Nothing Like a Good Old Souls-Like
There are few games that have entire sub-genres named after them. You have Metroid and the Metroidvania games, Rogue and the Rogue-like/lite, and more recently, you have started seeing the tag Souls-like. Unless you have just awoken from a 15 year coma, you will know that this has been inspired by FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls games.
FromSoftware’s newest and arguably, most ambitious endeavor Elden Ring wrapped up its closed network test last week and the luckiest of ducks were able to play it. Some believe that it has the makings of a GOTY, maybe even… a masterpiece.
Of course, the full game is not out yet, but what has been played feels like a summation of all the previous FromSoftware titles, even more at some points. There are mechanics introduced that feel right at home in Elden Ring and makes the player wish they had been there for the earlier games.
Since Demon’s Souls, there have been many developers and games that have sought to capture the essence of what makes something a Souls-like game. That’s the thing though, they may be Souls-“like”, but FromSoftware really showing everyone how it’s done with Elden Ring. From far enough away, other games might resemble the formula, but next to Elden Ring, they are but imitators.
On its surface, it may seem like Elden Ring is just a Dark Souls game in an open world. At its core, that may be true, but veterans of the Soulsborne games will see the nuances that make Elden Ring more than just the next step from FromSoftware.
Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.
