Summary
Elden Ringis a truly massive game. The 2022 action-RPG was a groundbreaking release for FromSoftware, taking the developer’s traditionally niche formula and introducing it to a considerably broader audience of gamers, many of whom fell in love with its brutally difficult combat, perplexing lore, and sprawling open world. A hypothetical sequel toElden Ringcould expand the map, serving as an even bigger and more ambitious follow-up, but this might not be necessary or even advisable.
While many of FromSoftware’s previous games could perhaps be considered open-world, as players have some degree of freedom when it comes to exploration, they are generally linear experiences designed to revolve around specific, predetermined areas.Elden Ringshirks studio convention in this regard, offering up a dizzyingly large map with few firm restrictions and letting players explore several vast and complex areas at will. It’s easy to get lost in The Lands Between from its overworld, underground areas, and hidden locations, and dozens of hours can be spent on open-world discovery. With this colossal size being such a widely praised element of the game, it may seem natural for the nextElden Ringto up the ante.
Elden Ring 2 Doesn’t Need To Be Bigger, Just More Interesting
Elden Ring’s The Lands Between Is More Than Just Big
Elden Ringbroke FromSoftware traditionby going open-world, but perhaps its greatest accomplishment is the fact that it retains the tight and intriguing environmental design of its progenitors. Indeed, while many open-world games face criticism for what many consider to be bland or repetitive content,Elden Ringmanages to stay surprising and engaging even after dozens or hundreds of hours of exploration.
It would take far too long to enumerate the reasons whyElden Ring’s open world is such a success, but common points of praise center around complexity and immersion. While plenty ofElden Ring’s open-world competitorsfeature stunning landscapes and iconic locations, few of them can match The Lands Between’s intrigue and mystery.Elden Ring, likeDark SoulsandBloodbornebefore it, is chock-full of secrets: nondescript paths, hidden walls, and magical teleportation devices can all lead to shocking and inventive areas, which creates intrinsic motivation for discovery.
Plainly put, huge open-world games may incentivize exploration by offering clear-cut gameplay or narrative rewards, but they don’t often do much to make the act of exploration rewarding in and of itself. This is whereElden Ring’s open world excels.
How Elden Ring 2 Can Offer a Better Open-World
Since it’s not necessarily the massive size of The Lands Between that makes it so fun to explore,a sequel toElden Ringought to emphasize its other open-world strengths. Namely, it should double down on the depth and complexity of its world, integrating even more hidden paths, bespoke and detailed legacy dungeons, and mysteries to uncover.In other words,Elden Ring2should grow inwards, not expand outwards. Additionally, anElden Ringsequel could make some more specific improvements when it comes to open-world features, including:
None of this is to say that FromSoftware’s next open-world game should necessarily be smaller thanElden Ring. In many ways, the map size is crucial to the open world’s success, as uncovering many ofElden Ring’s best-hidden secretsis more rewarding due to the huge, unfolding scope of The Lands Between. However, it’s common for open-world franchises to try to grow ever-larger with each new release, and while some games can benefit from a larger map, it simply isn’t necessary for a follow-up toElden Ring.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
