A week ago I was diagnosed with a terminal illness and the doctors have given me a year at best. I'm so glad I was able to play this before I go. I don't know how many people will see this; but I recommend to you to play this game if you do see it. Gameplay, atmosphere, graphics. everything is masterfully crafted. If you read it, thank you and good bye.

I had never played soulslike games before. My skepticism toward Elden Ring was mostly caused by stories of its difficulty, and I must admit — people weren’t lying. But I couldn't imagine where this difficulty comes from.

What I Loved

Elden Ring looks incredible and is filled with a great amount of beautiful concepts. There are spiritual battle flags standing where massive battles once took place, mmm spiritual trees, spiritual spirits — you get it. The world of this game, despite sometimes feeling still and empty in certain aspects, gives you chills and makes you want to explore.

There are a few exploration caps that require fighting mighty foes to progress, and here lies the cornerstone of this game. Bosses are everywhere, and many of them are the same ones, just appearing in different locations or in a combination with others. They will make you die over and over again until you memorize their movesets and manage your timings almost perfectly. Unfortunately, in many cases, you'll feel happier that it's over rather than proud of your achievement.

Thankfully, Elden Ring offers ways to make things easier. You can explore its world to find better weapons and buffs or obtain summons — some of which can be received within the first 20 minutes of the game. You’ll still need to grind to stand a chance against certain bosses because, without good HP stats, you’ll be constantly one-shotted. If your strength and stamina are too low, you won’t be able to land effective hits in time to defeat a boss within a reasonable time. Eventually, you’ll find good farming spots, and I strongly recommend watching guides to locate them — especially if grinding bores you in other games. Otherwise, you risk burning out before experiencing some of the best and most entertaining parts of this world.

If you, like me, are new to this genre, you most likely will experience something incredible: a shift in mindset that will affect how you approach other games as well. Dying is the core of this game, and although it's sometimes incredibly frustrating, you will eventually learn to lower your expectations before each fight and accept death as a necessary part of the experience. In return, this will make you feel stronger — not because of your character's stats, but because of how much you’ve improved as a player. Your reaction time, adaptability, and skill in general will constantly increase, allowing you to perform well even if you start the game over.

What I Hated

As I mentioned, many bosses require a great amount of attempts to defeat, and some don’t have save points nearby. This means you’ll often have to run back through difficult areas, losing not only time but also valuable HP flasks. It’s time-consuming and frustrating.

Another complaint of mine is that the game barely teaches you anything. I read everything I could and explored every corner, yet after 70 hours, I still found myself confused about the story and how to progress through it. Many times, I stumbled upon the right location or NPC purely by accident. Some say that Elden Ring doesn’t hold your hand so you can experience it on your own, but I’d argue that it’s hard to be invested in the story when, by the time you reach the end, you barely remember where it all started. Many quests are easy to complete unintentionally, and there’s no quest journal - only a few of them even have map markers. There are some general routes to follow, but that doesn’t guarantee you won’t struggle with understanding what to do. I certainly did.

Because of this, while other games often make exploration feel unnecessary by giving you all the information right away, Elden Ring goes to the opposite extreme, offering almost no guidance. This leads to a lack of investment in both the side and main stories.

Final Thoughts

I love and hate this game. It sometimes throws frustrating design choices at you, but it also offers a unique experience — a hostile unforgiving sandbox where you often decide whether to fight or run away. While dying is the core Elden Ring, exploration is also its essence. I don’t think it’s the best game ever, as some claim — there are many flaws — but there is beauty in suffering, in learning through trial and error, and in in eventually overcoming your struggles.

I highly recommend at least trying this game, even if you’ve never played anything like it before. It will likely change how you perceive failing — not just in gaming, but maybe even in life.

BAD BAD BAD BAD