-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
-
We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.
From Software Development & Speculation - Everything we know about their current projects
- Thread starter Mifec
- Start date
I really don't think like that especially people who dissatisfied by Sekiro were mainly PVP players and I really doubt From really cares about PVP players that much at least definitely not prioritizes them. From definitely wants to try new things instead of making same game for 5th time and Sekiro was completely a new take for Souls formula much more than even Bloodborne.
And I don't really think it's that early to announce Elden Ring at 2019 if it's going to be released at end of the year or intended to be. Giving a vague trailer was delibirate imo because just like Omni said they don't want to live DS3 case again with broken promises. Bamco may have a part in it but especially after rushed 2 Dark Souls games and From's dissatisfaction with working them since they couldn't made those games how they wanted(they worked with Activision for Sekiro for an example) it's unlikely for Bamco to force them again. From is Bamco's one of the golden spawning gooses and I don't think they would want to cut it like last time.
They are building hype. Wait will be be well worth it. No one will be ready once that gameplay trailer drops.
Next month marks the 3 year anniversary since Elden Ring began full development as well.
Next month marks the 3 year anniversary since Elden Ring began full development as well.
Thank you! I personally don't play, or really watch the network tests for some of the reasons you mentioned.
I honestly don't really get why people are so concerned with marketing. Being understandably bummed at no showings is one thing but I don't really understand why people care as to where its showed, when, etc. They'll show it when its ready, as much as they feel it needs to be shown and then it'll come out. Not really any more complicated than that.
I feel the same, honestly couldn't give a damn where it will be showed. Actually I kinda enjoy this moment where everyone just let their imagination run wild. The game could be all black & white for all we know. (nod twice to confirm Omni)
Yeah it doesn't really matter to me. What I'm concerned about is release date. Well, not concerned really, just that I'd like to know if it's releasing soon/this year/next gen properly. I'd prefer it right now but you can't have everything, lol. For me they could have not shown/announced anything at all until 3/6 months before release, as I've said before that every game should do.
Thanks!
I have two questions based on what I was able to catch up from the discussion.
1- Is the Xbox Press leak 100% fake?
2- Is there anything Omnipotent can hint right now or is planning to hint?
1. It came from reddit so a non reputable source. Some users on ERA are hinting at a April/May event while others are saying they will just go all out during E3. Those should also be treated as rumors until MS confirms anything themselves.
2. Theres a great post by Omni in the threadmarks with some info on Elden Ring. I let Omni answer for any upcoming posts.
1- Yes. It's fake until they announce.
2- I don't know. Ask themselves.
I have played A LOT of Salt and Sanctuary and I highly recommend it if you have not tried it. A couple years ago, I played it through like 4 times in a row. Its ng+ mode just happens very smoothly, cycle after cycle. I also played it at launch, but I enjoyed it more on the revisit.
I'll get around to finishing what I was working on when I have the time. I've already written a lot but I don't want to release something I don't feel is worth reading and making these things takes a lot of time.
If its only been 3 years in development then it is fully understandable that something (based on rumors) as big as Elden Ring to not be ready yet to be fully shown. Especially assuming they fully intend to topple their previous games considering the amount of work required to achieve such a thing.
Really curious how they're going to approach travel as a whole. If Omni is to be believed (and I really do hope so, these writeups have been great to read!), the open world is quite impressive, and the life within it dynamic- combining that knowledge with the confirmation of horseback riding would give the idea that there's a constant incentive to travel the world on horseback or foot. For that reason I really, really hope that they approach warping á la DS1's Lordvessel, in that we'll have to work towards the ability to warp. It seems a waste to give us horseback riding if there's no incentive to make use of it regularly.
I wish there won't be any ways to fast travel without consequences. I was playing Skyrim lately (No mod, no challenge or anything... Crazy because it's actually my first proper playtrough if I am going to finish it because it's 2020 and I am playing Skyrim first proper time ever) and I hate fast travel of it. What's the point of even having/buying horses when I can easily fast travel after once I reach that place once. And carriages already lets me get into many places without actually exploring areas for like 50 coins. My first solution for Elden Ring would be fast travel opening either after game finished or very near to ending. My second solution would be teleporting costing you half the souls you have or something like that. I just hate fast travel. Even if it's going to mean I had to ride my horse for 30 minutes before invading or dueling(Altough I am not sure if I am going to enjoy Elden Ring pvp, I may only play it for pve) I would prefer having no fast travel. Or it can be something similar like you needing to finish game at least once to know where are shortcuts of open world area to faster travel. I love DS1s feeling of getting lost and living consequences of your actions. That was something they never managed to do in other Souls games imo. And I love leveling up in bonfire. I hope they will do something similar to it instead of a 5th Maiden in Black.
