Elden Ring

[Ralph-Wiggum]

The game runs surprisingly poorly on the PS5. It’s not terrible or unplayable by any means, but the frame rate clearly jumps around, at least in performance mode. I know that can be fixed by playing the PS4 version; I might try that if it gets worse. It’s odd that the performance is so variable since I wouldn’t call it a pretty game by any means. Especially not when compared to Horizon, which is the other game I’m currently playing. And the colors do seem washed out for some reason. Hopefully all of this will be smoothed out in future patches.

Played about 8hrs so far since Saturday afternoon on the PS5 in performance mode - no issues on this end at all.

Interesting. I assume you are using the PS5 version and not the PS4 version (either can be downloaded)? The main issue is the clear frame rate changes. It's especially noticeable to me when on the horse and turning quickly. And it seems to be better when indoors.

[Scraper]

I'm still playing on quality mode on an xbox series x and I really haven't noticed any framerate issues whatsoever. It seems really smooth to me. It may be because I'm not as sensitive to such things though.

I can see a slight difference from quality to performance on the Series X, but it's not enough to make me want to play it in performance mode.

[Scraper]

I haven't defeated any demigods (and only two optional minibosses) and the game is *wide* open. Between teleport traps and flying by enemies with my horse, I haven't really felt limited at all. In fact, it might even be a bit too wide open: too many options of places I can go.

Yeah you don't have to beat Godric first, but the game does do it's best to point you in that direction. I will say this, it's worth beating him as soon as you can because it opens up the game's real Hub and lets you upgrade your weapons beyond +3. It also gives you some new vendors and magic teachers.

[hepcat]

For those of you who, like me, will NEVER use parry successfully and you want to use a shield while still using your special weapon skill, here's a tip:

Spoiler:

Go to the warshack (one of the golden light places) and talk to the warmaster. he can sell you an ashes that has no effect whatsoever. Costs like 600 souls only. Equip that on a shield with parry. Viola. You can now press the left trigger (on xbox) to use your main weapon Ashes skill without going two handed with it.

[Octavious]

Oh snap I need that. I can't stand having to switch to two handed.

[Octavious]

FYI I've gotten decently far killing 2 main bosses and the game is just ridiculously huge. And this is a highly replayable game. I'm now playing on performance mode on the series s and it does chug in certain area but for the most part I'm happy.

[baelthazar]

The game runs surprisingly poorly on the PS5. It’s not terrible or unplayable by any means, but the frame rate clearly jumps around, at least in performance mode. I know that can be fixed by playing the PS4 version; I might try that if it gets worse. It’s odd that the performance is so variable since I wouldn’t call it a pretty game by any means. Especially not when compared to Horizon, which is the other game I’m currently playing. And the colors do seem washed out for some reason. Hopefully all of this will be smoothed out in future patches.

Played about 8hrs so far since Saturday afternoon on the PS5 in performance mode - no issues on this end at all.

Me neither. My PS5 runs this like butter. Not stuttering or noticeable framerate drops.

The colors are a little washed out (I think that is the aesthetic) but I did turn down the brightness as it indicated I should.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

I haven't defeated any demigods (and only two optional minibosses) and the game is *wide* open. Between teleport traps and flying by enemies with my horse, I haven't really felt limited at all. In fact, it might even be a bit too wide open: too many options of places I can go.

Yeah you don't have to beat Godric first, but the game does do it's best to point you in that direction. I will say this, it's worth beating him as soon as you can because it opens up the game's real Hub and lets you upgrade your weapons beyond +3. It also gives you some new vendors and magic teachers.

Hmmm... I think I've gotten there

Spoiler:

The Round Table place?

but haven't beaten Godrick. Not sure what triggered me getting access to that place, though.

[hepcat]

If that's the hub he's talking about, you don't need to beat Godric to get to it.

Spoiler:

Melina sends you there after you camp on the hill above Stormveil.

[Scraper]

If that's the hub he's talking about, you don't need to beat Godric to get to it.

Spoiler:

Melina sends you there after you camp on the hill above Stormveil.

Ah ok, I camped there right after fighting Godric so I assumed that was a part of fight rewards.

[hepcat]

Wow, 8 hours in and I thought I’d fully explored the starting area. Last night I returned there to hunt down some animals for arrow materials and finally face the Tree Sentinel….only to stumble across a rather large dungeon I missed.

Explore everything, that’s what this game is teaching me to do.

