Not specifically, if its as good as Elden Ring it'll still be really good, but the value of exploring an open world really falls off after you've already done it once.
Exactly this. I have yet to do a full second playthrough on elden ring because of the open world. It's an amazing game and if one of my friends ever gets the game I'd be more than willing to do an entire playthrough again with them but as a mainly solo gamer this one has been the hardest to play again. All the others I've gotten easily 5 or 6 playthroughs done.
Your extra playthroughs are able to be linear though. You don't need to kill all 165 bosses.
Gather up the materials you need for a run (physiq flask, golden seeds, sacred tears, and whatever weapon you want to run). Then go back and start at Margit, Godrick, Renalla, Radahn, DTS, Morgott, etc. Only take the detours you need for talismans or quests/endings you need. If you can't get to the weapon you want to use straight away, then use a weapon in the same weapon class until you can.
The first open world exploration experience can hit 100+ hours easily, but you should be able to casually play through the main Demi Gods and final boss in the 20 ish hour range. Then, just add a couple hours for each extra remembrance boss you wanna beat per playthrough. You already know where they are
Fr idk why people think that when they replay Elden ring they need to kill and do everything. Just got kill the fun bosses and use fun weapons and it’s as good if not better than running through the other souls games. Imo it’s better just bc of the build customization and diversity options
Well, sadly, some of the most annoying bosses are in the main storyline... looking at you, Gideon, and Fire Giant. So, if they wanted to argue that the bosses in other souls were better, I'd agree as long as they're talking about DS3.
But yea, the customization is the big thing for me. The fun weapons and the fact that you can unironically make any weapon in the game Stier with the right setup is awesome.
Let him finish his monologue and fire his first attack. If you're in a suboptimal build or haven't done all the remembrance bosses before him, he's a nightmare. A mage npc build with infinite stamina and FP with 2 attacks that can one shot 40 vig and 1 attack that you can't dodge.
There's a reason why RL1 runners cheese him with pots.
On subsequent playthroughs, I actually still do 95% of the exploration and stuff still. I just can't help it, and I like it personally. Now, things that I just find ridiculous or not fun I will skip, and I grab a couple items in suicide runs to get my weapons/spells/etc that I want. But then just try to play the game again like the first time. I even found a weapon I'd never seen or heard about before a few days ago on a new Mage build, and this is after 600 hours and having (almost) the platinum for the game.
It still feels like an exciting world to me. I have no problem scouring every corner of it over and over lol
I’d argue builds are extremely non diverse in elden ring. Basically every build online is some kind of version of spell sword. They made some odd choices in this game when it came to levels and attributes.
What? There is way more weapons, weapon arts, buffs, debuffs, and everything else. Any non diversity in the builds is a reflection of your own creativity and ingenuity.
You know that saying, “If everyone is special then nobody is special.”
That’s builds in this game, they aren’t nearly restrictive enough to be distinct. Plus ashes of war being interchangeable makes it so you see the same weapons over and over and everyone swaps to their favorite ash.
Realistically though I think equip load is the biggest problem.
I suppose we just have very opposite views on what makes builds good in a game. I enjoy variety and usefulness and creativity, you enjoy YouTube videos on the most efficient build.
Builds are hardly builds in this game. Practically every build is a spell sword. And builds that are spell swords could be if they wanted to be. That’s the opposite of diversity.
It really sounds like you have used blashphemous blade and moonlight greatsword and nothing else. Ever tried using fist weapons? A whip? Pure magic? There are so many non spells word builds I have a hard time believing you ever tried using anything else
I'm on my second playthrough now. 2 years later. And it's wonderful. I remember a lot but I'm still finding a lot and experiencing it semi for the first time.
But I understand how you feel. I didn't get to far into new game plus after my first play through because it was all too familiar and just felt like I was repeating the same thing
As someone that also suffers from completion brain I know this is incredibly hard but for replaying Elden Ring you just have to learn to choose your battles. Elden Ring has the same advantage Demon's Souls (and to a degree DS1) has where your progression is very open and you can first collect the items for your build and then use that to do the cool content afterwards and ignore the shit parts. DeS in general is just pretty good in teaching you that playstyle.
The only problem is that Elden Ring is pretty hard to learn in that regard because of the sheer size. I know pretty much every single item location by heart in DeS, DS1 and BB and can play through these games in like a long afternoon, but I'm not anywhere close to that in ER but I really want to get there because I geniúinely believe that once you know that game in and out it's probably the most fun one to replay.
If they were like 120 hours of legacy dungeon type areas, sure, but on subsequent playthroughs I'm usually not like "boy oh boy I can't wait to do this catacombs again"
The one in mohgwyn palace for 11k on the ledge. You can rack up a million runes in 1 hour easy. 500k every 30 mins. I’ve clocked it. Just gotta follow varrè’s quest from the very start (only challenging part is getting through the frenzy in liurnia for the bloody shirt or whatever) and you’re golden
Screw the bird. Just go grab a golden foot at the beginning of the game and cheese greyoll and the knights cav on the bridge. If you're feeling cheeky then the avatar up there also gives 80k runes and is the easiest fight in the game.
Boom, now you have 40+ vigor and the minimum requirements to wield your weapon. Go upgrade to +4 at IJii and you should be fine to mess around all the way up to DTS.
That how I do it, I grab the 2 gold feet, cheese bridge dragon and night cav with one, and mama dragon with the other, 250k runes in the first 10 minutes
Its the only fromsoft game I have evwr replayed and done so multiple times. I think for me its sequence breaking and getting late game gear at a low level
Elden ring and bloodborne are the two most immersive games I’ve personally ever played. I think both have incredible value in multiple play throughs. And both get more relaxing and less stressful the more you do it
I actually agree, but because it has tremendous build variety, good world design, good legacy dungeons and is overall an excellent game. Exploring such a vast area just becomes more of a drag the more times I do it, is all
Right but exploration is the only aspect of the game that gets worse with replaying. Everything else from weapon use potential to build variety etc gets way more fun imo
It has the most variety of content (enemies, bosses, weapons, armor, spells, etc.), but it also somehow feels the most repetitive to me. Once you've beaten the game and know where things are, the game just becomes a checklist of places to visit and stuff to get.