I've been thinking lately about what the story and lore might look like in Elden Ring. Seeing as this is a speculation thread, here are some thoughts about possible themes based on what we know about the game, and From's output in general.
What is the Elden Ring?
The Elden Ring is the collective of the old gods that historically ruled or had power over the land in the game. "Elden" is similar to "elder," which refers to something old and connotes respect and authority. "Ring" is meant in the same sense as you could refer to a coven as a circle of witches. The Elden Ring of gods divided their power over the land and "commanded the stars, giving life its fullest brilliance."
From has a history of incorporating religion into its games. I'm less familiar with Demon's Souls, but the Monumental and Maiden in Black both have heavy religious imagery, and there are miracles in the game. Dark Souls 1 and 3 in particular have explicit churches, cathedrals, and faiths with different sects in the game. Bloodborne is all about the Healing Church and the Choir, and Sekiro plays extensively with Buddhism. Elden Ring will likely have a similar exploration of faith and religion in a new world.
What happened to the world?
We know that someone (or something) shattered the Elden Ring, which I take to mean that something has broken apart that collective of old gods. Maybe some of them no longer stand by their duties and simply walked away from the land. More likely is that some of them have been killed. The concept art character represents "the will or ambition of mankind," and is wearing a robe that appears to be made, in part, from skin. I believe he is part of a faction of mankind that seeks to usurp or overthrow the old gods, and that the robe is made from a skinned god.
Man seeking to join or replace higher beings is also an ongoing theme for From. Dark Souls 1 gives you the option of ending the age of fire and lords, beginning the age of man. Bloodborne allows the player to become an infant Great One. Sekiro is about men seeking immortality and the cost to their humanity if they achieve it. In Elden Ring, the player will once again have the option to defend the old gods, or to throw the world over into a new age. Or maybe the concept art character is akin to the Chosen Undead who chose to begin the age of man, and he has already succeeded, and it is up to the player to piece together the fragments of what remains.
What might we see?
If Elden Ring is From's opportunity to execute ideas they had for Dark Souls but were unable to implement at the time, then I think the themes and ideas above are within the realm of plausibility. What could that look like in practice? All through the Dark Souls games, Velka was one of the most intriguing characters that we never meet. Imagine if Elden Ring has its own goddess of sin, one of the last gods standing after so many of her pantheon have been slaughtered by a relentless sect of humanity. She has sent monstrosities to hunt down the player, but our character has ultimately prevailed and found her deep in the recesses of some remote cathedral.
Imagine fighting her, the last goddess of her time, desperate to cling onto some semblance of the old ways. As the fight progresses, the cathedral collapses around you both, until both the last of the old gods and a cathedral built in their honor lie destroyed before you. Consider everything that From has learned in designing boss fights since Gwyn, who can be parried to death in under a minute.
Even if I'm dead wrong about what Elden Ring is and what From has in store, I can't wait to find out.
What is the Elden Ring?
The Elden Ring is the collective of the old gods that historically ruled or had power over the land in the game. "Elden" is similar to "elder," which refers to something old and connotes respect and authority. "Ring" is meant in the same sense as you could refer to a coven as a circle of witches. The Elden Ring of gods divided their power over the land and "commanded the stars, giving life its fullest brilliance."
From has a history of incorporating religion into its games. I'm less familiar with Demon's Souls, but the Monumental and Maiden in Black both have heavy religious imagery, and there are miracles in the game. Dark Souls 1 and 3 in particular have explicit churches, cathedrals, and faiths with different sects in the game. Bloodborne is all about the Healing Church and the Choir, and Sekiro plays extensively with Buddhism. Elden Ring will likely have a similar exploration of faith and religion in a new world.
What happened to the world?
We know that someone (or something) shattered the Elden Ring, which I take to mean that something has broken apart that collective of old gods. Maybe some of them no longer stand by their duties and simply walked away from the land. More likely is that some of them have been killed. The concept art character represents "the will or ambition of mankind," and is wearing a robe that appears to be made, in part, from skin. I believe he is part of a faction of mankind that seeks to usurp or overthrow the old gods, and that the robe is made from a skinned god.
Man seeking to join or replace higher beings is also an ongoing theme for From. Dark Souls 1 gives you the option of ending the age of fire and lords, beginning the age of man. Bloodborne allows the player to become an infant Great One. Sekiro is about men seeking immortality and the cost to their humanity if they achieve it. In Elden Ring, the player will once again have the option to defend the old gods, or to throw the world over into a new age. Or maybe the concept art character is akin to the Chosen Undead who chose to begin the age of man, and he has already succeeded, and it is up to the player to piece together the fragments of what remains.
What might we see?
