Topic: Elden Ring Hype Thread

@Jimmer-jammer I did the Weeping Peninsula, Limgrave, Stormveil, and the Lakes of Liurna/Raya Lucaria before doing Caelid/Dragonborrow.

Just Godfrey and Rennala from the main bosses defeated.

So now I guess it’s time to head north from Raya Lucaria but I might revisit Stormveil first.

@JohnnyShoulder It’s quite cool that we’ve taken quite different paths to seemingly be at a similar point.

I backed out of Siofra previously as the enemies were too strong so maybe that can be another place to distract me from the “proper” path for a bit longer..

One of the things I don’t like with all the From games is how difficult they make levelling up weapons for you.

They give you an almost ridiculous variety of weapons but normally a quite limited amount of items available to improve them so I end up worrying I’ll use items on a weapon I subsequent don’t like and miss out being able to upgrade one I would like to try.

Like, I think Bloodborne only gave you one item in the whole game to raise a weapon to the very top level? It just seems pointlessly restrictive to me.

@Thrillho oh wow, you’re not far from where I’m at! …There are smithing stone bell bearings around (just found another one last night) (edit: as @Kairu said) and the caves usually have quite a few to find but I agree that materials are generally doled out very frugally.

@Jimmer-jammer I think it is to balance the game so that you can't get a too OP weapon early doors. I've got my main weapon at +high teens with a couple more at +low teens.

I did have a nosey round Caelid earlier, and have to say I really like the crazy AF enemies. Reminds me of something that could be found in Bloodborne. Didn’t stay too long, only enough to unlock two or three graces.
I might go back there later, but for now I went back to Altus Plateau and went North-west to see if I could loop round to get a map fragment behind Volcano Manor. But no joy as it was a dead end, with an area with a load of those Abductor Virgins. One of the first things I do when get to a new area is try and make a bee line to the nearest map fragment.

So instead I went east and fought my way into the Capital City outskirts. There were two phantom trees I found with two golden seeds at each of them. Bargain. There was one enemy which I had scarper from, which inot had to do in awhile, as I was doing hardly any damage to it. Turns out I had accidentally selected my magic staff and was attempting to kill it with that! 😂

Anyway, I ended up at secret-ish cave and ended the night there. If you can't tell I flippin love this game. Every night in bed I'm thinking about where to go next or what I could do different against an enemy I struggled against.

@JohnnyShoulder kill the sleeping dragon in caelid, It'll net you 75k runes and is a nice little headstart in the beginning. Might need some time though till it dies, using a bleed weapon will speed it up. It's in the north east corner of caelid, just use the jump pad with torrent by the minor erd tree.

@JohnnyShoulder I think I know where you mean, in terms of where you were trying to find the map fragment in Mt Gelmir. Were you at the bridge that ends up being a dead end (the bridge is broken and the next part is too high up to get to)?

If so, there's actually a rope ladder you can climb up, but it's really hard to spot. It's on the cliffs on the left hand side, as you go from the site of grace (Bridge of Iniquity) to the dead end (near Corpse-Stench Shack). I found it really hard to spot despite knowing that it was there, but it's there, and that'll let you get to the higher bits

@danlk1ng Ah yes, that is where I was! I did wonder if there was a sneaky way you could get up there. Cheers!

@BrotherFilmriss OK thanks, I'll bear that in mind. I don't seem to have any issues in beating the dragons, as I generally stay on Torrent and swipe at their legs.

Of course Patches kicks me off the mountain when I have almost enough runes to level up! 😂 Why is it always Basilisks?

@JohnnyShoulder yeah, that makes sense. Man, I’m loving the game also. It hasn’t lost its shine for me at all. I’m really enjoying slowly piecing together the mythology of this world. Fascinating stuff!

Has this game met the hype and surpassed it? Or blown out of proportion?

@PhhhCough That is very subjective, but for me it certainly has met the hype, but then again these days I try not to get over hyped in much. Been disappointed far too many times in the past.

@Jimmer-jammer Yeah I can't get enough of being in this world. I have long periods playing the game when I've made no progress in terms of story and stuff due to how much I'm enjoying exploring.

@PhhhCough I'd say it landed pretty much where I expected - absolutely superb.

@PhhhCough Absolutely for me. The overwhelming hype did my head in after a while but the game totally nailed the landing.

@PhhhCough I mean, objectively speaking, it's critically acclaimed (on the same level as modern classics like Mario Odyssey, BotW, and Persona 5 Royal) AND hugely financially successful. There's no question it exceeded expectations.

Personally? It's the only From Software game I've really enjoyed to date. Not even my favorite game this year, but still a really solid open world action-RPG that I had a lot of fun with.

@PhhhCough It has definitely met it, 100%.

Now the hype-train has slowed down a bit, I think people are able to look at it more objectively and recognise minor flaws etc.

But honestly, its an absolute accomplishment and I have friends who always professed to be 'anti-FromSoftware' who are loving it.

I am very excited for what FS do next, considering the overwhelming success (critical and financial) of this game.

Definitely lived up to the hype. I can’t stop playing it and am on 4th playthrough.

@Kairu I finished NG+ once, wearing all of Radahn’s gear.. armor and swords.. it was silly easy I obliterated everything. Edit: NG for that character was using dark moon greatsword and spells.

I started two new characters - one mad monk, using the frenzy spells and dragon seal so I could pump only arcane for melee and spells. For melee used occult spiked club so I got lots of bleed and high damage.

Now I’m doing a physical only str build because everything else had mixed damage.

@PhhhCough I’ve got the same feeling as other From games in that I really appreciate everything about the game but I wouldn’t say it’s ever “fun” for me.

The open world setting is a bit overwhelming and dispiriting to start with but it’s cool that you can take different routes through the world.

@Thrillho

@JohnnyShoulder