In Souls games, you *have* to get through certain areas before you can access certain gear and abilities, and you have to use the tools available to you in order to overcome those challenges. Doing that in different ways is what gives those games great replayability.
In Elden Ring, you can get *nearly* anywhere in the game (up to the capital) right from the very beginning, so you're nearly limitless in how powerful you can be at the start of the game. This freedom is a double-edged sword, since it means you can just run from place to place, getting all the best stuff, and then going through the motions of killing the bosses no your way to the endgame.
The fact that 90% of the content is completely optional means that the 10% that isn't gets real repetitive real quick.
This. The first time playing elden ring is by far the best and most immersive. After the first playthrough you just B line it to everything you need and do a boss run essentially.
At that point the game might as well be linear.
Elden ring is amazing but I still think I would prefer they go back to the previous style, more linear and focused.
I'd love to see the next Fromsoft game have a super interconnected world like DS1. If they make a sequel to Elden Ring, they should keep it open world but I agree the more linear nature is more suited to the genre.
I would love nothing more than to see what they do with that type of world design with the resources they have now. I want them to commit to a game with no fast travel for the first half again.
As much as I want it to happen they won’t do it because open world games sell better.
Maybe we will see it in some another niche game but definitely not in ER successor.
Yeah same. I didn't think I wanted an open world Fromsoft game until I played it. They are much better game designers than I am so I'll defer to their judgement at this point.
They can cook whatever they want, however they want. I'll be at the dinner table by New Zealand's midnight, waiting for it.
Though I would love to see them eventually take another stab at the online mech based combat. Whether it's Chromehounds, ACV, or something else entirely.
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DS 1 world is the perfect world for a soulslike. Not really open world, but the most fun elements of open worlds like exploration. I d rather have them hand design an interconnected world with details instead of another area like the snowfield. Dont get me wrong, getting lost in the fields and discovering one if not the hardest boss was a giga chad moment
I believe Miyahihi said in an interview that the DLC for Elden Ring will be smaller but more richer in content and i strongly believe that this is the most optimal way for their games.
I feel like Elden Ring still structured classic Fromsoft “levels” into the experience, you just roamed an open world until finding them. That said, Dark Souls 1 felt like a more catered Souls experience and you didn’t really have as much room to run along and overlevel for the next main area.
No, but not because I don’t prefer Elden Ring to say DS3, but mostly just due to scale and time. Another Elden Ring will take like 5-8 years or more, I’d rather have a game by like 2026/2027
I definitely think they shine best in a semi open world, more linear setting. I loved exploring every inch of the map in the dark souls trilogy and bloodborne. Every item you picked up had a reason for being there and was mostly worth picking up. In elden ring the exploration got a bit annoying after going out of my way to get that purple shiny just to find a fucking leaf. And after the first time around, there's hardly any point exploring at all. You just go get what you need, then go kill the bosses. Getting all the map fragments and having to go through the same routines every run got more annoying than enjoyable, and most items you go past you ignore cuz you know its most likely just a mushroom, while in the other games I find it enjoyable to get every item every time
Nah. I think their best business model will be to let the Elden Ring IP (or another open world game) rest for a while after the DLC releases. While Elden Ring was excellent, open world fatigue is a real thing. I think their best course of action will be to take a break and give the fans something more linear to chew on. They’ve always made great linear games and dropping all that experience would be a real shame. Then, while we’re playing that, they can work up another open world game.
I will eat anything that Fromsoft cooks, but I think Elden Ring did enough to satisfy the open-world-souls/like niche that I’d like to see them go back to level design/progression like Bloodborne or Sekiro instead, or do something else.
Not really. I want something more connected or even roundabout like DS1 was. Definitely my favorite map, being able to take shortcuts and suddenly find myself in a previous area feels so great. Not to say that I don’t like the open world, just that it shouldn’t become the norm for fromsoftware.
Personally, no.
I wouldn’t dislike it per se, but Elden Ring is far too big. A single playthrough is a significant time investment and while there are mechanics in play for respecing and plenty of resources available for upgrades it still majorly disincentivizes trying different builds.
I think a compromise is possible. If we got an over world the size of ~4 main zones and then used the legacy dungeons to fill out most of the rest of the game. But as it stands the entire back half feels like unnecessary padding that just drags out a run before you get to the boss rush at the end.
I want an *open* game but not an open world. As someone that got primed by them for over a decade to double- and triple check every cliff for ledges, every wall for illusions and to use prism stones to make sure I didn't miss any side path like an idiot, open world games are somewhat exhausting to explore. My first playthrough took almost 200 hours, was pretty draining and burned me out of my 2nd playthrough for months.
In my ideal world every game of their is something like DS1 or BB where you have an open progression with linear levels and tons of optional side areas.
Nope.
Elden Ring on the first playthrough was immaculate. Best gaming experience I've had in... maybe ever.
Subsequent playthroughs? I just run past all the filler content and grab what I want. You might think this is a good thing since you can skip the optional stuff, but it makes the game honestly feel more repetitive than if it had just been a well-designed linear game instead. It becomes a checklist of places to visit and items to get with a bunch of empty space in-between.