If Elden Ring is From's opportunity to execute ideas they had for Dark Souls but were unable to implement at the time, then I think the themes and ideas above are within the realm of plausibility. What could that look like in practice? All through the Dark Souls games, Velka was one of the most intriguing characters that we never meet. Imagine if Elden Ring has its own goddess of sin, one of the last gods standing after so many of her pantheon have been slaughtered by a relentless sect of humanity. She has sent monstrosities to hunt down the player, but our character has ultimately prevailed and found her deep in the recesses of some remote cathedral.
Imagine fighting her, the last goddess of her time, desperate to cling onto some semblance of the old ways. As the fight progresses, the cathedral collapses around you both, until both the last of the old gods and a cathedral built in their honor lie destroyed before you. Consider everything that From has learned in designing boss fights since Gwyn, who can be parried to death in under a minute.
Even if I'm dead wrong about what Elden Ring is and what From has in store, I can't wait to find out.
I think Velka's position wasn't about opposing Chosen Undead but using them. Considering Chosen Undead killed Gwyn, Nito, Seath, Izalith which are last of the gods of previous times. And in DS3 Aldrich killing Gwyndolin and Gwynevere escaping from Lothric means Velka succeded. Gods are dead and what's left of them can't rebuild their own former glory once again. And I don't think From would do a similar thing again. They want to do things they couldn't in previous games but they also want to try completely new things. And to be fair I am more excited about new things.
By the way I wanna praise the secrecy that's been surrounding this title. Usually big games like this have huge leaks that spoil the experience for both consumers and developers (looking at you, FFVIIR) but we even have an insider that actually cares for the company and doesn't leak straight away.
Don't worry, Miyazaki already gave Harada a beating he wont soon forget for leaking Elden Ring before the E3 trailer released. He got the message loud and clear.
No worries Namco will show the entire game once they start promoting it. No need for leaks.
This.
That's why i want a trailer but i also don't when i think bamco involved. They blew up all of the bosses.
he's Bandai Namco's general manager. He posted this on twitter when Elden Ring got leaked before E3 Harada x Miyazaki
First trailers/ gameplay are always safe to watch , they usually show 2/3 bosses but is your first look at the new game , otherwise you should buy it blind.... but remember to stay away from the LAUNCH trailer , this is the real one to avoid as plague. DS3 launch spoiled ALL the major bosses except the less interesting ones like the Crystal sage
Heh so true. I have a weakness to watching almost all the footage because I like to see other people's reactions. However, I also want to go in blind as possible. That contradiction really makes it diificult. Sekiro turned out fine, though, in the sense that I don't think I watched everything.
Sekiro only revealed like 3 bosses. They were Lady Butterfly, Corrupted Monk and I think Gyoubu Oniwa? I don't think Bamco will spoil every boss again. But nonetheless I won't watch every trailer they release after first gameplay one. I think the reason we are so hyped is because we know nearly nothing about game. If it was like 3 or 4 trailers including at least one gameplay by now we wouldn't be so hyped imo.
Almost every Sekiro boss was visible a lot of them were in the cast Genichiro, Owl. Guardian Ape was in the TGS trailer. Namco hopefully tones it down but I think they're going with the same tactic because it works and sells copies.
Yeah, I was a bit disappointed at having seen so much of Sekiro before release. Granted, I consumed absolutely every single morsel of information I could in anticipation and excitement, so I can't really blame anyone but myself.
When I first read about the headless was about where I realized I was in too deep. Then I decided "fuck it", and dove deeper... won't happen again.
I'll be much more wary about what's being shown with ER. I want as much of that fresh, mysterious experience as I can get.
When I first read about the headless was about where I realized I was in too deep. Then I decided "fuck it", and dove deeper... won't happen again.
I'll be much more wary about what's being shown with ER. I want as much of that fresh, mysterious experience as I can get.
Last edited:
Damn those were some good days, I remember when people started talking about the secret headless enemy hidden in a cave, one that nobody managed to beat and was creepy as shit. There was no footage of it for a few days and it made it even more mysterious.
I cant wait to see what new enemies From comes up with for ER, encounters like the armored warrior, O'rin and headless are some of the best they've ever done and I hope they bring that knowledge into the new game
I too tried to avoid any new info after the TGA trailer. It was really hard not to dive into the gameinformer coverage and I ended up listening to some of the videos but forced myself not to watch 😂
So have any of you guys seen the trailer for that new Dark Souls live action movie?
what an awful thread
I don't think I could resist the temptation of watching any of From's game trailers. Bloodborne, DS3, its DLC, and Sekiro all had absolutely incredible trailers, helped in big part by Kitamura's amazing score. To this day I wish we could get the trailer versions of the Abyss Watchers, Gael and Genichiro themes used in the respective vids.
