Story or Combat?

[White Lion]

It's finally Winter Sale and this game is on my wishlist. But I wonder about the story line. I've seen Youtube videos, but they all show 99% combat.

Is it true that the story in this game is practically useless?
Is the combat system so engaging like in Monster Hunter games?

[Aertes]

You can completely ignore the story, if thats what you mean, but do you buy a game like this to ignore any part of it? I woulnd't

[Verienkeli]

The story isn't presented in the usual way of video games, and I think most people miss a lot of it. Like the Dark Souls series before it, Elden Ring's story isn't about your character, but about the world itself. You'll find some of the story in item descriptions and some in the environments you pass through. Over the last decade or two, the games industry has trained players to be spoon-fed their story. Fromsoft makes us put in some effort for it. If you want some YT channels about the lore/story: Vaatividya, Smoughtown, and The Tarnished Archaeologist are ones to check out.

[White Lion]

Originally posted by Verienkeli:

The story isn't presented in the usual way of video games, and I think most people miss a lot of it. Like the Dark Souls series before it, Elden Ring's story isn't about your character, but about the world itself. You'll find some of the story in item descriptions and some in the environments you pass through. Over the last decade or two, the games industry has trained players to be spoon-fed their story. Fromsoft makes us put in some effort for it. If you want some YT channels about the lore/story: Vaatividya, Smoughtown, and The Tarnished Archaeologist are ones to check out.

Thanks for the insight.

[toughnails]

Since you're familiar with Monster Hunter games, I'd say the amount of story is somewhat similar to that, if not even less. There are a couple cutscenes at the very start of the game to set up the world and your character's place in it, but past that the only other cutscenes you see are boss intros, everything else is gameplay. Sure, there are some NPCs to talk to and a bunch of quest lines to follow, but they're never in your face, in fact you have to go out of your way to pursue those quests.

Combat wise, it's nowhere as good as Monster Hunter and pretty one note, you generally just spam one attack your build is really good at and dodge. Dodges can be hard to time though, as many bosses (and elite enemies) have long combos with delayed attacks and this is where most of the game's difficulty comes from.

[Sephylon]

I'd say combat is similar to mh. Story wise it's pretty vague and most of it is in item descriptions

[vamirez]

Don't go into this assuming "it has no story" because you heard it somewhere. There is a lot of story and lore as per usual for FS games, but as others have pointed out you have to dive in to learn it and piece it all together.

I've seen folks here who didn't even know what is clearly said in the intro, i.e. they skipped/ignored it and then complained... Don't be those folks. You can go through by gameplay alone and should get a relatively simple picture of what is going on, assuming you do watch the intro and at least listen to the dialogues.

If you're into it, you can do a full dive in, read all the item descriptions, take in the environmental storytelling, etc. and then get a much fuller picture with interesting twists etc. I mean these games have communities that are discussing the lore for years, creating new theories, exploring character arcs, and so on, and there is a reason for that.

But if you define "story" as cutscenes and NPCs that talk your ear off all the time, and have progressing quests written out in a journal... no, not happening.

[Senki]

It's focused on gameplay but the world has plenty of lore.

You won't find answers for everything though, a lot of things are pretty much only hints for people to make theories

[⋆ Beetroot ⋆]

Originally posted by Xtreme:

It's finally Winter Sale and this game is on my wishlist. But I wonder about the story line. I've seen Youtube videos, but they all show 99% combat.

Is it true that the story in this game is practically useless?
Is the combat system so engaging like in Monster Hunter games?

All lore and "story" are implications and told like as descriptions on items. The soul games function well, despite it'll all sound vague or random.

[Despiser]

No story to speak of

[Zogtar]

Marika and Radagon got in a marital tiff and Marika broke the source of the world's essence. Everything is kinda decaying while stuck in a cycle of death and rebirth, similar to Dark Souls.

For some reason, you, a nobody tarnished has returned to the Golden Lands from the lands between.

Now you have the choice to be a simp for the ice puppet, restore order, or make death permanent to end the suffering of many.

That or you can give everyone Dung Eaters' AIDS.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

[Meewec]

Originally posted by Despiser:

No story to speak of

you get some story along the way, but most of it comes from reading the various weapons/armor/items/spells you can collect through the game

[vamirez]

Originally posted by Meewec:

Originally posted by Despiser:

No story to speak of

you get some story along the way, but most of it comes from reading the various weapons/armor/items/spells you can collect through the game

What you experience and do in the game - that is your story.

[Fineous🔥]

Originally posted by Xtreme:

But I wonder about the story line. I've seen Youtube videos, but they all show 99% combat.

Why people spoils everything...throwing away the sense of discovery by watching other dudes play?. There are plenty written spoiler free reviews around you can read.

And of course they focus in combat. Do you expect some Youtuber to read all the item descriptionsn?

Originally posted by Xtreme:

Is it true that the story in this game is practically useless?

Who told you that?....Christ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_03kFqWfqs

There, the history. You have to make your way to the top in this post apocalyptic world...listen and read everything and you will actually enjoy YOUR history.

Oh......also lets remember Mr.George helped writting the history...this is not just some anecdote.

Originally posted by Xtreme:

Is the combat system so engaging like in Monster Hunter games?

I never touched the Monster Hunter franchise so i dont know if you can even compare them. I will just say that the combat is fantastic.

You know what? We are talking about 30€ for a universally liked game. Give it a chance with a open mind, so go and dispel your doubts by playing it.

[Irot Noot]

Originally posted by vamirez:

Originally posted by Meewec:

you get some story along the way, but most of it comes from reading the various weapons/armor/items/spells you can collect through the game

What you experience and do in the game - that is your story.

EXACTLY THIS. There is a TON of story if you bother to seek it out and read the items descriptions that is literally on every single thing you pick up. The biggest problem with the story is its presented fragmented, a piece here, a bit there and many people now days seem to not have the focus nor attention span to bother to seek it out enough to put it together in their heads.

## edit to add ## The story that is in the game was written largely by George RR Martin that wrote the Game of Thrones books. Its good stuff if you bother to dig it out.

[NorthernDruid]

There's not a lot of story. Made up for the fact that there is a really intricate plot and more lore than the game actually has room for (and if my understanding is correct, it's supposed to have some blanks for you to interpret yourself here and there).

So in the end, there's a lot of story about the game world and about the events the game revolves around; but barely anything happens over the course of the game compared to it's scope.

To which degree this game design works is gonna vary from person to person.