring EVERYTHING on one run has made consecutive runs more fun because the challenge is there in ng+. It becomes more like a DS3 experience where you only have to fight through the main progression with new builds each cycle.

just commented on your most recent video, and then found this and seeing so much similair things i took from it. I basically said i prefer the previous fromsoft more dense experiences. But you nailed it I love replaying games. Just to try out new stuff. I have so many more thoughts on it but I think I will sit on them and actually revisited some older titles again. Anyway good stuff keep it coming

It may be 1 time experience, but this one experience is such amazing, that it will be forever with you. I feel like i need to have like 3-5 years without it in order to have this magic again.

You aren't wrong, but... this is more how I feel about BotW / TotK where exploration and discovery is all the games have and you have to forget before you can enjoy them again. I haven't returned to Elden Ring, but I did multiple builds for months, mostly low-level where I was definitely grabbing items and avoiding combat and also exploiting Rot and Poison, etc. to see how far I could go and I still enjoyed my time. I would rather wander around in ER than jump back into BotW which I grudgingly played prior to TotK and even though TotK is better, I can't see ever replaying it, it is just too big and wore out its welcome way before the end as the discoveries got further and further apart.

The way you describe Elden Ring makes me feel the same about my first blid playthrough of Subnautica. The infinite possibility and constantly daring to go further into the unknown, couldn't be experienced again.

Its oke to be done with a game No game is meant to be played forever And eventually, maybe, you will get the desire to experience it again; when you forget almost everything about it playing it again feels like refreshing on old memories

Good work as always

I still did everything on my second run. Having a completely different build to progress from the beginning was different enough to keep it enjoyable the second time.

I agree the Elden Ring experience is meant to be felt the first time around, after that the thing I do to make it interesting is just to see how fast and low level I can take down the bosses each succession.

i mean, i wish i could meet my partner for the first time again because the beginning phase is always the most fun. it’s just the nature of good things.

Man I still remember when I had just beaten Maliketh for the first time and knew that the game was about to end. I was really sad because I knew I wouldn’t be able to beat the game for the first time again. I never had a particular problem with knowing the location of the items that I wanted during my following play throughs, particularly because even if I got them early I would still need to play the game to use them.

I started my first playthrough 2 months before, then at the Mountain of Giants I took a break, looks like time continue my journey again 🔥💯

Personally, I did not remember where everything was on my second NG playthrough, so I can't really say I relate. For NG+, however, I can. There's no real reason to stop for stuff on NG+ playthroughs, turning the game into you just doing the stuff you want to do. During NG, you have to explore to get experience and items. Despite me being incredibly thorough on my first playthrough, there were still new things I was discovering on my second and even third playthroughs. But also, I play Dark Souls NG+ mostly the same as this game, so idk if this is a particular problem to ER. I'd recommend using Torrent less. The "system" fades away more as you're actually forced to deal with what's in front of you. I feel like Torrent's existence is 50% of the reason the "system" is allowed to exist. If you cut it out, then you have a true open world Souls game. I think Torrent is vital for covering long distances and a first playthrough, but on future ones, I try to use him less.

I will never view lack of replayability as a negative if the initial experience was amazing. Outer Wilds is, by design, a game that you can only really play once, but it is still one of the greatest games ever made, IMO.

Let me give you my perspective on a comparison of replayability between ds3 and ER. For me I literally can't play anything other than high poise UGS weilding character so there's no variation I can do differently in second playthrough as a UGS weilding character. But in ER I can Do so much differently second time around based on just one aow. In my first playthrough I used Collosal swords then turned to jump attack focused powerstancing Collosal swords. In my second playthrough I used braggard roar focused on charged attacks+ bleed build(three times faster bleed buildup in charged attacks I think). It's a niche build of 50 str and 40 arc with 150 bleed stat but due to it changed attack poise (only huge enemies and jump attacks cancels it) and low stance of charging, most enemy attacks will go overhead or get staggered while charging into them. For example I fought Mohg and his attacks were going overhead I was like WHAT. So you see how different the style of replayability for me is so much better in ER.