They always build up the action and reveals so well with the music. Sekiro's TGS trailer was incredible and I remember rewatching it countless times to get a better look at the ape boss, back when everyone was flocking to theorize if it was a kakuen/elder ape or something else. Turned out it was just a really big very angry ape and a very cool fight, though it's a shame the launch trailer gave away his shinobi execution and hinted at the twist just a teensy bit in doing so.
On a different note, I don't know if anyone else has read the Hanbei the Undying spinoff manga, but I can absolutely recommend it. It's a far cry from the godawful ''official'' Dark Souls comics. Short, well-drawn and nicely depressing, with some fun NPC cameos.
They always build up the action and reveals so well with the music. Sekiro's TGS trailer was incredible and I remember rewatching it countless times to get a better look at the ape boss, back when everyone was flocking to theorize if it was a kakuen/elder ape or something else. Turned out it was just a really big very angry ape and a very cool fight, though it's a shame the launch trailer gave away his shinobi execution and hinted at the twist just a teensy bit in doing so.
On a different note, I don't know if anyone else has read the Hanbei the Undying spinoff manga, but I can absolutely recommend it. It's a far cry from the godawful ''official'' Dark Souls comics. Short, well-drawn and nicely depressing, with some fun NPC cameos.
I'm guessing this will be a March 2021 game (From seem to like Q1 releases) which would give this a 4 year dev cycle - feels about right. With that in mind I expect to see the game properly at this years E3 or maybe slightly earlier if MS do a series x event before June. Game will of course be cross gen but I'd imagine Microsoft would still want it front and centre at a series x event, especially since they seem to be making less of a deal about generational exclusives.
Yes, will be watching as soon as I'm able to.
And did you see that one thread suggesting this movie was inspired by Dark Souls? THAT was awful.
Honestly, Looking back I dont think the ds3 gameplay trailer was that good....Must have been exciting seeing those scenarios and enemies for the first time but overall the way the trailer is cut is terrible, specially those shots from the dancer and vordt intros that have a different aspect ratio. It just seems cheap
Also the actual combat bits of the trailer arent that exciting.
I only found out about souls after ds3 was out so it might be the reason why, as I wasnt there to be excited at the time. I'll agree that the music and intro dialogue add a LOT.
In contrast, The old hunters dlc trailer is a thing of beauty, probably my fav gameplay trailer ever
But yeah, they've come a long way, all of the ones for sekiro were excellent
Some have said that Dark Souls is the most influential game of the decade, but I think that's a bit of an understatement. Dark Souls like the chosen undead, has trancended not only the medium but time itself and has not only inspired many copycats but also real world history and legend itself that has gone on to create the genre of medieval fantasy.
I think we can all agree that Dark Souls is one of the most important pieces of media of all time and is almost biblical in nature. Making "The Green Knight" the 'Dark Souls' of movies.
I think we can all agree that Dark Souls is one of the most important pieces of media of all time and is almost biblical in nature. Making "The Green Knight" the 'Dark Souls' of movies.
A movie that has nothing to do with Dark Souls but will probably be great regardless based on A24's track record.
I imagine anyone playing From games is into weird, non conventional stuff and as such should check out A24's stuff. The Lighthouse is an incredible film that was recently released by them and it's something anyone with some free time should check out if you're looking for something cool and strange.
No they cannot
I don't think anyone with their right mind want to leak important stuff like that for internet fame. Especially if they're Fromsoft fan.
A24 has been ripping off fromsoft for a while now but you lot have no insight, that thread on the green knight opened many eyes, OP is a brave soul.
The lighthouse is one of the best films I've seen this year, also check out uncut gems which is also cool-weird but not in that gloomy atmospheric way
The suspiria remake too!!!!!!!
The suspiria remake too!!!!!!!
Omni talks about fantasy relevant to ER
Disclaimer: So this was originally a much longer post that is still unfinished, but I figured that this finished bit was enough to be worth while, at least on the topic at hand. I'll finish and release the rest when I can but again, this bit isn't really ER heavy or specific, especially when the whole thing isn't finished. But hopefully it is of some value to some of the people here. Not sure how much value it'll have to those looking for content to make articles or videos about or for Reddit. But hopefully this helps to continue paint pictures in your mind and you can start picking up what I'm putting down.
Let's Talk Fantasy: (Part 1)
Let's Talk Fantasy: (Part 1)
In this segment we're going to go over, maybe not all things fantasy, but talk about different types and elements of fantasy, mainly those relevant to Elden Ring, hopefully this will give some of you who are looking for something cool to check out while you wait for ER will find something worthwhile or learn something new. To do that we're going to talk about:
There are no hard and fast rules as to what constitutes high fantasy, dark fantasy, etc. The terms themselves have been diluted over a number of decades for a number of reasons as the world of writing isn't exactly black and white. But what I want to do here is share some examples of what makes one distinct from the other.