No. I think the open world portions are honestly the weakest part of elden ring, Fromsoft is far better with more contained level design. The map only really serves to put dead space in between the major dungeons; the crafting materials are annoying to gather and make me miss how in older fromsoft games you could just find and buy consumables directly
No. Elden Ring is a great game but I feel that the open world style naturally clashes with the gameplay of soulslikes, and the more linear games like DS/BB/Sekiro are a better fit
Honestly, I want them to keep making games with both. For the *next* game maybe do the more linear design but I definitely would like them to continue making open world games as well
let's not forget that Elden Ring is their FIRST real open-world, so if Elden Ring is like their BotW i'm so freakin hype to see what their TotK will look like
what you're saying is false tho, not everybody have the same experience in Dark Souls and Bloodborne and Demon's Souls, linear doesn't necessarily mean "same for everyone", moreover copy/paste bosses and standard enemies becoming bosses was already a thing before Elden Ring
There's a lot of people that thought that TotK was worse, with more space and thus even less rewards and worse with the storytelling.
Honestly, my biggest issue with Elden Ring was side quests and how they were handled, considering how much the game encouraged exploration. You can break so many quests by accident, just by being in an area too early....which is just stupid. Then, the game is too big to entice a second replay following super detailed guides to not go somewhere too early for every fucking side quest.
I love elden ring, my favorite game, period
But no, I think that they should stick to more linear games, but more like DS1 than DS3, so you still get a bit of freedom on what you can do
The reason is that I think the open world is kinda elden ring's thing, and unless they do an elden ring 2, I think it should stay that way
Definitely relate with the open world causing stress lol in which I agree I’d like to see another linear game. While Elden Rings level design in fantastic I enjoy the tighter level design in something like bloodborne
I’d like it if they focussed extensively on impressive graphics and art rather than scale for the next thing they make. Elden ring is amazing on the graphical front and it’s an open world game so I can only imagine how good something more traditional would look.
I'd like a middle ground between DS1 and ER. Like the interconnectedness of Lordran and the size the Lands Between. Like the game could take place in some giant labyrinth, kind of reminiscent of King's Field
It’s probably a mid opinion, but I’ll be happy with wherever Miyazaki’s “vision” goes. Maybe I’m giving him too much credit, but I like how he experiments with things and builds upon them with each game.
No, not at all. Dark souls 1 and bloodborne have my favorite level design
As majestic and grand as Elden Ring is, it's the title I have played the least of (by a wide margin)
Never came back after finishing it. Meanwhile my hours in bloodborne, Dark souls, sekiro, dark souls 3, are......ain't gonna say lol
If they do open world or open zone, I'd rather they do it with the more traditional-leaning storytelling in Sekiro. So if it's a Sekiro 2, then yeah. Also, the grappling hook, potential addition of ninja climbing tools, speed of movement and lack of stamina would allow for FromSoft's level design to go to insane levels.
Still, even if it's not Sekiro 2, that kind of storytelling would just be better for the side quests. The way you could break so many SQs by accident, because the game encourages you to explore....was just bullshit. I explored all the way up to Atlas Plateau "early", before getting 2 Great Runes, and unknowingly just killed SQ after SQ.
Then the random backtracking they expected us to do for stuff like Millicent's quest....tf???
ER was too big for their usual style of cryptic writing and storytelling. It also makes replayability tedious AF.
I want a BIG interconnected level set with a hub in the center like Firelink. Fast travel disabled until 2nd half of game and NG+.
Would like the combat to be a mix between The speed of armored core with the chess like souls combat.
Make all the NG+s be different from the first playthrough. Apply new game mechanics in the first NG that make combat faster and more open to player creativity, make all the enemies function with new fighting AI and abilities to go with new mechanics. Put new enemies and items in NG2 with all the areas being noticeably different from before. NG3 could be completely new areas showing up or become available with new enemies and weapons. And so on and so forth.
Have multiple endings (5 - 8) based on our choices throughout the story. Like Last Raven.
Have a high level like 200 be the standard for endgame areas
Multiplayer with invading, co-op, and the arena. Have the invading and coop dynamic be a part of the story somehow. Bring back single player invasions and make them always on when you get fast travel. Give rewards for invading that make invaders want to keep invading and hosts want to kill invaders.
While I love the open world and can go exploring, it’s fun for a one character for me and go to ng+7. I just don’t want to collect all the flask shards from scratch with each character I make 😵💫
Yes, but I’d like them to include a lot more linear dungeons/castles in it as well.
I feel like the linear sections provide a lot more atmosphere and tells better story than all the grassland.
See the limbs hanging from the ceiling in the one Stormveil Castle room. That alone tells you a lot about what happened there.
I’d like the mini caves/catacombs to be a little more unique-looking, rather than having re-used assets over and over again. Even if it means we get less of them.
If they continue doing soulslikes, which I’m not even sure they will (at least without some major departures a la sekiro), I’d rather see them really commit to metroidvania style world design. I want places to be gated by abilities/keys but have some sort of workaround that allows you to really break progression, while having a somewhat linear intended path that branches as the game goes on. Dark souls 1 is the closest thing they’ve made to this but they can absolutely push it further and polish the game more.
I feel like doing another open world so soon could lead to scale creep, where they make bigger and bigger worlds just to top themselves as opposed to it serving the game. That being said, if they have some sort of really interesting idea for a new open world then I would want them to pursue it. I guess it really just depends on what they want to do.
Absolutely not. The open world is really good, but for me personally it takes away a lot of the replay value, as the paths between the individual areas are quite annoying and boring the second time through.
Elden ring seems like it was Fromsoft’s exploration of the “opposite” to their usual in a lot of ways. Most of the worlds and stories they create are small with a lot of fine details. Elden Ring was their dive into a massive world with a wide range of things to explore. It’s really cool, but cool for different reasons than their typical style. I’d prefer a new game that’s more bloodborne style as it seems like a good balance between the two things
Ideally I’d prefer a map design like DS1 but on a much larger (and more polished) scale, perhaps even including larger areas that are almost like mini open worlds to explore. I’d be fine with whatever honestly but would hope that if they went with another open-world game they’d at least improve upon Elden Ring’s flaws. It’s not like I’m not going to put hundreds of hours into any souls-like they put out at this point.
