Game of the Year 2022 – Elden Ring
Samantha: I haven’t finished Elden Ring yet, since the 75 hours I poured into it is a paltry amount when faced with its vast world. What I have played has been fantastic, though, and it’s led to some of my most memorable gaming experiences of 2022. I look forward to diving back into it and seeing what else it’s dangerous and beautiful world has in store for me.
Diego: There’s not much to say about Elden Ring that hasn’t been said already. It’s the culmination of all of FromSoftware’s work since Demon’s Souls and a complete deconstruction of modern open-world game design. The world is haunting, yet beautiful to explore and you’re constantly being rewarded for poking your head in random corners of the game’s world. I’ve always been in love with FromSoftware’s games, but Elden Ring held my curiosity with an iron grip for the sixty or so hours I spent with the game. Even conversations with friends was a game in and of itself as we told each other of weird/interesting things we found and gave vague directions on how to reach it. It’s one of those games where you genuinely wonder where the developers can go from here.
Austin: FromSoftware games are always interesting to me, but don’t always grab me like they do others. While I have played all of their releases, the first one to really pull me in, and have me see everything I could was Bloodborne. Now with Elden Ring, I feel that same urge to consume as much of the game as possible. What makes Elden Ring even more compelling to me is the fact that hitting a difficulty wall doesn’t halt my progress or enjoyment of the game. There is so much of the world that is explorable and discoverable that just the act of picking a new direction on the map and wandering around is rewarding in itself. The open world had everything enjoyable about an open world, full of things to do and see without any of the hand-holding, annoying/endless/meaningless side missions that most open world games seem to suffer from (looking at you Forbidden West). I hope we get to see more developers use some restraint, and create such a wonderfully interesting world that we got in Elden Ring and I am even more excited to see what FromSoftware can do next.
Brian: It’s not often that a game lingers in my mind hours after I’ve logged off. It’s rarer still that it remains lingering months later. Almost a year since its release, I’m still thinking about Elden Ring. It’s the first game in FromSoftware’s notorious lineup of Soulsborne titles that clicked for me: Elden Ring combines modern AAA conventions with FromSoftware’s typical design philosophy, creating a more palatable experience without relinquishing the iconography and themes we’ve come to associate with its developers. In turn, it’s bridged the gap leading to the rest of FromSoft’s repertoire. Through Elden Ring, I’ve learned the language, skills, and habits necessary to take on Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2. The rest will follow in 2023.
