Elden Ring completed something that many longtime FromSoftware fans never thought possible: it brought brutally difficult Soulslike gameplay decisively into the mainstream. While Elden Ring‘s cultural significance perhaps might have been predicted given the growing popularity of FromSoftware’s titles within the wake of Demon’s Souls, the mammoth reach and influence of the landmark title was indeed a surprise.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why Elden Ring achieved the widespread success that it did, surpassing the likes of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Dark Souls 3 before it, but one could make a couple of educated guesses. For one thing, the large scale of Elden Ring‘s open world, supported by FromSoftware’s clever environment design that facilitates exploration, made it a compelling prospect for brand new audiences; its repute in popular culture was defined by greater than its intimidating difficulty. This type of accessibility allowed Elden Ring to be much more inviting, welcoming latest players into the fold while still being faithful to what returning fans had grown accustomed to. With such popularity, Elden Ring can be perfect for a “Return To” event, but its very selling point could possibly be a hindrance on this regard.
An Elden Ring ‘Return to the Lands Between’ Event Might Be Tricky
Understanding the ‘Return To’ Events in FromSoftware’s Games
FromSoftware games take a singular approach to multiplayer: players can summon one another to help with boss fights or to have interaction in PvP battles, but they can even leave behind notes through an intentionally obtuse messaging system. This mix of real-time and asynchronous multiplayer lends itself to a powerful sense of community, as it is easy for players to feel like they’re fighting alongside kindred spirits, facing the identical challenges and uncovering the identical story beats.
Nevertheless, this sense of community can dwindle once the afterglow of every game’s initial release hype ends, which prompts “Return To” events, normally across the anniversary of the relevant FromSoftware game. Examples of this might be:
- Bloodborne: Return to Yharnam
- Dark Souls: Return to Lordran
- Dark Souls 2: Return to Drangleic
These community-organized events are each a celebration of the unique games and a revitalization of their multiplayer components, helping create a boom in PvP matchmaking and messages, which generally is a nice trip down memory lane. One would only assume an analogous annual event will eventually be hosted in FromSoftware’s best-selling game.
Elden Ring’s Massive Size Could Negatively Impact an Anniversary Event
During, say, Bloodborne‘s Return to Yharnam event, players can anticipate finding a variety of notes, each helpful and hilarious, along the linear path through the sport’s important story. Since everyone seems to be having mostly the identical experience, visiting certain locations and fighting bosses in kind of the identical order, the aforementioned sense of community is powerful and consistent for everybody. But Elden Ring is large and non-linear, doubly so after the addition of Shadow of the Erdtree‘s massive latest map, which makes this type of universal experience virtually unattainable to recreate. In other words, Elden Ring might just be too long, wide, and deep to host the identical form of “Return To” events as its predecessors.
Alternatively, the unprecedented popularity of Elden Ring could make its scale a relative factor for future “Return To” celebrations. If tens of millions of players return to The Lands Between at the identical time, quite than hundreds, then the sport could still be densely repopulated with notes and PvP opportunities, with enough natural variation for everybody to experience something latest. It won’t be the exact same because the anniversary events of previous FromSoftware games, nevertheless it could possibly be just as enjoyable, just another way.