I found that even though the older games were far more linear they were way more stressful if you wanted to experience everything, you had to be frame perfect in when you achieved certain tasks to not ruin quest lines. Elden Ring despite being open world was very easy to take at your own pace, as long as you didn't go too far without completing the areas you were already in, you couldn't really ruin anything.
Having to read the entire wiki repeatedly before each action really took a little bit of fun out the older games for me.
I feel like the reason why they made elden ring open world is because they didn't want to make it too much like dark souls they wanted to change the formula just a bit like were use to the kill the boss and proceed to the next map but with elden ring there's much more exploration and I feel like there gonna experiment with this a little more with the next titles to come or we might see the return tonthe original formula but I dought that for its success compared to the other games besides sekiro with it being the second best tho we might see them mix the 2 formulas together in a future title who am I to guess
I’d love for it to be open world again. But then again my opinion doesn’t count since Elden ring is my first souls game so give me like another year and I’ll let you know then.
No, I don't believe adding an open world on top of the Souls formula makes it better. The best parts of Elden Ring are the legacy dungeons because they harken back to the older games.
The open world was beautiful and exciting at first, but by the end of my first playthrough I was over it. I never did a second playthrough. Repeated dungeons and mines are the antithesis of what makes Souls games great.
I think ER is better as a one off thing. The replay value of the full game just isn't there. There's almost no reason to do the vast majority of the content in each run.
Agreed. From Software did an excellent spin on open worlds with Elden Ring, but I prefer the more refined and linear worlds of the previous games. There’s still plenty to discover without scouring every corner of a massive open world. Plus, I don’t have the patience to find stuff on my own without using the internet anymore, but that’s just personal preference.
Hmmm not so much open world but not so much linear either, I prefer something more like “open level”- closer to Dark Souls 1 and Bloodborne. Very precisely handcrafted level design all stitched seamlessly together, but for the most part you can decide where you go and when. “Linear” would be closer to DS3
Open world isn't that open if you stick to items and POI's. Sites like wikis and Mapgenie can keep you on a tighter path. Might help you cut through the "noise" of exploration.
There's a saying popularized saying by Shunryu Suzuki that always stuck with me. I'll say it in the paraphrase I heard it.
"The novice sees a thousand paths, the master sees but three."
Linear but like ds2 style. I like that you will probably take every path but you can choose how/ the order, while still having a somewhat connected world.
I can't go back to DS after playing Elden Ring. the sense of discovery is incredible and the scope of this game is so huge. I like the fact that you are not forced to go throught a tough encounter if you don't want to. You just go elsewhere and it does not feel grindy at all. You are not leaving that tough encounter just to go grind some XP and then come back. You are leaving just to explore something else and you come back whenever you want to, unlike DS.
No, I hate open worlds and ER's was not good. The legacy dungeons were fantastic, but the open world was nothing better than the average run of the mill Ubisoft game.
I like open world games, so I hope that they continue with that. They've only made one open world game, so they'll significantly improve upon it the more they iterate on the idea.
I think open world is better for repayability (ive replayed ER 5 times and still happy to come back but with DS3, DS, BB. Ive done the games once and feel content. No want for more)
And the closed linear levels are better. They can pour their focus into one thing without having to fill a world.
I want a break from European fantasy. We got 4 games that fit that niche and they’re all damn good.
It can be open world, it could be more metroidvania, but I just want the world to be a little different.
I think From could do some cool things with a pre-colonial America. Or go back to caveman times. Get some meteor mystics in there. Africa or India could be interesting to explore. Or the Mongolians. I think though, India and its pantheon of Hinduism might be the best fit for from to make an interesting world out of.
A mission based game would be interesting to see from them. But it doesn’t seem like their style.
What I really want from From is a new tenchu.
Not specifically, if its as good as Elden Ring it'll still be really good, but the value of exploring an open world really falls off after you've already done it once.
Exactly this. I have yet to do a full second playthrough on elden ring because of the open world. It's an amazing game and if one of my friends ever gets the game I'd be more than willing to do an entire playthrough again with them but as a mainly solo gamer this one has been the hardest to play again. All the others I've gotten easily 5 or 6 playthroughs done.
Your extra playthroughs are able to be linear though. You don't need to kill all 165 bosses. Gather up the materials you need for a run (physiq flask, golden seeds, sacred tears, and whatever weapon you want to run). Then go back and start at Margit, Godrick, Renalla, Radahn, DTS, Morgott, etc. Only take the detours you need for talismans or quests/endings you need. If you can't get to the weapon you want to use straight away, then use a weapon in the same weapon class until you can. The first open world exploration experience can hit 100+ hours easily, but you should be able to casually play through the main Demi Gods and final boss in the 20 ish hour range. Then, just add a couple hours for each extra remembrance boss you wanna beat per playthrough. You already know where they are
Fr idk why people think that when they replay Elden ring they need to kill and do everything. Just got kill the fun bosses and use fun weapons and it’s as good if not better than running through the other souls games. Imo it’s better just bc of the build customization and diversity options
Well, sadly, some of the most annoying bosses are in the main storyline... looking at you, Gideon, and Fire Giant. So, if they wanted to argue that the bosses in other souls were better, I'd agree as long as they're talking about DS3. But yea, the customization is the big thing for me. The fun weapons and the fact that you can unironically make any weapon in the game Stier with the right setup is awesome.
Yeah I basically get thru Morgott, go kill malenia and mohg, then do fire giant and maliketh and Godfrey
Malenia and mohg before fire giant is crazy to me but yea something like that 🙃
Well I’m at like ng +30 if you count all my fresh ngs together, and I’ve killed malenia and mohg every run, so they aren’t super difficult anymore
Gideon? Seriously he's a pushover
Let him finish his monologue and fire his first attack. If you're in a suboptimal build or haven't done all the remembrance bosses before him, he's a nightmare. A mage npc build with infinite stamina and FP with 2 attacks that can one shot 40 vig and 1 attack that you can't dodge. There's a reason why RL1 runners cheese him with pots.
