Elden Ring’s messages make the game feel like a conversation
During, ancient ring it’s a desperately lonely game.
FromSoftware games have earned a scary reputation when it comes said: “Don’t give up.” Another: “First, don’t think.” Ironically, it was relaxing, and while my early hours were frustrating to difficulty. When I came out of the starting cave and saw the greatness of Limgrave, the starting area of the game, I saw several messages. ng, I kept these messages in mind. Do not think. Do not give up. Just keep trying.
This philosophy served me well as I took out the Tree Guardian with my trusty medusa and Torrent, then rolled into Stormvale Castle to kick the ass of Margit, the Fallen Omen. After its large crustacean body fell and disintegrated, a series of messages lit up ahead. One just read: “I did it!!” The other was an elaborate congratulation, urging me to continue but remain on my guard. I (Who gave them knives??)
Many ancient rings It feels like the developers are deliberately mocking the player. I pass a hard glove and then a pack of wolves swoops down on me from the sky. I hug a lady who nudes into my game and breaks me. The messaging system only adds to this. Sometimes players who have gone through this torment will understand the joke and will push you forward. “No enemy ahead,” they promise, or “there’s a treasure chest here.” Sometimes there is a treasure chest; sometimes there is a giant armored knight who is here to ruin your day.
Even stupid jokes make things less annoying and depressing. It’s like a tiny, not terrible Twitch chat that cheers you up sometimes.
Other times it’s oddly gentle. There will be appropriate advice – for example, “try stealthily” or “fire ahead.” Or “Fight these guys one by one.” FromSoftware games are notoriously tough and thd she drains my health points. I go into the Round Table hold and check the room, and then the guy with the two scythes in the zeitgeist of their titles is such that they are very demanding. Not only will the player need to invest in practice and repetition, many new fans worry that the game’s most dedicated fans will simply tell them to get better.
This is certainly true in some places, for some people, but messages in Elden Ring reveal much more sympathetic and helpful fans. People who know FromSoftware’s tricks and traps help new players not only deal with individual problems but also learn to laugh at those failures. Now I understand how communities form around these games to take them apart and decipher the secrets; There is always someone who will lend a helping hand. Or, if you’re unlucky, throw you off the edge of a cliff. Anyway, it’s just another way to play in these worlds.