[Scraper]

Wow, 8 hours in and I thought I’d fully explored the starting area. Last night I returned there to hunt down some animals for arrow materials and finally face the Tree Sentinel….only to stumble across a rather large dungeon I missed.

Explore everything, that’s what this game is teaching me to do.

The reviewers weren't kidding when they compared the game to Breath of the Wild in terms of size and exploration. Somehow both games managed to make a massive open world, absolutely packed with content and things to find, but at the same time the games don't feel bloated like an Ubisoft game.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

The game seems massive and things are easy to miss. My brother was telling me about a cave with a mini-boss right near the starting area that I somehow had never found. But using my very advanced tactic of speeding my horse across the map just to see things I did find

Spoiler:

a whole, massive underground area with its own map

. I certainly can see how this game can take 80+ hours to see most things.

[Scraper]

The game seems massive and things are easy to miss. My brother was telling me about a cave with a mini-boss right near the starting area that I somehow had never found. But using my very advanced tactic of speeding my horse across the map just to see things I did find

Spoiler:

a whole, massive underground area with its own map

. I certainly can see how this game can take 80+ hours to see most things.

There are a couple of underground areas. If you're talking about the Underground River one then it is completely optional, but totally worth doing. The boss of that are will give you a really good summon.

[hepcat]

I've yet to use summons as I'm not entirely sure how they work. Are they one use and they go away?

[coopasonic]

I've yet to use summons as I'm not entirely sure how they work. Are they one use and they go away?

The ashes summons are unlimited use, but you can only summon them when you have the blue gateway icon on the left side of the screen and they can only be used once in each area with that blue gateway until you rest.

[hepcat]

Ah thanks, I've been saving them as I was afraid they were one use.

[Scraper]

I've yet to use summons as I'm not entirely sure how they work. Are they one use and they go away?

The ashes summons are unlimited use, but you can only summon them when you have the blue gateway icon on the left side of the screen and they can only be used once in each area with that blue gateway until you rest.

Yep and they also require FP. Picking the right summons are key to a lot of boss battles. I think at this point I have about 8 different summons and I regularly use 4 of them.

[Roman]

Took 5 tries but I beat Margit.
Beat 4 dungeon bosses

Spoiler:

pumpkin head, Cat Boss thing? and 2 other lesser ones

going to explore a little more before continuing to the castle now that Margit is down.

[hepcat]

I know it's not what people consider the "right way" to play a Souls like game, but for me, it's all about the cheese. Nothing makes me feel a sense of accomplishment in a video game like finding some way to win a fight by cheesing it. Last night I

Spoiler:

beat the Tree Sentinel by climbing atop a nearby building and sniping him with some arrows I bought from the vendor nearby who looks like an anorexic Santa. I honestly think the game designers actually intend this to be a viable game option though, otherwise they wouldn't create so many opportunities to cheese fights.

[hepcat]

I've yet to use summons as I'm not entirely sure how they work. Are they one use and they go away?

The ashes summons are unlimited use, but you can only summon them when you have the blue gateway icon on the left side of the screen and they can only be used once in each area with that blue gateway until you rest.

Yep and they also require FP. Picking the right summons are key to a lot of boss battles. I think at this point I have about 8 different summons and I regularly use 4 of them.

Second question: do you have to summon them from outside boss battle "curtains"? Or do you have to/can you from within the boss battle arena? If the former, do they follow you past the curtain?

[Scraper]

I know it's not what people consider the "right way" to play a Souls like game, but for me, it's all about the cheese. Nothing makes me feel a sense of accomplishment in a video game like finding some way to win a fight by cheesing it. Last night I

Spoiler:

beat the Tree Sentinel by climbing atop a nearby building and sniping him with some arrows I bought from the vendor nearby who looks like an anorexic Santa. I honestly think the game designers actually intend this to be a viable game option though, otherwise they wouldn't create so many opportunities to cheese fights.

I wouldn't consider sniping to be cheese. A ton of the larger enemies have ways to get to you no matter where you are. I have heard tales of people traveling to obviously high level areas where NPCs are fighting each other and hiding in the bushes. When an NPC kills another NPC the player gets the Runes. Now that is gaming the system.

[Roman]

Second question: do you have to summon them from outside boss battle "curtains"? Or do you have to/can you from within the boss battle arena? If the former, do they follow you past the curtain?

