The Elden Ring characters of Micha, Géraldine and Sascha (from left): Would you buy a used castle from these people?
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Elden Ring collects top ratings worldwide like its characters Tode, the press is full of praise – of course GameStar too, it’s not for nothing that we gave it the second highest rating in our history in the test (minus a devaluation for the technical weaknesses).
In the podcast we discuss why Elden Ring actually a masterpiece – and yet not a game for everyone. There are three guests with very different perspectives:
- Sasha Penzhorn really breathes Soulsborne games, but doesn’t need an open world. Still, for him, Elden Ring is a masterpiece because it allows for more of everything compared to Dark Souls: more freedom, more ways to play, more bosses.
- Géraldine Hohmann loves Open Worlds just as much as Dark Souls, for them Elden Ring combines both masterfully – but only after a good 20 hours. Everything before does not justify such high ratings for them.
- Michael Graf Can’t quite put his dislike of Dark Souls into words, but finds in Elden Ring something he’s long missed: the feel of the Ultimate RPGs he explored as a kid.
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So for the three of us, Elden Ring has distinct strengths, but at the same time one – well, weakness would be the wrong word, but something to keep in mind: Elden Ring, despite the high ratings, is not a game that we can unreservedly recommend.
From the controller requirement on the PC to the relentless level of difficulty and the lack of optional aids – such as for people with motor disabilities – Elden Ring limits its potential target group itself.
Masterful and inaccessible: Elden Ring has two faces. This is due to From Software’s philosophy of making the studio’s games special. But also to something that not everyone can enjoy.
In the podcast, we left out the most important factor that makes Elden Ring a masterpiece: there is a fat bear (even several). Find out more about the fat bear factor in the Best Games of 2021 podcast.
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more on the subject
Here’s help: Our guides and tips for Elden Ring at a glance
Playtime Column: I can only laugh about 30 hours of Elden Ring
Elena and Michi: Our Elden Ring testers answer your questions
