Current NPD numbers reveal that FromSoftware’s latest grueling action-RPG, elden ringtopples literal titans as it outsells Call of Duty: Vanguardchallenges Cyberpunk 2077and how Paul Tassi Highlights from ForbesHe has sold up to “half of the lifetime turnover of the whole Dark Souls Trilogy” while leaving its FromSoft siblings bloodborne and Axe in the digital dust. With 13.4 million copies of elden ring now shipped, acc Bandai Namco’s latest financial reportthat souls Genre is no longer a niche.
As already mentioned elsewhere, the newest call of Duty wasn’t exactly a huge success. The publisher has accused the setting of the title as not convincing enough, but a weak campaign and the intense Allegations and public attention to Activision Blizzard’s work environment should not be ignored here. While it’s not necessarily original to suggest this call of Duty has turned its wheels in the mud for the most part, offering much the same experiences with each annual subscription, elden ring and the rise of the Soulsborne genre is nothing short of incredible.
Even the sales figures of the complicated challenge Cyberpunk 2077a game that has seen incredible momentum (taking it to 13.7 million in just its first few weeks before it all collapsed) is something special given the media frenzy that surrounded this title.
However, it’s not just the potential flaws of these huge games that make this situation so notable. a skinny call of Duty Experience and the expected drop from Cyberpunk 2077 Sales shouldn’t detract from the remarkable success of FromSoftware’s latest release. That souls games that elden ring is a series in everything but the name that, to be honest, up until now has been mostly a niche microgenre with incredibly difficult titles that appealed to a dedicated fanbase. They were overwhelmingly the realm of the chosen few, willing to put up with a great deal of frustration to get through a game that makes little attempt to hold your hand through quests or navigation.
Any game could have filled the open space call of Duty and cyberpunkSo the question arises: Why exactly? elden ring? perhaps elden ring came at a time when enough people outside of the usual fanbase had become curious enough to see what all the talk was surrounding souls Games was about, if not before its release then certainly after word got around about this game. my box‘s own review not only praised it for its own accomplishments, but also considered where it sits in the legacy souls games; It also likely helped that George RR Martin was involved with the project, a name with a legacy in the fantasy genre that many associate with impressive worldbuilding and intriguing storylines. A Legacy of popular games with a recognizable celebrity name can go a long way in building hype and interest.
In gaming spaces, there often seems to be an ongoing conversation about the value of time and money in a video game. The word of mouth about this game doesn’t include the suspicion that it might be wasting your time or that it’s trying to empty your wallet with an ever-changing microtransaction market. It’s a massive (mostly) single player adventure – not a bad way to spend $60. It might end up being too hard for some, but deciding a game isn’t for you is very different than feeling like a game is trying to take advantage of you.
elden ring also bucks the trends we’re seeing in so many open-world games that players might be growing tired of – the maps littered with waypoints and activities, the steady, predictable drip of new abilities, new story content, new equipment. elden ring has those things, to be sure, but they’re presented in a way that makes you feel like you’re actually discovering them yourself, rather than the game leaning back to make sure you’re aware of every last spot you can go and what you can do.
Where some games now feel like hollow, smooth, busy work, elden ring is more than happy to challenge players with difficult but masterable gameplay and many secrets to be discovered.
And although the difficulty of elden ring is very real, the game offers a different approach than before souls Title. elden ringThe gameplay looping meets an open world in a way that allows for more than just marching through brutal enemy forces. You’ll have the space and time to get used to the game in ways you may not have gotten used to Dark Souls. So, during the game is difficult, conversations about it have so often come with the caveat: yes but You can explore a bit more and get used to it. If you hit a wall in one area, there are often others you can explore before coming back to better prepare for the challenges you’ve previously held up. Returning to the issue of time and money, many could find incredible value in buying a full price video game that they can come back to again and again, explore, experiment with different character builds, and just generally try to get better.
elden ring has remained in Steam’s top 3 best-selling games every week since February. viral word of mouth, impressive achievements from streamers looking to take the challenge to the next level – it’s all come together to stay elden ring central to any conversation about games right now, with sales numbers to back it up in dollars and units shipped.