Summons are always outside the boss arena. Yes they always follow you.
NPC / real players will follow you into the arena.

[hepcat]

Thanks folks!

And last question: is there any way to get a REALLY fat horse like I could in Red Dead Redemption 2 by feeding it nothing but candy? If not, are there any plans to mod this in?

[Scraper]

Second question: do you have to summon them from outside boss battle "curtains"? Or do you have to/can you from within the boss battle arena? If the former, do they follow you past the curtain?

Summons are always outside the boss arena. Yes they always follow you.
NPC / real players will follow you into the arena.

This isn't true, I always summon (Ashen NPCS, which I think is what he's asking about) inside the boss area/yellow fog door. In fact a lot of places won't even let you summon them until you get inside the yellow fog. Now summoning multiplayer characters and storyline NPCs does have to be done outside the boss arena.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

I have three summons but I only use one

Spoiler:

the wolves

regularly. The others I have

Spoiler:

five crap villagers and a sorcerer (?)

don't seem as effective or occupy the enemies as well. Thought maybe the latter one would be useful against enemies weak to magic? Does the strength of summons scale or increase with stats/levels?

[Ralph-Wiggum]

The game seems massive and things are easy to miss. My brother was telling me about a cave with a mini-boss right near the starting area that I somehow had never found. But using my very advanced tactic of speeding my horse across the map just to see things I did find

Spoiler:

a whole, massive underground area with its own map

. I certainly can see how this game can take 80+ hours to see most things.

There are a couple of underground areas. If you're talking about the Underground River one then it is completely optional, but totally worth doing. The boss of that are will give you a really good summon.

Not sure if it was that one or not. But it had

Spoiler:

some big arrow shooting dudes that destroyed me.

[coopasonic]

Does the strength of summons scale or increase with stats/levels?

I think they scale based on the area per a video I watched where he had the wolves distracting much higher level mobs while he was farming levels. (I over-leveled myself with that place and yeah those guys are brutal.) You can also upgrade them if you get the right NPC in the right place in the hub.

There is also a set of three soldiers you can get and the jellyfish is a tank. Both are in the starting area, explore more!

[Roman]

Second question: do you have to summon them from outside boss battle "curtains"? Or do you have to/can you from within the boss battle arena? If the former, do they follow you past the curtain?

Summons are always outside the boss arena. Yes they always follow you.
NPC / real players will follow you into the arena.

This isn't true, I always summon (Ashen NPCS, which I think is what he's asking about) inside the boss area/yellow fog door. In fact a lot of places won't even let you summon them until you get inside the yellow fog. Now summoning multiplayer characters and storyline NPCs does have to be done outside the boss arena.

Sorry - yellow/gold summoning signs for NPCs/Real players are outside the arenas. And they will always follow you (well the games NPCs do - humans players can decide for themselves although I've never had a human summon not help me in all the titles thus far)
I wait to summon Ashen NPCs when I am in the actual arena
Apologies.

[Scraper]

The game seems massive and things are easy to miss. My brother was telling me about a cave with a mini-boss right near the starting area that I somehow had never found. But using my very advanced tactic of speeding my horse across the map just to see things I did find

Spoiler:

a whole, massive underground area with its own map

. I certainly can see how this game can take 80+ hours to see most things.

There are a couple of underground areas. If you're talking about the Underground River one then it is completely optional, but totally worth doing. The boss of that are will give you a really good summon.

Not sure if it was that one or not. But it had

Spoiler:

some big arrow shooting dudes that destroyed me.

That's the area I was talking about. There's a golden seed in there and that Ashen Summon power from the boss.

[hepcat]

Second question: do you have to summon them from outside boss battle "curtains"? Or do you have to/can you from within the boss battle arena? If the former, do they follow you past the curtain?

Summons are always outside the boss arena. Yes they always follow you.
NPC / real players will follow you into the arena.

This isn't true, I always summon (Ashen NPCS, which I think is what he's asking about) inside the boss area/yellow fog door. In fact a lot of places won't even let you summon them until you get inside the yellow fog. Now summoning multiplayer characters and storyline NPCs does have to be done outside the boss arena.

Sorry - yellow/gold summoning signs for NPCs/Real players are outside the arenas. And they will always follow you (well the games NPCs do - humans players can decide for themselves although I've never had a human summon not help me in all the titles thus far)
I wait to summon Ashen NPCs when I am in the actual arena
Apologies.