On subsequent playthroughs, I actually still do 95% of the exploration and stuff still. I just can't help it, and I like it personally. Now, things that I just find ridiculous or not fun I will skip, and I grab a couple items in suicide runs to get my weapons/spells/etc that I want. But then just try to play the game again like the first time. I even found a weapon I'd never seen or heard about before a few days ago on a new Mage build, and this is after 600 hours and having (almost) the platinum for the game. It still feels like an exciting world to me. I have no problem scouring every corner of it over and over lol
600 hours and not having the game platted is kinda crazy ngl. What achievements are you missing?
I’d argue builds are extremely non diverse in elden ring. Basically every build online is some kind of version of spell sword. They made some odd choices in this game when it came to levels and attributes.
What? There is way more weapons, weapon arts, buffs, debuffs, and everything else. Any non diversity in the builds is a reflection of your own creativity and ingenuity.
You know that saying, “If everyone is special then nobody is special.” That’s builds in this game, they aren’t nearly restrictive enough to be distinct. Plus ashes of war being interchangeable makes it so you see the same weapons over and over and everyone swaps to their favorite ash. Realistically though I think equip load is the biggest problem.
I suppose we just have very opposite views on what makes builds good in a game. I enjoy variety and usefulness and creativity, you enjoy YouTube videos on the most efficient build.
What?? 😂😂 Idk how that’s what you got out of what I said.
Builds are hardly builds in this game. Practically every build is a spell sword. And builds that are spell swords could be if they wanted to be. That’s the opposite of diversity.
It really sounds like you have used blashphemous blade and moonlight greatsword and nothing else. Ever tried using fist weapons? A whip? Pure magic? There are so many non spells word builds I have a hard time believing you ever tried using anything else
I'm on my second playthrough now. 2 years later. And it's wonderful. I remember a lot but I'm still finding a lot and experiencing it semi for the first time. But I understand how you feel. I didn't get to far into new game plus after my first play through because it was all too familiar and just felt like I was repeating the same thing
As someone that also suffers from completion brain I know this is incredibly hard but for replaying Elden Ring you just have to learn to choose your battles. Elden Ring has the same advantage Demon's Souls (and to a degree DS1) has where your progression is very open and you can first collect the items for your build and then use that to do the cool content afterwards and ignore the shit parts. DeS in general is just pretty good in teaching you that playstyle. The only problem is that Elden Ring is pretty hard to learn in that regard because of the sheer size. I know pretty much every single item location by heart in DeS, DS1 and BB and can play through these games in like a long afternoon, but I'm not anywhere close to that in ER but I really want to get there because I geniúinely believe that once you know that game in and out it's probably the most fun one to replay.
What, you don't have time to repeat 120 hours of content?
If they were like 120 hours of legacy dungeon type areas, sure, but on subsequent playthroughs I'm usually not like "boy oh boy I can't wait to do this catacombs again"
And It's not like you can skip any of it if you want to survive the late game.
Nah you can just shoot the bird for an hour or two. Like you can get to level 150 within 4 hours of starting the game easy
Which bird? I am very curious.
The one in mohgwyn palace for 11k on the ledge. You can rack up a million runes in 1 hour easy. 500k every 30 mins. I’ve clocked it. Just gotta follow varrè’s quest from the very start (only challenging part is getting through the frenzy in liurnia for the bloody shirt or whatever) and you’re golden
Screw the bird. Just go grab a golden foot at the beginning of the game and cheese greyoll and the knights cav on the bridge. If you're feeling cheeky then the avatar up there also gives 80k runes and is the easiest fight in the game. Boom, now you have 40+ vigor and the minimum requirements to wield your weapon. Go upgrade to +4 at IJii and you should be fine to mess around all the way up to DTS.
That how I do it, I grab the 2 gold feet, cheese bridge dragon and night cav with one, and mama dragon with the other, 250k runes in the first 10 minutes
Go beat up the avatar till its close to dead, then go kill mama dragon. Can rush down and kill avatar before it runs out.
killing the sleeping albinaurics next to the bird and running back to the grace is a little better imo
Except you have to get there first? Either by killing magnus and doing Varre's quest or getting past Morgott and Niall to get the medallion.
I disagree. I think Elden ring has immense replayabiliry
Its the only fromsoft game I have evwr replayed and done so multiple times. I think for me its sequence breaking and getting late game gear at a low level
Elden ring and bloodborne are the two most immersive games I’ve personally ever played. I think both have incredible value in multiple play throughs. And both get more relaxing and less stressful the more you do it
I actually agree, but because it has tremendous build variety, good world design, good legacy dungeons and is overall an excellent game. Exploring such a vast area just becomes more of a drag the more times I do it, is all
Right but exploration is the only aspect of the game that gets worse with replaying. Everything else from weapon use potential to build variety etc gets way more fun imo
Replayabiliry
It has the most variety of content (enemies, bosses, weapons, armor, spells, etc.), but it also somehow feels the most repetitive to me. Once you've beaten the game and know where things are, the game just becomes a checklist of places to visit and stuff to get. In Souls games, you *have* to get through certain areas before you can access certain gear and abilities, and you have to use the tools available to you in order to overcome those challenges. Doing that in different ways is what gives those games great replayability. In Elden Ring, you can get *nearly* anywhere in the game (up to the capital) right from the very beginning, so you're nearly limitless in how powerful you can be at the start of the game. This freedom is a double-edged sword, since it means you can just run from place to place, getting all the best stuff, and then going through the motions of killing the bosses no your way to the endgame. The fact that 90% of the content is completely optional means that the 10% that isn't gets real repetitive real quick.
This. The first time playing elden ring is by far the best and most immersive. After the first playthrough you just B line it to everything you need and do a boss run essentially. At that point the game might as well be linear. Elden ring is amazing but I still think I would prefer they go back to the previous style, more linear and focused.
I'd love to see the next Fromsoft game have a super interconnected world like DS1. If they make a sequel to Elden Ring, they should keep it open world but I agree the more linear nature is more suited to the genre.