Also, I am by no means an "expert" on any of the following, just a fan and a fan of some more than others. I'm sure there are plenty of you out there who know far more than me about any or all of these and if you are one such individual, I'd love to have you chime in and share your own thoughts, opinions and recommendations.
High/Epic Fantasy:
The term "high fantasy" itself is typically an indicator of the percentage of "Fantasy" content more than anything else, including tone. But your archetypal High Fantasy world or story has a number of elements that generally make the whole feel distinct against other fantasy stories.
Some of those elements being:
Low Fantasy:
A "Low Fantasy" story can have all of the elements of the above except that it would have to take place in our world. An example of this would be something like Harry Potter. It's got dragons and fantasy creatures, magic, the heroes journey, a mostly lighthearted tone and a cast of characters but because it takes place in our world it's considered "low fantasy". I would imagine that despite there being a number of fantastical elements, the ratio of real world elements to fantasy would fall in favor of the former.
Dark Fantasy:
The exact definition and distinctive characteristics of "Dark Fantasy" are hard to pin down due to the term being used and abused over a number of decades as well as the fact that there's a lot of crossover. The only real specific descriptor that can really apply to all things considered "Dark Fantasy" is that it's fantasy, but dark. What exactly "dark" means can change from work to work because again, the term has been overused but if there was a specific descriptor I would use that differentiates [what I would consider to be] Dark Fantasy over really any other forms of fantasy is that it often showcases and or takes to extremes the degree of hostility and malice that people are capable of or just the overall "darkness of humanity".
A Song of Ice and Fire:
Depending on who you ask, what sort of Fantasy "A Song of Ice and Fire" is outside of being "Medieval European Fantasy" you could get a few different answers, high fantasy, epic fantasy, dark fantasy even realistic fantasy. This is why its kind of hard to draw hard lines between different types of fantasy. There are also essentially two versions of ASOIAF out there. There's "ASOIAF" the series of books and then there's "Game of Thrones" the television series. While I'm not going to make any comments regarding quality, for the purpose of what we're trying to do here, (Look at Fantasy for fun but also for the purposes of ER) I'm going to ignore the show and focus on the book series. This Is for two reasons.
A: If you want to get a good idea of how G.R.R.M creates worlds, characters and fantasy, you're going to need to look at G.R.R.M's work rather than an adaptation.
B: Game of Thrones neutered and removed a number of the fantastical elements of ASOIAF, due to budgetary reasons, production reasons as well as in favor of wider appeal.
So, Game of Thrones isn't really a good example for what we want to do.
That aside, ASOIAF features most of the above examples of High Fantasy though we can sort of remove Hero's Journey, the lighthearted tone and characters accompanying the protagonist [As there is no single set protagonist]. The color palate is debatable given that this is a book series and the color palate technically is whatever you imagine it to be, that being said, there are a number of officially commissioned works of art that we'll be looking at in another section.
I'm sure by now that unless you've been living under a rock you've heard of the content within Game of Thrones [and by extension ASOIAF], how dark and depressing it is, that it's brutal, sex obsessed, your favorite characters will all die, etc and you might get the idea that as a result this would be a "Dark Fantasy" series. But I don't think that's a label I would really agree with.
A lot of people have the idea that GRRM is some sort of masochistic, evil story teller but that isn't really true and is a misunderstanding that seems to primarily stem from GoT and D&D's adaptation and handling of the material.
Based on that image, people make a lot of assumptions on what ASOIAF is, the way GRRM writes and how that will effect Elden Ring.
GRRM for the most part has a very unique way of writing and creating casts of characters with interesting traits and weaving them together to create a very engaging story.
The thing about ASOIAF and GRRM and High Fantasy is that in the same way that Evangelion is a bit of a reaction and deconstruction of Gundam and mech anime. ASOIAF is a bit of a reaction and deconstruction of High Fantasy and LOTR in particular, where everything isn't good vs evil and that all your words and actions have consequences. Between that and the focus on being, maybe not accurate (I don't know, I'm not a medieval historian) but more based in realism setting of a medieval political landscape and the result is a story that is often dark and brutal, but not out of any singular intention and desire to be so for the sake of being so but is more so the logical conclusion of the intersection of these elements.
Medieval life was not great, rape, murder and mass murder happened often, as a result, these things are also present. Beyond that, characters dying or ending up in precarious situations (with some individuals just having terrible luck) is more often than not a result of their own actions and traits leading them down a bad path.
