Revealed at Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference, Elden Ring will be the next game developed by prolific game studio FromSoftware. In a collaboration between Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki, this will undoubtedly be the Japanese developer's biggest game yet. Here is everything we know about Elden Ring so far.
What will Elden Ring's gameplay be like?
The majority of FromSoftware's games feature third-person action mechanics. They have been at the forefront of the action RPG genre, inspiring a plethora of games since the critically lauded Dark Souls released back in 2011. Since then, they've explored variations of the "Souls-like" mechanics that slightly deviate in successful ways with both Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It stands to reason that the next big FromSoftware game will be another alternate take of these mechanics.
In an interview with IGN, Miyazaki confirmed Elden Ring will be an open-world game with Dark Souls-inspired mechanics. "Elden Ring is a third-person action RPG with a fantasy setting," says Miyazaki. "Gameplay-wise, it's heavily based on Dark Souls."
While Miyazaki confirmed it will play similarly to Dark Souls, like the other previously mentioned FromSoftware games, it will deviate in its own way. "However, that doesn't mean that it plays out in the same way," Miyazaki says. "With a more open and vast environment, the way combat plays out becomes fundamentally different."
So, what exactly does this mean? Well, we won't honestly know until gameplay is revealed. But from those quotes, I assume the basics of Elden Ring's gameplay will be on the slower side, akin to Dark Souls rather than Bloodborne, but it will be set in more open areas rather than the claustrophobic environments the Souls games have been known for.
Elden Ring's storytelling and George R.R. Martin's Role
Until Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which has a more straightforward narrative, FromSoftware's storytelling has been a bit subtle. Much of the lore in each game is found in the environment, random NPC conversations, and item descriptions. Will Elden Ring's storytelling be more like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or Dark Souls?
In another interview with IGN, Miyazaki said the storytelling will be told similarly to the Dark Souls games. With a bigger environment than ever before, Miyazaki believes there are more opportunities to flesh out its world through exploration.
So, if this is the direction FromSoftware is taking with Elden Ring's narrative? Of course, Martin is most known for the incredibly popular Game of Thrones series. It seems odd that a straightforward narrative would not be used.
In an interview with Microsoft, Miyazaki gave more insight into what exactly Martin's role was for Elden Ring. It should be noted that Martin's contributions to the project were not made until he knew what themes and ideas Miyazaki had for the upcoming action RPG. It was these ideas and themes that Martin used as the foundation for the game's world and mythos.
"This mythos proved to be full of interesting characters and drama along with a plethora of mystical and mysterious elements as well," says Miyazaki. "It was a wonderful source of stimulus for me and the development staff."
Essentially, Martin created the lore of Elden Ring using the themes Miyazaki envisioned. That mythos was then used to create the game's world.
"Elden Ring's world was constructed using this mythos and stimulus as a base. Even I find it hard to contain my excitement from time to time," says Miyazaki. "We hope that everyone else is looking forward to the world we have created.
Elden Ring's community is just a big meme-fest
If you haven't noticed, the news on Elden Ring has been sparse. Since it was revealed during E3 2019, new details have mainly been non-existent. As such, the game's community has resorted to creating some ridiculous memes to pass the time. Just check out the Elden Ring subreddit for yourself. It is wild.
Will there be a "special" or "collector's" edition for Elden Ring?
As of right now, it is not known if there will be "special" or "collector's" editions for Elden Ring. All digital storefronts only have the standard version for pre-order. But if FromSoftware's release practices are any indication, there will probably be a collector's edition for the upcoming game. Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice have all received collector's editions of their own.
When is the release date?
As of right this writing (January 15, 2020), there is not a release date for Elden Ring. GameStop and Amazon have a placeholder date of December 31, 2020, while Best Buy just says, "Not Announced." Target does list a date of June 30, 2020; that date does land on a Tuesday (which many games typically launch on a Tuesday or Friday), but I suspect this is just another placeholder.
As we continue to learn about Elden Ring, we'll keep updating this article. Make sure to check back for more news on Miyazaki and Martin's newest adventure.