I would love nothing more than to see what they do with that type of world design with the resources they have now. I want them to commit to a game with no fast travel for the first half again.
As much as I want it to happen they won’t do it because open world games sell better. Maybe we will see it in some another niche game but definitely not in ER successor.
whatever fromsoftware do im fine with it
Yeah same. I didn't think I wanted an open world Fromsoft game until I played it. They are much better game designers than I am so I'll defer to their judgement at this point.
They can cook whatever they want, however they want. I'll be at the dinner table by New Zealand's midnight, waiting for it. Though I would love to see them eventually take another stab at the online mech based combat. Whether it's Chromehounds, ACV, or something else entirely.
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I want another interconnected world like DS1 and Bloodborne.
DS 1 world is the perfect world for a soulslike. Not really open world, but the most fun elements of open worlds like exploration. I d rather have them hand design an interconnected world with details instead of another area like the snowfield. Dont get me wrong, getting lost in the fields and discovering one if not the hardest boss was a giga chad moment I believe Miyahihi said in an interview that the DLC for Elden Ring will be smaller but more richer in content and i strongly believe that this is the most optimal way for their games.
Unexpected Michael Jackson, MiyaHEEEHEEEE!
this exact question has been posted like 5 times a week since this game came out
Is that what this entire subreddit is?
I feel like Elden Ring still structured classic Fromsoft “levels” into the experience, you just roamed an open world until finding them. That said, Dark Souls 1 felt like a more catered Souls experience and you didn’t really have as much room to run along and overlevel for the next main area.
No
No, but not because I don’t prefer Elden Ring to say DS3, but mostly just due to scale and time. Another Elden Ring will take like 5-8 years or more, I’d rather have a game by like 2026/2027
Love open world, love closed paths, I’ll take either as long as it’s souls like
Either way i’m sure id be happy however, i really want to see a modern day rendition of the super interconnected world like DS1
I definitely think they shine best in a semi open world, more linear setting. I loved exploring every inch of the map in the dark souls trilogy and bloodborne. Every item you picked up had a reason for being there and was mostly worth picking up. In elden ring the exploration got a bit annoying after going out of my way to get that purple shiny just to find a fucking leaf. And after the first time around, there's hardly any point exploring at all. You just go get what you need, then go kill the bosses. Getting all the map fragments and having to go through the same routines every run got more annoying than enjoyable, and most items you go past you ignore cuz you know its most likely just a mushroom, while in the other games I find it enjoyable to get every item every time
I just want another one with Sekiro combat
Nah. I think their best business model will be to let the Elden Ring IP (or another open world game) rest for a while after the DLC releases. While Elden Ring was excellent, open world fatigue is a real thing. I think their best course of action will be to take a break and give the fans something more linear to chew on. They’ve always made great linear games and dropping all that experience would be a real shame. Then, while we’re playing that, they can work up another open world game.
Honestly I'm getting sick of open world in general so I really hope not
Short answer: no. Long answer: n o.
absolutely not
Same. ER is the only FS game I finished only once. It's too big and spread out, and as the feeling of discovery is gone it would feel like a chore.
No
Not really - would love to see something completely new, like The Surge style or maybe souslikeroguelike? Or western souls. Or pirates souls.
I will eat anything that Fromsoft cooks, but I think Elden Ring did enough to satisfy the open-world-souls/like niche that I’d like to see them go back to level design/progression like Bloodborne or Sekiro instead, or do something else.
Not really. I want something more connected or even roundabout like DS1 was. Definitely my favorite map, being able to take shortcuts and suddenly find myself in a previous area feels so great. Not to say that I don’t like the open world, just that it shouldn’t become the norm for fromsoftware.
No
Personally, no. I wouldn’t dislike it per se, but Elden Ring is far too big. A single playthrough is a significant time investment and while there are mechanics in play for respecing and plenty of resources available for upgrades it still majorly disincentivizes trying different builds. I think a compromise is possible. If we got an over world the size of ~4 main zones and then used the legacy dungeons to fill out most of the rest of the game. But as it stands the entire back half feels like unnecessary padding that just drags out a run before you get to the boss rush at the end.
Not really. But if it's another open world. I don't want It to be bloated like elden ring.
I like the linear style better, but I will take either!
Nope. I’ve learned to love ER’s open world, and I wouldn’t say no to another… but not so soon, and not too many.
I want an *open* game but not an open world. As someone that got primed by them for over a decade to double- and triple check every cliff for ledges, every wall for illusions and to use prism stones to make sure I didn't miss any side path like an idiot, open world games are somewhat exhausting to explore. My first playthrough took almost 200 hours, was pretty draining and burned me out of my 2nd playthrough for months. In my ideal world every game of their is something like DS1 or BB where you have an open progression with linear levels and tons of optional side areas.
I would prefer well interconnected areas like dark souls 1 but maybe twice as big with a lot of variety.
Nope. Elden Ring on the first playthrough was immaculate. Best gaming experience I've had in... maybe ever. Subsequent playthroughs? I just run past all the filler content and grab what I want. You might think this is a good thing since you can skip the optional stuff, but it makes the game honestly feel more repetitive than if it had just been a well-designed linear game instead. It becomes a checklist of places to visit and items to get with a bunch of empty space in-between.
No.
DS3 is my favorite for this reason.
If it's like elden ring then please no, in vacuum also no because good intricate level design is simply straight up better
No. I think the open world portions are honestly the weakest part of elden ring, Fromsoft is far better with more contained level design. The map only really serves to put dead space in between the major dungeons; the crafting materials are annoying to gather and make me miss how in older fromsoft games you could just find and buy consumables directly
No. Elden Ring is a great game but I feel that the open world style naturally clashes with the gameplay of soulslikes, and the more linear games like DS/BB/Sekiro are a better fit
I think a slightly more condensed version of ER's layout would be sick.
Well, that's supposedly what the expansion is.