Your comment towards the end echoes my thoughts perfectly: it's okay that the game doesn't deliver the same experience beyond the first playthrough. There's this sentiment I see with a lot of people nowadays that seems to tie playtime and replay value to the overall experience of a game, and it's true that some devs deliberately design their games for multiple playthroughs. But expecting Elden Ring to bend that knee just because other Soulsborne games did feels more like unfair expectations instead of accepting what the game is. It's like ordering a buffet and being disappointed that it doesn't have one really good steak from another spot: the game has its own merits, merits that few other pieces of art have ever touched for me. It's fascinating seeing FromSoft go from Sekiro to this: Sekiro said "this is the way you win, period" while Elden Ring opens a breadth of possibilities. I think that dichotomy demonstrates the overall capabilities of the studio quite well. The comparative lack of replay value also, as you mentioned, allows repeat players to trim the fat: there's lots to do, and not all of it is perfect. Compared to many other games that people recall fondly but then return to and find they forgot some big annoyances, Elden Ring offers the opportunity to tailor your experience. It's very different from the other Soulsborne games, but I don't think that's a bad thing.

I've done a few playthroughs and find it still fun

So this video is just taking your personal experience and talking about it like it applies to most people when it really, really doesn't.

I feel somewhat similar about replaying Elden Ring, but seem to have a different perspective than you do. I don't need, or sometimes even want, games to be neverending. Elden Ring kept me entertained for 150 hours, and that was only my first playthrough. Many hours more later, I don't have immediate desire to go back and play it again. But I will forever fondly remember the time I did! And for that experience, I am grateful.

I think I actually was exploring more in my consequent playthroughs, maybe because I'm bad at finding stuff

I would give anything for experiencing this game again for the first time

I actually feel like precisely this was a good twist on the souls formula. Yes, sacrificing replayability but in return giving you one of the most mid blowing blind first playthroughs you’ll ever have in a game.

I feel the same way you do. I took my time and put almost 200hrs in on my first playthrough and explored everything I possibly could. I still didn't find everything but I found a lot and feel like I've experienced everything Elden Ring has to offer. I changed my build many times and tried out all the different type of weapons that I thought were cool or powerful. I ended up going back through on a 2nd playthrough but I haven't finished it. I may not finish the 2nd playthrough. I don't need to and I still think Elden Ring was worth $60 or $70. I am excited for the DLC though. I look forward to the new journey!

My experience has been the same... I did literally everything my first playthrough, platunum'ed it, and haven't touched it since... this only took a couple months too, mind you. Hoping for a DLC though to come back to it.

I've only beaten Eldeen Ring once,but I still go back to it for the PVP almost every day.

After completing it the 1st time, I don't remember where everything is, you must be looking up guides on where to find ect. There is so much, no one after 1 run will know where everything is

Finally started my ng+ playthrough

Unlike the games before it doesn't make u feel replaying back to back rather when many months have passed and i appreciate it as same as the other ones that make me want to replay them over and over

After quitting last year just installed it again today because of your vid. I want to explore this amazing world again. Thx 👍

I'm on my first playthrough of Elden ring which is also my first from soft, except Sekiro. And as someone who comes from enjoying Nuzlocke challenges in Pokemon. This game seems perfect for challenge runs, and with the enjoyable and weighty combat beautiful environments and very challenging Legacy Dungeons. I'm itching to try the dungeons I've completed so far again from a different approach. If you are able to put yourself in the mindset of challenging yourself when going through again. I'm fairly certain there is tons of replay value. But also. If a game provides around 100 hours of solid entertainment first run. It's strange to be disappointed that it does not give that again. To me that is insane value. Ive never understood the mindset of not engaging with the world because it's the path of least resistance. When at least i play games to be engaged in a world and to be challenged. Chosing to run past enemies then seems strange to me. I can understand skipping allot of the smaller dungeons, planning a route to get the loot you need for your build. But then youce already designed a tighter experience for yourself which I can be great fun. I don't think I would like to ever randomize Er. But rather design interesting and engaging new runs in the future. This became a ramble. Haha. Sorry.

I’ve taken my time with it and been playing for pretty much a whole year. Close to beating it finally, but I am looking forward to the second run just to try a different build and use a bunch of stuff that’s currently unavailable to me now Honestly it’ll also be fun to play it without having to look so damn much stuff up and just play recklessly

You should’ve also mentioned your feelings on playing through again in anticipation for the DLC, I think that brings an entirely different perspective

I guess each individual experience differs, but for me Elden Ring has so much replay value that it's unbelievable!