GRRM doesn't believe in "fool me once, shame on you" it's, "well if you got fooled it's your own damn fault" as the logical conclusion of many actions are often telegraphed far away, in universe where characters can often fail to heed warnings or common sense and the ones that get ahead are the ones that don't fall into those trappings. The infamous Red Wedding is probably a perfect example of that. But this is also what makes them feel real and the story engaging. Some people can be really great and noble, some people can be really shitty, most people fall somewhere in the middle and have a number of traits both positive and negative that make them an individual. Some of those traits can be a strength or a weakness depending on the situation and how either you or someone else decides to exploit them and that's really what it's all about.
Is it still morbid? Yes. Is it morbid to the incredibly exaggerated degree that pop culture has made it out to be? Not really. But I suppose this will also depend on your tolerance. Though if you're reading this out of interest in Elden Ring and From works in general I'd imagine you'll be fine. Acts of sex and violence aren't really gratuitous like they can be in the show, they aren't glossed over but given what feels like the appropriate tone and weight while also not dwelling on it much either and I feel are written fairly tastefully, given the subject matter.
Despite events also more often than not being, less than positive to say the least, I feel that there is a degree of optimism and positivity to be found within his writings. Seeing characters face internal or external hardships and seeing how they pull themselves through. While I find some characters to be far more relatable than others I find that there's often something that I can connect to in each character on a personal level. So much so that I had once asked a friend which character I reminded him the most of and they listed off 6 or 7 different characters.
Beyond that, one of GRRM's best (and most relevant) traits is his ability to world build. Westeros (Really Planetos as a whole, given that Westeros is only a single continent not the entire world of ASOIAF) feels incredibly vast, but also fully realized and lived in, with an increasingly detailed history spanning across multiple books even outside of the main releases.
Despite the story as a whole really revolving around medieval politics, houses and individuals far more than elements of fantasy. Many of the standard tropes of fantasy are present within the world. From it's most obvious element of dragons to the likes of:
-Multiple races [Giants, Children of the Forest, The Others]
-Many many elements of magic (Witches and Warlocks and Pyromancers [Oh My!] and really Wizards of all sorts)
-Multiple forms of the undead
-Gods, some of many forms and some of many faces, some in high places and some much lower[some might say deeper]
-Literal forces of nature
-Massive imposing castles and structures that have a lot to say about the history of the location and those who inhabit such locations
All of these things have some significance in both the narrative and the world in some form or another, some more than others. While it's not really the sole focus of the narrative as it is in something like LOTR, these elements are still present. So it becomes pretty clear as to why despite being so different in terms of tone and intention, almost being on the opposite side of the spectrum of LOTR yet can still fit into the same category even though it may not fit the same mould. But all of these things come together to create a very cohesive and interesting world, despite succumbing to some tropes of the genre it has its own unique spin on many of them or the way in which they interact with the rest of the world makes them interesting, even if the concept isn't wholey or inherently interesting on its own.
So what is the point of all this and how/why is this relevant to Elden Ring? The first point being to try to sell you guys on ASOIAF, introduce you to something I personally love and give you something to check out while you wait and get a real understanding on how GRRM does things. It'll obviously be an influence on Elden Ring in some places either intentionally or not simply because Miyazaki himself is a fan and GRRM is working in collaboration on the title.
Obviously given the basis of this collaboration, with GRRM writing only writing world history and helping to create the world and From's general proclivities in terms of narrative, there won't be much in the way of sprawling multi character driven narrative. But again, given that GRRM is involved there will be some natural overlap in terms of ideas and themes that are explored and the way things are explored. That's not to say Elden Ring is ASOIAF-Lite or even ASOIAF-adjacent. Again, fantasy kind of takes a back seat for the most part in order to be more character driven by the way of medieval politics. There will still be elements of politics, this is GRRM but given the needs of this sort of game, especially a From game, it's going to be more fantasy based and focused as a whole.
That being said, you'll get a much better idea on how GRRM creates a world by reading his works than you will by watching the show or even just reading what other people say about it and you're better off reading ASOIAF to get a better understanding of what Elden Ring is rather than going out to pick up X European Fantasy Legend collection to develop your ideas and speculation and hopefully in the weeks and months to come this is another element that we can discuss as well as post launch.
To really help pique your interest and give you something to look at I'll drop some of my favorite ASOIAF pictures.
- High Fantasy
- Low Fantasy
- Dark Fantasy
- Lord of the Rings
- A Song of Ice and Fire
- Dungeons and Dragons
- Berserk
There are no hard and fast rules as to what constitutes high fantasy, dark fantasy, etc. The terms themselves have been diluted over a number of decades for a number of reasons as the world of writing isn't exactly black and white. But what I want to do here is share some examples of what makes one distinct from the other.
