Not ruined, but elevated it
I know I am not the only one feeling this right now, but Elden Ring has changed the world of gaming for me. I am finding it so hard to go back to the games that I was playing before I played Elden Ring. But that is not a bad thing. That game has really changed the way I approach games and what I expect from them.
Elden Ring gave gamers a glimpse into what is possible in gaming when the developers take the time to craft an amazing world filled with hidden treasures and adventure. After all, that sense of adventure is why we all play games in the first place, and over the years, greed from gaming companies has ruined that for us.
I had recently started playing the remake of the classic Shadow of the Colossus and that game has a really cool sense of adventure to it. I love how vast the world is, but other than the colossus that roam the world, it is pretty empty. But, I think that is what the devs were going for with this game.
A couple days ago, I broke down and bought my next From Software game, which is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. I was pretty nervous when I bought this one because I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it or not. It has been rated as one of the most difficult games that From Software has released, but it also won a ton of awards, along with the coveted Game of the Year title that Elden Ring pretty much as in the bag for this year.
The main thing I love about From Software games is that they do not follow the traditional mold of modern gaming. They do have a lot of similarities between how they all play and their controls, which is pretty nice, but they are so much different than any other type of game that is out there.
Everything about these games are so cinematic. I don't think I have seen many other games even come close to the level of cinematography that From Software achieves in their games.
From Software does an amazing job with their world creation. The worlds in their games are so much different from their counterparts. In traditional games, you go from point to point in a pretty direct way. In From Software games, there are so many different ways to get to the next place you need to go and exploration is actually encouraged.
A few days ago, I played Forbidden West for a while, but it really wasn't that enjoyable. The game is filled with so many things to do from main quest, side quests, races, and more stuff to do on the map, but it is really just going from point to point and listening to people talk. Exploration in that game really doesn't have any purpose. I went off exploring the different corners of the area I was questing in and the only things that you can find in that game are chests full of crafting materials that you can find anywhere, so there really is no purpose in doing any exploration. The game just holds your hand as it guides you from point to point and it is not really that enjoyable.
From Software games do not hold your hands at all. Instead, they thrust you into a crazy world without any explanation of what is going on and it is up to you to find the story. I have found that this type of gaming experience to be way more fulfilling, even though the games are incredibly difficult.
From Software has so many new fans to their games ever since the release of Elden Ring and it is cool to be a part of that. It is like a breath of fresh air in the gaming world when companies release stuff that is polished and complete and provide the gamers with an amazing experience. I can't wait to see what they have planned for their next release.