Elden Ring Review: A Masterclass in Open World Design

Score: 9.6/10 | Developer: FromSoftware | Publisher: Bandai Namco | Year: 2022 | Platform: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series

When Elden Ring was announced as a collaboration between FromSoftware and George R.R. Martin, expectations were astronomical. Those expectations were not just met — they were exceeded in ways that continue to reverberate through the gaming industry years later. Elden Ring is a generational achievement, a game that will be studied, discussed, and played for decades.

The Open World That Changed Everything

FromSoftware’s previous games were celebrated for their intricate, interconnected level design — the kind where you’d pull a lever in one area and open a shortcut back to an area you visited hours earlier. Elden Ring takes that sensibility and applies it to a vast open world, and the result is something that no other open-world game has managed to replicate. The Lands Between doesn’t feel like a checklist of activities — it feels like a world that existed before you arrived and will continue existing after you leave.

Every region has a distinct identity. Limgrave’s golden fields and crumbling castles contrast beautifully with Caelid’s scarlet rot-blighted hellscape. Liurnia of the Lakes’ waterlogged academic ruins stand apart from the volcanic, ash-covered Altus Plateau. The underground zones — particularly Nokron and Mohgwyn Palace — are among the most visually stunning environments ever committed to a video game.

The lack of quest markers and map icons isn’t an oversight — it’s a philosophy. Elden Ring trusts you to engage with its world on your own terms. NPC questlines unfold through repeated conversations at different locations, item descriptions that hint at hidden areas, and environmental storytelling that rewards careful observation. This approach means that two players can complete the game with entirely different experiences and stories to tell.

Build Variety: The Greatest Character Customization in Any RPG

Elden Ring’s character build system is the deepest in any action RPG. Ten starting classes provide different entry points, but within a few hours any character can begin diverging based on the weapons you find, the stats you level, and the Ashes of War you equip. A Strength/Faith hybrid who calls down lightning and swings a colossal hammer plays nothing like a Dexterity/Intelligence hexblade who blends sorcery with curved sword bleed. And both of those play nothing like a pure Arcane bloodbuild who can poison entire boss arenas.

The addition of Spirit Ash summons was controversial among purists who saw it as making the game “too easy,” but the reality is that summons simply add a layer of accessibility without removing the depth for those who want a pure challenge. They don’t trivialize boss fights — they shift their dynamic — and for many players, they’re the difference between a frustrating wall and an exciting challenge.

Boss Design: The Best in FromSoftware History

Elden Ring has approximately 80–100 bosses depending on how you count them, and while not every boss is a masterpiece, the peaks are extraordinary. Margit teaches you to respect the game. Godrick is a grotesque spectacle. Rennala is a two-phase poem. Radahn is an apocalyptic horseback duel. Malenia is one of the most technically demanding boss encounters in gaming history. Maliketh is a musical, acrobatic nightmare. Elden Beast is a cosmic finale.

Even the game’s weakest bosses — and there are some repeated enemies used as dungeon bosses — are more interesting than the best bosses in most games. FromSoftware’s animation team deserves particular recognition: every boss communicates its personality, history, and power through movement alone.

Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: A Worthy Expansion

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, released in June 2024, adds an entirely new landmass — the Land of Shadow — with a scope that rivals the base game’s starting region. New weapon types (backhand blades, great katanas, throwing spears, reverse-grip swords), new Spirit Ashes, new sorceries and incantations, and over 10 new major bosses make this the most content-rich FromSoftware DLC ever. The final boss, Promised Consort Radahn, has generated more gaming discourse than most entire games.

Technical Issues and Criticisms

The PC version at launch had significant performance issues — frame rate stuttering, shader compilation hitches, and a notoriously poor PC port that took months to patch into acceptable shape. Console players had a smoother experience, particularly on PS5 and Xbox Series X, but even there the game ran at a variable frame rate that occasionally dipped in demanding areas.

The story, while rich in lore, is intentionally vague — a design philosophy that works brilliantly for fans who want to theorize but can frustrate players expecting a clear narrative. You can beat Elden Ring without understanding most of what’s happening, and some players find that disconnect unsatisfying.

The game also has a number of repeated boss encounters — some field bosses and dungeon bosses share the same moveset — which can feel cheap when discovered after the excitement of a “new” encounter. This is a minor complaint in a game of this scale, but it’s worth noting.

Score Breakdown

Gameplay: 9.8/10 — The deepest, most varied combat system in the Soulsborne lineage. Build variety is unmatched.
Story: 8.5/10 — Rich lore depth, but deliberately opaque narrative delivery won’t satisfy all players.
Graphics: 9.2/10 — Stunning environmental design and boss art direction, though technical performance had early issues.
Sound: 9.5/10 — Yasuhiro Kitao and Shoi Miyazawa deliver one of the finest game soundtracks in years.
Value: 9.8/10 — 60–150+ hours of content, near-infinite replayability, and one of the best DLC expansions ever made.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Open world that respects player intelligence and rewards exploration
• Unmatched build variety and replayability
• Best boss roster in FromSoftware history
• Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is a masterpiece
• Incredible soundtrack and environmental audio
• Compelling lore depth for those who seek it

Cons:

• PC port had significant performance issues at launch
• Story deliberately vague — some players will find it unsatisfying
• Some repeated boss encounters feel lazy at this scale
• Can feel overwhelming for complete newcomers without guidance

Final Verdict

Elden Ring is not just the best game of 2022 — it’s one of the greatest video games ever made. FromSoftware took everything they’d learned across 20 years of Soulsborne games and elevated it into a form that transcends the genre. The open world is meaningful. The combat is deep. The bosses are legendary. And with Shadow of the Erdtree, the complete Elden Ring experience is as comprehensive as any single-player game can be. If you own a PC or any modern console, this game belongs in your library.

ParryStack Score: 9.6/10 — Essential