With Elden Ring, acclaimed developer From Software – the masterminds behind the Soulslike genre – took it's loved and loathed challenging action to a much bigger scale than it had before. And to no one's surprise, Elden Ring was an incredible experience – going on to win Game of the Year at The Game Awards 22.
From its sprawling world and intricate, intriguing world co-created with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, to its intense combat, Elden Ring is one of the best RPG games and best open-world games ever. Be sure to check out our Elden Ring review to find out why we loved it as much as we did.
Elden Ring release date
Elden Ring was released on Friday, February 25, 2022. This put it right up against Horizon Forbidden West, as well as close to Destiny 2: The Witch Queen and Saints Row.
In fact, with Horizon's sequel targeting a similar RPG audience, the astronomical success of Elden Ring largely swamped the PS5 exclusive at the time.
Elden Ring gameplay
Elden Ring's gameplay took what the developer is known for – labyrinthian Gothic landscapes and intense, methodical combat – and took it to the next logical step – an open world.
While previous From Software games had stunning and surprisingly large, twisting environments, nothing quite compared to Elden Ring. It was even possible to skip over much of the Elden Ring boss order as there were so many optional areas and bosses for you to uncover.
To get by in Elden Ring without being the best, ninja-like player, then you would need all the best Elden Ring weapons – and there were a lot of them to dig up hidden around the world.
The series' staple PvP also returned, with players able to invade your game to cause chaos at all the worst moments. However, if you were intentionally engaging with other players, then having the best Elden Ring PvP builds certainly helped.
Elden Ring Closed Network Test
There was an Elden Ring Closed Network Test that took place between Friday, November 12, 2021, and Sunday, November 14, 2021, for those lucky enough to get invited after signing up.
Nevertheless, this testing phase gave us our first hands-on with From Software's creation. Sure, it helped tidy up the game before launch, but we were all mainly excited just to experience it for ourselves.
So, that is all there is to know about Elden Ring. If you're playing through it today, take a look at our Elden Ring walkthrough for tons of tips, guides, and more that will make the journey easier. And if you're hungry for more, then you'll want to dig into the best Soulslike games right away.