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Critic reception
Metacritic (critic aggregate): 96 (PS5, Xbox Series X) · 94 (PC)
Source: Metacritic, checked 12 Oct 2026. These are third-party critic scores, not ParryStack ratings.
The Short Version
Elden Ring is an open-world action RPG developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco, released on 25 February 2022. Hidetaka Miyazaki was lead writer of the main story, and author George R. R. Martin provided worldbuilding and the backstory. It won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022 and holds Metacritic scores of 96 (PS5, Xbox Series X) and 94 (PC). It is a demanding game with no difficulty slider, but its open world lets players explore elsewhere when they are stuck.
The Opening
Elden Ring begins with the player character emerging into Limgrave, the first region of the Lands Between, with little explicit direction. The Tree Sentinel, an optional boss on horseback, patrols the road toward the Church of Elleh, and the game's own wiki advises new players to leave it for later and return when stronger. The structure invites exploration: how you proceed and which challenges you tackle first is largely up to you.
Gameplay and Combat Mechanics
Combat builds on the stamina-based action formula of earlier FromSoftware games: manage stamina, learn enemy attack patterns and pick your openings. Weapons can be paired with swappable Ashes of War, which change a weapon's skill, and the open world allows a wide range of builds across Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith and other stats.
Spirit Ashes add summonable companions that can fight alongside you. Using them requires the Spirit Calling Bell and FP or HP (depending on the summon), and they can only be summoned near a Rebirth Monument, found at many points of interest and nearly every boss arena. Players can use them for extra help or ignore them.
Torrent, the spectral steed, speeds up travel. You cannot dodge or guard while mounted, but you can make mounted attacks.
The Tree Sentinel is optional. If you are new to the genre, the Fextralife wiki suggests leaving it alone at first and returning once you are stronger and better equipped.
Story and World
George R. R. Martin provided the worldbuilding and wrote the backstory covering events before the main narrative, while Hidetaka Miyazaki remained lead writer of the main story. Much of the lore is delivered indirectly, through item descriptions, environments and NPC dialogue, rather than through lengthy cutscenes.
The world is made up of six main areas, plus many sub-regions: Limgrave, Liurnia of the Lakes, Caelid, the Altus Plateau, Mountaintops of the Giants, and Crumbling Farum Azula, with the capital city of Leyndell at the centre of the map. Underground areas such as Siofra River add depth. Crumbling Farum Azula is a ruined city drifting in a storm, reached late in the main route after the Mountaintops of the Giants.
Platforms and Technical Notes
Elden Ring launched on 25 February 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Elden Ring Tarnished Edition, which bundles the base game with Shadow of the Erdtree and adds two new classes and Torrent cosmetics, launched on Nintendo Switch 2 on 28 August 2026 (after a delay from its earlier 2025 window).
Performance and visual quality vary by platform and patch version. ParryStack has not benchmarked the game; for technical details, consult platform-specific coverage and the official patch notes.
Difficulty and Learning Curve
Elden Ring has no explicit difficulty setting. Difficulty is shaped by your level, gear upgrades, Spirit Ashes, co-op help and the order in which you take on areas. The open world means a blocked player can explore elsewhere, level up and return. Margit, the Fell Omen, guards Stormveil Castle and is the first major story boss many players meet; see the beginner's guide for a verified rundown of his phases.
Replay Value and DLC
Deku Deals, which reproduces HowLongToBeat data, lists roughly 60 hours for the main story and 100+ hours with extras. New Game+ (Journey 2 and beyond) scales enemy difficulty.
Elden Ring has two DLC releases. Shadow of the Erdtree (June 2024) is the large expansion set in the Realm of Shadow; access requires defeating Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. It introduces the Scadutree Fragment progression system, Messmer the Impaler as a boss, and eight new weapon categories. The Tarnished Pack (28 August 2026) is a small add-on for PC, PlayStation and Xbox adding two new starting classes (Heavy Knight and Idus Knight, per RPG Site), four armour sets and Torrent skins; the Switch 2 Tarnished Edition already includes this content. Elden Ring Nightreign is a separate standalone spin-off and not DLC.
Notable Features
- Open world with a wide range of exploration and builds
- Weapon variety and swappable Ashes of War
- Won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022
- Shadow of the Erdtree adds a large expansion area
- Summon-based co-op multiplayer
Worth Knowing
- No difficulty slider; a real learning curve for newcomers
- Technical performance varies by platform and patch
- Lore is delivered indirectly and rewards reading item descriptions
- A 60+ hour main story is a significant time commitment
Who Might Enjoy It
Players who like action RPGs with deep combat systems, trial-and-error learning and open-world exploration are the natural audience. Players who want narrative handholding, or who dislike learning enemy patterns through repeated attempts, may find it frustrating.
Related Games
Other FromSoftware titles on ParryStack include Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro. For a different style of big-budget action game, see God of War: Ragnarök.
Summary
Elden Ring released in February 2022 and has since gained a major expansion (Shadow of the Erdtree, June 2024), a Switch 2 edition and the Tarnished Pack (both 28 August 2026). Critics rated it very highly (Metacritic 96 on PS5 and Xbox Series X, 94 on PC) and it won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022. ParryStack does not score games; see the sources below to read the original coverage.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & fact-check
Release facts, platforms, DLC and critic scores on this page were checked against these sources on 12 October 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us.
- Metacritic - Elden Ring (critic scores by platform)
- Wikipedia - Elden Ring (release, platforms, Switch 2 Tarnished Edition, George R. R. Martin's role, The Game Awards 2022)
- RPG Site - Tarnished Pack (28 Aug 2026, classes, contents)
- Fextralife Elden Ring wiki - Shadow of the Erdtree (requirements, Scadutree Fragments, weapon categories)
- Fextralife Elden Ring wiki - Spirit Ashes (summoning rules)
- Fextralife Elden Ring wiki - Torrent
- Fextralife Elden Ring wiki - Tree Sentinel
- Fextralife Elden Ring wiki - Crumbling Farum Azula
- How-To Geek - Elden Ring co-op (party size, invasions)
- Deku Deals - HowLongToBeat times