Friends make Elden Ring so much better
Here’s something that won’t surprise you: Elden Ring is currently my Game of the Year. What might surprise you: one of the reasons why I hold Elden Ring in such high esteem lies on the shoulders of my beloved friends.
For those who know me, they’ll be more than aware that I’m not a big fan of Soulsborne games. I straight-up disliked all of the Dark Souls games, and Demon Souls felt like I was walking through a swamp with both my feet tied. It was not a fun experience and despite me trying, again and again, I left those games feeling very adamant that this simply wasn’t a genre for me.
So, of course, I ended up getting swept in by Elden Ring – a game that critics and fans alike have titled as the most ‘approachable‘ FromSoftware game yet. So, I played and I can more than happily confirm that not only was everyone right, that this really is the best game FromSoftware has ever done, but that Elden Ring is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s funny, insightful, and I very much like having a big sword and hitting giants crabs, dragons, and spider hands with it. I’m simple like that.
The thrilling, gothic fantasy world of the Lands Between is a playground of monsters and people that I can’t get enough of, but it’s my time with my friends during my adventures (thanks to the PS5 Share Play feature) that has made my experience with Elden Ring all the richer.
Due to our ever-busy lives, and the dreaded timezones that come with having friends from all over the world, my friends and I don’t always have the time to talk with one another without having to make plans weeks ahead. That changed with Elden Ring, where our mutual excitement for myself playing a game that they – and I – was certain I’d suck at meant that each night after work we’d all head into a party and watch me explore the great, sprawling domain of Queen Marika. This turned my lonely quest to become an Elden Lord, with the added benefit of looking for a cheeky maiden, into a gut-bursting, camp road trip that felt akin to playing a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, only this time there was one player character and the world of Elden Ring the most unforgiving, troll Dungeon Master of all time.
Every decision made was pointed out by my friends noticing a detail or me falling into a trap of not knowing how much danger I was in, each interaction and discovery enhanced by the side-splitting commentary from my companions. Through the Limgrave Tunnels, I discovered a group of miners that mostly left me alone. It was only when it was suggested I poke them with my spear, which I of course did, did the rest of the miners realize it was more than okay for them to beat the living crap out of me. A few seconds and 5-minutes of giggling later, I decided that perhaps listening to friends while playing Elden Ring wasn’t that much of a good decision after all.
Even so, it wasn’t lost on me how – in spite of them not being physically there with me, and the fact that we weren’t rolling any dice at all – that us doing this together brought up the same feeling as exploring a dungeon together in The Forbidden Realms. The unknown of what awaits us down that foreboding corridor, the possibility of stepping into a trap, even the NPCs you come across in these strange, desolate places… It revoked the same sensation and led me to the conclusion that perhaps isn’t life-changing or unique, but changed my perspective on Elden Ring altogether.
Elden Ring is just so much better when you’re not going it alone. I’m not even talking about multiplayer, as my friends don’t have the game as of yet, but the experience of making decisions together, whether that’s opening a chest (and promptly getting screwed over by a mimic because of it) or deciding to give that creepy ol’ woman a hug or not, really helped make Elden Ring a unique experience.
Find friends, tell them to make all your decisions in Elden Ring, and see what happens. 10/10, would recommend it.
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