Again, I appreciate the help, folks! Tonight I'm going on a summoning binge.

[stimpy]

Have found this interactive map to be incredibly handy.

https://mapgenie.io/elden-ring/maps/the-lands-between

[Roman]

Have found this interactive map to be incredibly handy.

https://mapgenie.io/elden-ring/maps/the-lands-between

awesome! Thank you for sharing this - I had no idea just how large the gameplay map is!!!

[Scuzz]

Wow, 8 hours in and I thought I’d fully explored the starting area. Last night I returned there to hunt down some animals for arrow materials and finally face the Tree Sentinel….only to stumble across a rather large dungeon I missed.

Explore everything, that’s what this game is teaching me to do.

Have you explored the far eastern end of the map and the beach to the west? The map for this game is huge. I have killed for bosses, but the Tree Sentinel kicks my ass. I did go into someone else’s world and beat him though.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

The game seems massive and things are easy to miss. My brother was telling me about a cave with a mini-boss right near the starting area that I somehow had never found. But using my very advanced tactic of speeding my horse across the map just to see things I did find

Spoiler:

a whole, massive underground area with its own map

. I certainly can see how this game can take 80+ hours to see most things.

There are a couple of underground areas. If you're talking about the Underground River one then it is completely optional, but totally worth doing. The boss of that are will give you a really good summon.

Not sure if it was that one or not. But it had

Spoiler:

some big arrow shooting dudes that destroyed me.

That's the area I was talking about. There's a golden seed in there and that Ashen Summon power from the boss.

Got the seed as part of my mad horse dash through the area. Also

Spoiler:

lit a bunch of fires

but not sure if that actually does anything? Probably didn't get them all, though.

[Scuzz]

So I saw my first WTF! thing in the game today involving another player. I was helping someone at the opening to church fight the Tree Sentinel. The guy summoned me and barely had any health. Then he summoned another guy and we went into battle. Me and the other guy were going at it with our swords when suddenly the boss literally exploded and died. Battle over. The Host had done something and one shot the boss.

The only thing I can think of is the guy was already on NG+ and had some kind of glass canon build with some sort of spell. Or they were hacking. Seems damn early for that. All I know is they couldn't have done that with anything I have seen in the game so far.

[Scraper]

The game seems massive and things are easy to miss. My brother was telling me about a cave with a mini-boss right near the starting area that I somehow had never found. But using my very advanced tactic of speeding my horse across the map just to see things I did find

Spoiler:

a whole, massive underground area with its own map

. I certainly can see how this game can take 80+ hours to see most things.

There are a couple of underground areas. If you're talking about the Underground River one then it is completely optional, but totally worth doing. The boss of that are will give you a really good summon.

Not sure if it was that one or not. But it had

Spoiler:

some big arrow shooting dudes that destroyed me.

That's the area I was talking about. There's a golden seed in there and that Ashen Summon power from the boss.

Got the seed as part of my mad horse dash through the area. Also

Spoiler:

lit a bunch of fires

but not sure if that actually does anything? Probably didn't get them all, though.

You have to find and light 8 braziers in that area to unlock the boss. So you were on the right track.

[Roman]

Pro Tip = when approaching a chest and there are 2 messages that say trap. Pay attention and don't ignore it.
I was thinking that it would / could be a mimic. Nope - just some smoke. Harmless I thought. So I backed away and re-opened - only this time I lingered a little too long.
Transported to THE MOST HORRIBLE LEVEL SINCE BLIGHTOWN!

Spoiler:

Sellia Crystal Tunnel

Tried to warp out... nope. Not allowed
Don't be me. Pay attention to the surroundings

Spoiler:

There is a site of grace that sure I noticed BUT failed to walk outside to be able to warp away. After a good 45mins of stress and finally making it to the boss I rage quit and googled and came across the following:

[Carpet_pissr]

So is anyone here playing on PC? Reviews on Steam are terrible and just wondering why (compared to the absurd Metacritic score).

Anyone playing it on a PS4 Pro?

[stimpy]

So is anyone here playing on PC? Reviews on Steam are terrible and just wondering why (compared to the absurd Metacritic score).

Anyone playing it on a PS4 Pro?

I am and have had just 1 crash in about 30 hours.
My rig comes in at just above min specs, but runs really good.
Everything looks beautiful on mid settings.
What are the complaints you're seeing on Steam about?
I'm seeing alot of positive reviews there.