Copy This

6 Elden Ring features that will define the future of gaming

One of the most influential games of this generation.

by Robin Bea
Bandai Namco

Like it or not, you’re going to see a lot of Elden Ring in other games for a long time to come. As one of the most influential developers out there, FromSoftware is full of ideas that will certainly inspire future games.

Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco

Here are 6 ideas other developers should take from Elden Ring.

6. Weird multiplayer

The process of summoning friends is undoubtedly frustrating, but there’s a lot Elden Ring does right with online play.

Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco

An open-world RPG having co-op at all is exciting, especially in a game as challenging as Elden Ring. Its opaqueness and lack of chat also turn each multiplayer encounter into a mysterious affair full of ritualistic gestures.

Bandai Namco

Then there’s passive multiplayer: bloodstains and messages litter the ground, offering hints and filthy jokes to liven up your day as phantoms flicker in and out of view. It goes a long way toward making The Lands Between feel like a real, albeit spooky, place.

5. Inscrutable quests

Quests can be about more than following a dotted line.

Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco

To be fair, a lot of Elden Ring’s quests are probably too inscrutable. Its system of collectible gameplay tips as inventory items would be a great way to deliver quest hints, but anything is better than the typical RPG follow-the-dots missions.

Making quests missable makes the world feel like it moves without your permission, and stumbling upon a major NPC story always seems magical. It’s unlikely any other developer will ditch the quest log entirely, but adding a little mystery would go a long way.

Bandai Namco
4. An evocative map

In not trying to capture everything, Elden Ring’s map is both a guide and a work of art.

Bandai Namco

Video game maps often bend over backward to show everything in granular detail or... do whatever Cyberpunk 2077’s map is trying to do. Elden Ring instead fills in the gaps slowly, generating a few icons when you find important sites and letting you mark the map with stickers as you please.

CD Projekt Red

Bandai Namco

Plus, it looks gorgeous all on its own, like a map painted by an artistic explorer. Once you understand how to read it, details like mines and cliffs are also easy to pick out.

3. A clean HUD

More information doesn’t always mean better information.

Bandai Namco

If you play a lot of open-world games, Elden Ring’s HUD should immediately stand out, in how little it stands out. When you’re not in combat, only a small, semi-transparent compass obstructs your view of the world.

Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco

With no blinking icons or GPS paths in the way, you can appreciate the beauty of The Lands Between and keep your eyes open for its many dangers.

2. One very good horse

A rideable horse is almost a requirement for open-world fantasy games, and Torrent is the best of the bunch (sorry, Roach).

Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco

Let’s ignore the fact that Torrent is more a horned spirit than an actual horse. Controlling Torrent through sprints and leaps feels great, despite their sometimes unpredictable turning radius.

They’re also incredibly easy to summon, appearing beneath you in an instant for death-defying escapes or death-inviting charges into combat.

Bandai Namco
1. A sense of danger

Only one thing is a constant in The Lands Between: peril.

Bandai Namco

Exploring at random early in Elden Ring, I rode my very good horse Torrent into a forest shrouded in mist. Terrifying shapes lurked in the distance as a lone howl from an unseen wolf pierced the silence. Torrent and I sped away and never looked back.

Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco

The sense of danger in Elden Ring isn’t all about tough bosses. It’s about being in a world full of unknown horrors, with nothing to stop you from charging into a nigh-unwinnable fight.

Bandai Namco

Elden Ring trusts players to pick their battles, or at least come back with an overpowered sword and a good spirit summon to balance the scales.

Thanks for reading,
head home for more!