A new set of screenshots from Elden Ring have been released, and they show off even more of the magic, dragons, and creepy enemies that will be in the full game when it launches. After being one of the more elusive games in the AAA release schedule for a long time, an Elden Ring gameplay reveal dropped its release date in June, and concrete details have been steadily shown off since.
Elden Ring is the next title from FromSoftware, the developer famous for the brutal Dark Souls games, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. With such a solid history of titles, the expectations are high for the studio’s next game. That anticipation has been heightened by the Japanese developer bringing on George R.R Martin for Elden Ring‘s lore, and he helped establish the mythical setting of the Lands Between. When players do finally get the chance to explore this new open world for themselves, they will be presented with six demigods standing between them and their quest to restore the power of the Elden Ring.
Now, a closer look has been given at some of the dynamic magic and imposing monsters that Elden Ring will contain. The Game Awards organizer Geoff Keighley shared a selection of new screenshots from Elden Ring with followers on Twitter, and they’re equal parts haunting and beautiful. The four images reveal the enormity of Elden Ring’s dragons, as well as some other unique and horrifying opponents. Keighley also revealed that he had been treated to 16 minutes of footage from the upcoming RPG, teasing “the Godrick boss fight” with a shocked emoji.
Even though FromSoftware is returning to the dark fantasy tone that made the company famous, there is still going to be plenty that will set Elden Ring apart from Dark Souls and other Soulsborne games. The aforementioned open world will be available to explore on horseback, with numerous discoveries to be made in every corner, including tunnels and crypts. Elden Ring will not have a linear plot, much like Dark Souls, although it will present players with a logical way of going about the map.
If one wishes, however, this can be totally ignored, and a unique path to Elden Ring’s conclusion can be forged by the player if that is more desirable. This means that some major boss fights within Elden Ring can be skipped all together. This loosening of a once rigid formula and the promise of greater player freedom is sure to appeal to many, and the anticipation may only be growing now that there are more screenshots to pore over out in the wild.
Elden Ring will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/ S, and PC on January 21, 2022.
