Elden Ringcelebrates its first birthday today, and the impact it has had on the video game industry cannot be understated. As Game of the Year winner at The Game Awards 2022,Elden Ringmanaged to surpass most expectations - which is especially impressive given long-standing fans of developer FromSoftware had lofty expectations following a largely silent pre-release marketing campaign. Even now,Elden Ringstill dominates gaming headlines as players continue to discover new things about the sprawling action-RPG. There’s no reason to believe this will change any time soon, particularly with possible DLC on the way.
On the surface,Elden Ringlooks to be a natural continuation of the formula established in FromSoftware’sDemon’s Soulsfrom 2009. Over time this formula has evolved and diversified, with each iteration of theiconicDark Soulstrilogybecoming more sophisticated while titles such asBloodborneandSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceapplied their fundamental mechanics to different environments.Elden Ringis arguably the culmination of this formula thus far; the direct result of a developer performing at the top of its game.
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Elden Ring’s Dominance Looks Set to Continue
To date,Elden Ringhas sold over 20 million units worldwide, dwarfing any of FromSoftware’s other hits by a considerable margin. The developer has become a major force that rivals just about any other developer in the industry, despite much of its back catalog being considered something of an acquired taste due to their perceived high difficulty and cryptic storytelling style. WhileElden Ringis still brutally difficult at times, and tells its story in an equally mysterious way, it is the most accessible Soulsborne title yet thanks to a couple of crucial new mechanics - including the freedom to tackle the game in dozens of different ways.
Despite no official word regarding DLC, many feel that it’s only a matter of time before Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team announce that the game is getting additional content. Except for2019’s Game of the Year winnerSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, every other game in FromSoftware’s Soulsborne collection has received DLC content, each more impressive than the last. The quality of DLC released for these titles is arguably stronger than what can be found in each respective base game, boding well for any potentialElden RingDLC.
Thanks to the depth of The Lands Between, there aremultiple directions anyElden RingDLC could go in. Interesting locations that were mentioned but never visited in the base game, such as the Badlands, would make for exciting areas to visit, and based on the base game map’s scale, the size of these maps could be huge. The existing map also has areas that are considerably underutilized, none more than the huge, open labyrinth that makes up The Lands Between’s underground area.
Whatever is in store forElden Ring, it will need to be as richly detailed and impressive as the base game to maintain the high standard that has been set.FromSoftware’s next game isArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, a revival of a cult mech-based vehicular combat series from the early 2000s. Despite this, more projects in the vein ofElden Ringwill surely follow given its success. With the eyes of the gaming world fixed firmly on Miyazaki and his team, hopefully FromSoftware can once again attempt to take the genre it popularized to new levels.
Elden Ringis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
