RISE, TARNISHED.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
ELDEN RING. IT'S FINALLY HERE!

This game is honestly incredible so far. It is so much fun to explore this massive world! Yes, there are some frame drops in the open areas, but I am really hoping and trusting that they will continue to work on the patches soon. Should this deter you from this game? Absolutely not. So far, I am having an absolute blast.

This game captures all the brilliance of the Soulsbourne/Sekiro games. You have the stealth mechanic from Sekiro, the brilliant weapon arts from Dark Souls III, and a more eldritch/paranormal presence to the atmosphere and character design similar to Bloodborne (in some bosses, nothing can compare to Bloodborne's aesthetics). And that is what I have seen in the first 6 hours of gameplay.

I have been waiting so long for this game. I also have purchased a console version and will definitely update this review when I compare the performance of the PS5 version vs PC with my 2080 rig. The worst drops I have had were right at the beginning, fighting the tree sentinel. Other areas can vary in performance, and the volumetric lighting absolutely has a significant part to play for the frame drops. Certain weather performed much better for myself.

**** Some settings to turn down to slightly increase performance ****
- Volumetric Quality
- Automatic Resolution Scaling Setting
(Also when playing co op with a friend, I noticed a significant dip in performance. I'm hoping this is server related and will be fixed).

Also if an enemy seems to tough, literally walk away and go explore somewhere else. This game is massive. Please don't let the tree sentinel (which is completely optional and intended for you to come back when you are stronger) discourage you from seeing what wonders The Lands Between holds. If you are a fan of any of the soulsbourne games, you will most likely really, REALLY enjoy this. I have faith in FROMSOFTWARE that fps issues will be fixed, there was a day one patch today to address and fix some fps issues.

This game is one of the most ambitious games I have played, and I CANNOT wait to continue playing. Please, do yourself a favor and if you dislike playing this on PC, at least pick it up on console if you can. It seems to be slightly more stable on consoles. My experience so far has been incredibly positive, even taking the frame drops into consideration.

Thanks again Miyazaki, O' Miyazaki.

**Edit - This game is a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ masterpiece. BUY IT NOW. Literally my new all time favorite game, and I'm only 16 hours in. ALL of the elements that worked well for the past FROMSOFTWARE games are in in this, are it's gon' super saiyan mode. This game takes everything you know, and absolutely blows away your expectations. PLAY. THIS. GAME. NOW.

As a huge fan of the soulsborne games, this game is a no brainer. Sure I might be a fanboy, but I would recommend checking this one out to any gamer who is looking for a magical brand new open world journey that challenges you to your limits. This game is phenomenal.

*******50 hour update - This game has been so much fun. It's the most fun I've had in years with a video game. Please do yourself and check this game out if you are interested in action/adventure games. If you've played and liked any FROMSOFTWARE soulslike game, you will absolutely love this massive adventure. Thank you to everyone involved for making such a unique brand new world <3