Also, I am by no means an "expert" on any of the following, just a fan and a fan of some more than others. I'm sure there are plenty of you out there who know far more than me about any or all of these and if you are one such individual, I'd love to have you chime in and share your own thoughts, opinions and recommendations.
High/Epic Fantasy:
The term "high fantasy" itself is typically an indicator of the percentage of "Fantasy" content more than anything else, including tone. But your archetypal High Fantasy world or story has a number of elements that generally make the whole feel distinct against other fantasy stories.
Some of those elements being:
- A world that is not our own.
- The presence of fantasy creatures such as dragons
- Magic
- Typically inspired by Medieval Europe
- The Hero's Journey
- A band/Cast of characters that accompany the protagonist on their journey
- A lighthearted tone
- Multiple [intelligent] races [Elves, Faeries, Trolls, Giants, or whatever else your world has as native inhabitants]
- A bright color palate
- A number of incredibly fantastical locations that could not exist in our world
Low Fantasy:
A "Low Fantasy" story can have all of the elements of the above except that it would have to take place in our world. An example of this would be something like Harry Potter. It's got dragons and fantasy creatures, magic, the heroes journey, a mostly lighthearted tone and a cast of characters but because it takes place in our world it's considered "low fantasy". I would imagine that despite there being a number of fantastical elements, the ratio of real world elements to fantasy would fall in favor of the former.
Dark Fantasy:
The exact definition and distinctive characteristics of "Dark Fantasy" are hard to pin down due to the term being used and abused over a number of decades as well as the fact that there's a lot of crossover. The only real specific descriptor that can really apply to all things considered "Dark Fantasy" is that it's fantasy, but dark. What exactly "dark" means can change from work to work because again, the term has been overused but if there was a specific descriptor I would use that differentiates [what I would consider to be] Dark Fantasy over really any other forms of fantasy is that it often showcases and or takes to extremes the degree of hostility and malice that people are capable of or just the overall "darkness of humanity".
A Song of Ice and Fire:
Depending on who you ask, what sort of Fantasy "A Song of Ice and Fire" is outside of being "Medieval European Fantasy" you could get a few different answers, high fantasy, epic fantasy, dark fantasy even realistic fantasy. This is why its kind of hard to draw hard lines between different types of fantasy. There are also essentially two versions of ASOIAF out there. There's "ASOIAF" the series of books and then there's "Game of Thrones" the television series. While I'm not going to make any comments regarding quality, for the purpose of what we're trying to do here, (Look at Fantasy for fun but also for the purposes of ER) I'm going to ignore the show and focus on the book series. This Is for two reasons.
A: If you want to get a good idea of how G.R.R.M creates worlds, characters and fantasy, you're going to need to look at G.R.R.M's work rather than an adaptation.
B: Game of Thrones neutered and removed a number of the fantastical elements of ASOIAF, due to budgetary reasons, production reasons as well as in favor of wider appeal.
So, Game of Thrones isn't really a good example for what we want to do.
That aside, ASOIAF features most of the above examples of High Fantasy though we can sort of remove Hero's Journey, the lighthearted tone and characters accompanying the protagonist [As there is no single set protagonist]. The color palate is debatable given that this is a book series and the color palate technically is whatever you imagine it to be, that being said, there are a number of officially commissioned works of art that we'll be looking at in another section.
I'm sure by now that unless you've been living under a rock you've heard of the content within Game of Thrones [and by extension ASOIAF], how dark and depressing it is, that it's brutal, sex obsessed, your favorite characters will all die, etc and you might get the idea that as a result this would be a "Dark Fantasy" series. But I don't think that's a label I would really agree with.
A lot of people have the idea that GRRM is some sort of masochistic, evil story teller but that isn't really true and is a misunderstanding that seems to primarily stem from GoT and D&D's adaptation and handling of the material.
Based on that image, people make a lot of assumptions on what ASOIAF is, the way GRRM writes and how that will effect Elden Ring.
GRRM for the most part has a very unique way of writing and creating casts of characters with interesting traits and weaving them together to create a very engaging story.
The thing about ASOIAF and GRRM and High Fantasy is that in the same way that Evangelion is a bit of a reaction and deconstruction of Gundam and mech anime. ASOIAF is a bit of a reaction and deconstruction of High Fantasy and LOTR in particular, where everything isn't good vs evil and that all your words and actions have consequences. Between that and the focus on being, maybe not accurate (I don't know, I'm not a medieval historian) but more based in realism setting of a medieval political landscape and the result is a story that is often dark and brutal, but not out of any singular intention and desire to be so for the sake of being so but is more so the logical conclusion of the intersection of these elements.