If i can still play Darksouls one today and have a blast .. Im sure in 20 years ill still be able to find something new in ER

I had the same experience where once I was finished with all of the game, that was it. And I was fine with that, because what an experience it was. However, now almost a year later, I tried playing the game with an enemy/item randomizer was a huge shake up where I couldn’t suddenly just go to areas where I knew good shit was, because it wouldn’t be there anymore. I can recommend it wholeheartedly.

Excellent analysis. Elden Ring might just be the best game to play for the first time along with Red Dead Redemption 2. Usually it makes me 30 to 40 hours to complete most good open world rpgs but I sunk 120 hours easy on my first play through of elden ring. Just goes to show what a masterpiece fromsoft has created.

I see the point of not having to do much to reach an end game screen, but aren’t people choosing to play the game that way? I have hundreds of hours in the game, in part due to new play throughs. With those new games, the goal was never to just beat the game, it was to endure the journey. I would choose to do most of the optional content since that’s what I valued in the game. I think it’s awesome there’s freedom to choose to do a power fantasy or run through the game as quickly as possible. I don’t do that, but all the power and freedom to those who do.

After 2 play throughs I’m done. Heck of a journey though. My Rob and Mage build was so much fun. I still got bloodbourne over this.

I’ve actually had a very different experience; first save got corrupted and I’d got every achievement except the legendary items and Melania. I loved it SO much I started again instead of rage quitting and I’ve hit every single boss again, I love the world and the ride so much it’s still incredibly rewarding on play through 2 - using magic instead of melee makes it play so differently and I love seeing how easy I find bosses this time round. Just about up to Volcano Manor, wish me luck

I’m thinking about playing this and making a series about how fear of failure has held me back from playing games.

I bought the game last week, I'm level 55, 26 hours in and just beat Rennala today, what an awesome game, can't wait for my next session tomorrow before work, to see what comes next. I was surprised by the huge amount of mini bosses and dungeons in each main boss areas, that's how I have been leveling up before taking the main boss and their great rune.

It is you... and it is me.. It's each, individual experience, that we all had, differently.. Not many people that have played this.. would not say, that this game is the top, 5?10? Games that they have ever played imo.

I played the game one year later. It was amazing

Adding my limited value 2 cents here.. I'm getting towards the end of my first play through, and like you I am pretty sure I explored every nook and cranny because I wanted the full experience (I am 170 hours in and still loving it), but I'll be honest at this point I am dreading the end because I don't want to let it go.. it is literally the best gaming experience I've had in a while and I am afraid the second playthrough will not hold up like you explained. Although after a break, I think I will still give it a shot and try a completely different build and see how it goes, but yeah.. I get it. Hopefully I am able to fight the urge to just run through and play it slower and if not as fully, at least in a still satisfying manner on my second. Or maybe i'll pick up DS3 which I have not played :P Good breakdown and explanation, thank you!

Hey tonald. Keep it up my guy! You’re doing great, but I miss those cooking videos I gotta say…still great, great stuff man 👍

Your point about simply skipping things is so true, I came back after my 100% a year ago and I'm just blowing past most optionals

I'm a maniac who replays the whole game (after running to almost every single item I need for the build I want to make) and I agree with most of what you said. I myself struggle with this game's weird duality. The sheer volume of possible builds makes it the most replayable fromsoft game, but simultaneously the sheer size and amount of filler content makes it the least replayable fromsoft game.

Yooo, best farming spot in DS1 is the New Londo Ruins, after it's drained. There are so many Darkwraiths down there and they are super easy to parry and backstab.

I know-life Elden ring. 250 hours in 2 months. And I miss it but I can't keep playing it. I did everything. But I cannot wait for the next fromsoftware game. Sitting here waiting is so exciting thinking about how it might be better than ER.

On one hand, the ability to get what I want is fantastic for challenge runs. If I want to play the game with only the flamethrower shield, I can get a decent weapon and just go get it. But it does sometimes wear on my how much I have to do and how far I have to go to get to a decent place to start.