Cycles, not Sagas

Of all From Software's action-RPGs, Elden Ring has the strongest resemblance to J.R.R. Tolkien's works.  In particular, the Silmarillion seems to have shaped the look and feel of the "Lands Between."  That said, there's a lot more Gaelic mythology baked into the lore, whereas Tolkien's "Middle Earth" was influenced primarily by Scandinavian sagas.  I suppose this shouldn't be surprising to see considering G.R.R. Martin has family ties to Ireland.  Overall, the world of Elden Ring is a bit less gloomy and more dreamlike compared to other From Software games.  In terms of gameplay though it's still very much a Souls game.

The inclusion of open-world mechanics hasn't altered the rhythms that we have all come to expect from Miyazaki Hidetaka, aside from a greater degree of flexibility.  Players are no longer required to pursue only one or two options.  Instead, they can choose from a wide variety of tactics and character builds, all of which are equally viable.  For me, it's actually somewhat of a problem in that I currently have five different characters (a samurai, a knight, a priestess, a barbarian, and a mage) that I keep bouncing between, unable to commit to any one class for the duration.  This problem even extends to the moment-to-moment gameplay in that I spent my first hour or so with Elden Ring avoiding combat entirely; preferring stealth and exploration over fighting.  Even now (many hours into the game) I find myself reluctant to get into any boss battles.  Normally they are a highlight of these kinds of games, but I've come to the conclusion that I don't enjoy the challenge very much.  Way too much dodging is required and the opportunities to counterattack are too few/narrow.  As if slowing chipping away at massive health bars wasn't tedious enough, there's a tendency in newer From Software games to have boss enemies go berserk or power up when their health drops bellow the halfway mark.  Oftentimes this results in the death of the player character which, in turn, means starting the encounter over from the beginning.  That personal gripe aside, Elden Ring is a much more forgiving game than any of it's predecessors.  There is no "hollowed" state that reduces your max HP, horseback combat is a breeze and computer-controlled allies are just a bell ring away.  

I've heard that using sorceries also greatly reduces the overall challenge, but based on my own experiences that really isn't the case.  As far as I can tell, a classic sword and shield fighter is the easiest archetype to play.  Outside of the mandatory boss battles, most combat in Elden Ring hardly feels worth the effort.  There are "runes" to be gained, but the amounts aren't generous and most loot will be of little use to any given character class.  For example a low strength build will never be able to wield "great" weapons (of which there are many).  Quite a few special abilities also lack practicality; relegating them to amusing novelties at best.

Despite my criticisms, Elden Ring is an impressive accomplishment (even by From Software standards).  It sounds like the game has attracted a lot of newcomers as well.  Maybe I shouldn't be surprised though considering that the overall experience has a lot in common with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.