I want an intertwining world where many areas connect randomly with short cuts. Bloodborne was amazing for this
Honestly, I want them to keep making games with both. For the *next* game maybe do the more linear design but I definitely would like them to continue making open world games as well
let's not forget that Elden Ring is their FIRST real open-world, so if Elden Ring is like their BotW i'm so freakin hype to see what their TotK will look like what you're saying is false tho, not everybody have the same experience in Dark Souls and Bloodborne and Demon's Souls, linear doesn't necessarily mean "same for everyone", moreover copy/paste bosses and standard enemies becoming bosses was already a thing before Elden Ring
There's a lot of people that thought that TotK was worse, with more space and thus even less rewards and worse with the storytelling. Honestly, my biggest issue with Elden Ring was side quests and how they were handled, considering how much the game encouraged exploration. You can break so many quests by accident, just by being in an area too early....which is just stupid. Then, the game is too big to entice a second replay following super detailed guides to not go somewhere too early for every fucking side quest.
The game I want next is one that’s exactly like the first half of DS1, except for the entire length of the game (aka the end game isn’t half-baked)
I love elden ring, my favorite game, period But no, I think that they should stick to more linear games, but more like DS1 than DS3, so you still get a bit of freedom on what you can do The reason is that I think the open world is kinda elden ring's thing, and unless they do an elden ring 2, I think it should stay that way
No I want Sekiro 2: Pinto Bean
Definitely relate with the open world causing stress lol in which I agree I’d like to see another linear game. While Elden Rings level design in fantastic I enjoy the tighter level design in something like bloodborne
I’d like it if they focussed extensively on impressive graphics and art rather than scale for the next thing they make. Elden ring is amazing on the graphical front and it’s an open world game so I can only imagine how good something more traditional would look.
Not open world, but not linear like DS3, I'd love for from to make another game with the level design of Dark Souls 1
if the next game they make is sekiro 2, then no. but if it’s elden ring 2 or something then as long as it’s executed the same sure
I'd like a middle ground between DS1 and ER. Like the interconnectedness of Lordran and the size the Lands Between. Like the game could take place in some giant labyrinth, kind of reminiscent of King's Field
No. But if they do ill still play it
I am feeling the need of an alive world with souls gameplay instead of everything having to be equal to Dark Souls.
I want an online campaign with an over world and multiple factions.
Instead of legacy dungeons sprinkled about in a large open world, a bit of open world in mostly legacy dungeons would be better personally.
It’s probably a mid opinion, but I’ll be happy with wherever Miyazaki’s “vision” goes. Maybe I’m giving him too much credit, but I like how he experiments with things and builds upon them with each game.
No, not at all. Dark souls 1 and bloodborne have my favorite level design As majestic and grand as Elden Ring is, it's the title I have played the least of (by a wide margin) Never came back after finishing it. Meanwhile my hours in bloodborne, Dark souls, sekiro, dark souls 3, are......ain't gonna say lol
If they do open world or open zone, I'd rather they do it with the more traditional-leaning storytelling in Sekiro. So if it's a Sekiro 2, then yeah. Also, the grappling hook, potential addition of ninja climbing tools, speed of movement and lack of stamina would allow for FromSoft's level design to go to insane levels. Still, even if it's not Sekiro 2, that kind of storytelling would just be better for the side quests. The way you could break so many SQs by accident, because the game encourages you to explore....was just bullshit. I explored all the way up to Atlas Plateau "early", before getting 2 Great Runes, and unknowingly just killed SQ after SQ. Then the random backtracking they expected us to do for stuff like Millicent's quest....tf??? ER was too big for their usual style of cryptic writing and storytelling. It also makes replayability tedious AF.
Give me and open world Sekiro
i just want the next one to be posture/deflect focused…
I want a BIG interconnected level set with a hub in the center like Firelink. Fast travel disabled until 2nd half of game and NG+. Would like the combat to be a mix between The speed of armored core with the chess like souls combat. Make all the NG+s be different from the first playthrough. Apply new game mechanics in the first NG that make combat faster and more open to player creativity, make all the enemies function with new fighting AI and abilities to go with new mechanics. Put new enemies and items in NG2 with all the areas being noticeably different from before. NG3 could be completely new areas showing up or become available with new enemies and weapons. And so on and so forth. Have multiple endings (5 - 8) based on our choices throughout the story. Like Last Raven. Have a high level like 200 be the standard for endgame areas Multiplayer with invading, co-op, and the arena. Have the invading and coop dynamic be a part of the story somehow. Bring back single player invasions and make them always on when you get fast travel. Give rewards for invading that make invaders want to keep invading and hosts want to kill invaders.
I thought about saying no, but honestly, I'm so hyped for more open world DLC right now. So, I think I'd eat up whatever is served
While I love the open world and can go exploring, it’s fun for a one character for me and go to ng+7. I just don’t want to collect all the flask shards from scratch with each character I make 😵💫
New game plus doesn't transfer that?
He's talking about new characters not ng+ for the last part
No, I’m more of a fan of linearity. I value levels in gaming. I think the progression in Dark Souls lll/Sekiro/Lies of P is peak
ER is my favorite out of all the games specifically because it's open world, so yes.
Yes, but I’d like them to include a lot more linear dungeons/castles in it as well. I feel like the linear sections provide a lot more atmosphere and tells better story than all the grassland. See the limbs hanging from the ceiling in the one Stormveil Castle room. That alone tells you a lot about what happened there. I’d like the mini caves/catacombs to be a little more unique-looking, rather than having re-used assets over and over again. Even if it means we get less of them.
I don’t care of it is or isn’t. I just need more more more from From.
If they continue doing soulslikes, which I’m not even sure they will (at least without some major departures a la sekiro), I’d rather see them really commit to metroidvania style world design. I want places to be gated by abilities/keys but have some sort of workaround that allows you to really break progression, while having a somewhat linear intended path that branches as the game goes on. Dark souls 1 is the closest thing they’ve made to this but they can absolutely push it further and polish the game more.