Medieval life was not great, rape, murder and mass murder happened often, as a result, these things are also present. Beyond that, characters dying or ending up in precarious situations (with some individuals just having terrible luck) is more often than not a result of their own actions and traits leading them down a bad path.
GRRM doesn't believe in "fool me once, shame on you" it's, "well if you got fooled it's your own damn fault" as the logical conclusion of many actions are often telegraphed far away, in universe where characters can often fail to heed warnings or common sense and the ones that get ahead are the ones that don't fall into those trappings. The infamous Red Wedding is probably a perfect example of that. But this is also what makes them feel real and the story engaging. Some people can be really great and noble, some people can be really shitty, most people fall somewhere in the middle and have a number of traits both positive and negative that make them an individual. Some of those traits can be a strength or a weakness depending on the situation and how either you or someone else decides to exploit them and that's really what it's all about.
Is it still morbid? Yes. Is it morbid to the incredibly exaggerated degree that pop culture has made it out to be? Not really. But I suppose this will also depend on your tolerance. Though if you're reading this out of interest in Elden Ring and From works in general I'd imagine you'll be fine. Acts of sex and violence aren't really gratuitous like they can be in the show, they aren't glossed over but given what feels like the appropriate tone and weight while also not dwelling on it much either and I feel are written fairly tastefully, given the subject matter.
Despite events also more often than not being, less than positive to say the least, I feel that there is a degree of optimism and positivity to be found within his writings. Seeing characters face internal or external hardships and seeing how they pull themselves through. While I find some characters to be far more relatable than others I find that there's often something that I can connect to in each character on a personal level. So much so that I had once asked a friend which character I reminded him the most of and they listed off 6 or 7 different characters.
Beyond that, one of GRRM's best (and most relevant) traits is his ability to world build. Westeros (Really Planetos as a whole, given that Westeros is only a single continent not the entire world of ASOIAF) feels incredibly vast, but also fully realized and lived in, with an increasingly detailed history spanning across multiple books even outside of the main releases.
Despite the story as a whole really revolving around medieval politics, houses and individuals far more than elements of fantasy. Many of the standard tropes of fantasy are present within the world. From it's most obvious element of dragons to the likes of:
-Multiple races [Giants, Children of the Forest, The Others]
-Many many elements of magic (Witches and Warlocks and Pyromancers [Oh My!] and really Wizards of all sorts)
-Multiple forms of the undead
-Gods, some of many forms and some of many faces, some in high places and some much lower[some might say deeper]
-Literal forces of nature
-Massive imposing castles and structures that have a lot to say about the history of the location and those who inhabit such locations
All of these things have some significance in both the narrative and the world in some form or another, some more than others. While it's not really the sole focus of the narrative as it is in something like LOTR, these elements are still present. So it becomes pretty clear as to why despite being so different in terms of tone and intention, almost being on the opposite side of the spectrum of LOTR yet can still fit into the same category even though it may not fit the same mould. But all of these things come together to create a very cohesive and interesting world, despite succumbing to some tropes of the genre it has its own unique spin on many of them or the way in which they interact with the rest of the world makes them interesting, even if the concept isn't wholey or inherently interesting on its own.
So what is the point of all this and how/why is this relevant to Elden Ring? The first point being to try to sell you guys on ASOIAF, introduce you to something I personally love and give you something to check out while you wait and get a real understanding on how GRRM does things. It'll obviously be an influence on Elden Ring in some places either intentionally or not simply because Miyazaki himself is a fan and GRRM is working in collaboration on the title.
Obviously given the basis of this collaboration, with GRRM writing only writing world history and helping to create the world and From's general proclivities in terms of narrative, there won't be much in the way of sprawling multi character driven narrative. But again, given that GRRM is involved there will be some natural overlap in terms of ideas and themes that are explored and the way things are explored. That's not to say Elden Ring is ASOIAF-Lite or even ASOIAF-adjacent. Again, fantasy kind of takes a back seat for the most part in order to be more character driven by the way of medieval politics. There will still be elements of politics, this is GRRM but given the needs of this sort of game, especially a From game, it's going to be more fantasy based and focused as a whole.
That being said, you'll get a much better idea on how GRRM creates a world by reading his works than you will by watching the show or even just reading what other people say about it and you're better off reading ASOIAF to get a better understanding of what Elden Ring is rather than going out to pick up X European Fantasy Legend collection to develop your ideas and speculation and hopefully in the weeks and months to come this is another element that we can discuss as well as post launch.
To really help pique your interest and give you something to look at I'll drop some of my favorite ASOIAF pictures.
That's what I love about the Souls community, just really nice people everywhere. Super supportive, not elitist at all.
edit OMNI POSTTT