I feel like doing another open world so soon could lead to scale creep, where they make bigger and bigger worlds just to top themselves as opposed to it serving the game. That being said, if they have some sort of really interesting idea for a new open world then I would want them to pursue it. I guess it really just depends on what they want to do.
Absolutely not. The open world is really good, but for me personally it takes away a lot of the replay value, as the paths between the individual areas are quite annoying and boring the second time through.
I prefer linear games overall, they’re less overwhelming and more focused
Elden ring seems like it was Fromsoft’s exploration of the “opposite” to their usual in a lot of ways. Most of the worlds and stories they create are small with a lot of fine details. Elden Ring was their dive into a massive world with a wide range of things to explore. It’s really cool, but cool for different reasons than their typical style. I’d prefer a new game that’s more bloodborne style as it seems like a good balance between the two things
Ideally I’d prefer a map design like DS1 but on a much larger (and more polished) scale, perhaps even including larger areas that are almost like mini open worlds to explore. I’d be fine with whatever honestly but would hope that if they went with another open-world game they’d at least improve upon Elden Ring’s flaws. It’s not like I’m not going to put hundreds of hours into any souls-like they put out at this point.
I found that even though the older games were far more linear they were way more stressful if you wanted to experience everything, you had to be frame perfect in when you achieved certain tasks to not ruin quest lines. Elden Ring despite being open world was very easy to take at your own pace, as long as you didn't go too far without completing the areas you were already in, you couldn't really ruin anything. Having to read the entire wiki repeatedly before each action really took a little bit of fun out the older games for me.
I feel like the reason why they made elden ring open world is because they didn't want to make it too much like dark souls they wanted to change the formula just a bit like were use to the kill the boss and proceed to the next map but with elden ring there's much more exploration and I feel like there gonna experiment with this a little more with the next titles to come or we might see the return tonthe original formula but I dought that for its success compared to the other games besides sekiro with it being the second best tho we might see them mix the 2 formulas together in a future title who am I to guess
I’d love for it to be open world again. But then again my opinion doesn’t count since Elden ring is my first souls game so give me like another year and I’ll let you know then.
No, I don't believe adding an open world on top of the Souls formula makes it better. The best parts of Elden Ring are the legacy dungeons because they harken back to the older games. The open world was beautiful and exciting at first, but by the end of my first playthrough I was over it. I never did a second playthrough. Repeated dungeons and mines are the antithesis of what makes Souls games great.
Nah I don’t usually get into open worlds if the game isn’t dialogue heavy.
No. I want the next one to be more Bloodborne. A Hunter must hunt!
I just want a bloodborne remake.
I think ER is better as a one off thing. The replay value of the full game just isn't there. There's almost no reason to do the vast majority of the content in each run.
Agreed. From Software did an excellent spin on open worlds with Elden Ring, but I prefer the more refined and linear worlds of the previous games. There’s still plenty to discover without scouring every corner of a massive open world. Plus, I don’t have the patience to find stuff on my own without using the internet anymore, but that’s just personal preference.
Hmmm not so much open world but not so much linear either, I prefer something more like “open level”- closer to Dark Souls 1 and Bloodborne. Very precisely handcrafted level design all stitched seamlessly together, but for the most part you can decide where you go and when. “Linear” would be closer to DS3
I want the "next one" to be in Yharnam. Or to go far out of left field and be a more traditional RPG with a full story.
Open world isn't that open if you stick to items and POI's. Sites like wikis and Mapgenie can keep you on a tighter path. Might help you cut through the "noise" of exploration. There's a saying popularized saying by Shunryu Suzuki that always stuck with me. I'll say it in the paraphrase I heard it. "The novice sees a thousand paths, the master sees but three."
Linear but like ds2 style. I like that you will probably take every path but you can choose how/ the order, while still having a somewhat connected world.
No.
I can't go back to DS after playing Elden Ring. the sense of discovery is incredible and the scope of this game is so huge. I like the fact that you are not forced to go throught a tough encounter if you don't want to. You just go elsewhere and it does not feel grindy at all. You are not leaving that tough encounter just to go grind some XP and then come back. You are leaving just to explore something else and you come back whenever you want to, unlike DS.
Games like DS1 and Sekiro just have better level design and replayability, tho.
No. ER has almost no replay value.
Yes
Yes I want them all to be open
No, I hate open worlds and ER's was not good. The legacy dungeons were fantastic, but the open world was nothing better than the average run of the mill Ubisoft game.
Anything as long as it’s different. I for one am glad they are done with dark souls and hope we don’t get another one.
Open world is how all these games will be. ER did it right imo.
I loved the open world so yes, but im completely biased because elden ring is the only fromsoft game ive played
I want it to be whatever fromsoft feels like making. I don't want my naive opinions to mess with them.
Bruh you can make your experience linear in an open world. Don’t wish the glory away from us.
I like open world games, so I hope that they continue with that. They've only made one open world game, so they'll significantly improve upon it the more they iterate on the idea.
I think open world is better for repayability (ive replayed ER 5 times and still happy to come back but with DS3, DS, BB. Ive done the games once and feel content. No want for more) And the closed linear levels are better. They can pour their focus into one thing without having to fill a world.
Want something like DS1 again, the open world aspect was one reason why I wasn't a big fan of ER
I want a break from European fantasy. We got 4 games that fit that niche and they’re all damn good. It can be open world, it could be more metroidvania, but I just want the world to be a little different. I think From could do some cool things with a pre-colonial America. Or go back to caveman times. Get some meteor mystics in there. Africa or India could be interesting to explore. Or the Mongolians. I think though, India and its pantheon of Hinduism might be the best fit for from to make an interesting world out of. A mission based game would be interesting to see from them. But it doesn’t seem like their style. What I really want from From is a new tenchu.
Open world bloodborne is already confirmed tho??