It's hard, but I'm too much in awe at the badass bosses to get mad. I mean, it's more Elden Ring, what's to hate about it??

Elden Ring is definitely one of my favorite games ever, but before gushing about it, I'd like to point out the flaws that mar this otherwise perfect game.

Note: This is my first Fromsoft game. I don't play PvP.


-The game is too big. Seriously. This wouldn't be an issue if every region was as jam-packed with unique content like Limgrave (the starting area). I loved the exploration for the first 80-ish hours, but once I reached a certain late game area, in which everything looks the same, the joy of exploring new places dried up fast for me. Not only that, the many caves/catacombs quickly become tedious, with many recycled bosses having only minor variations. The burnout was real, and I rushed through most of the final portions of the game.

-It's hard to keep track of everything you're doing. There are so many quests and characters you encounter in the lands between, that it can be hard to remember what they wanted or where to find them. Sure there are little people icons on the map in places you can meet them, but finding a specific person is a pain in the ass. Not only that, they have a tendency to disappear and give vague hints of where they are going/have gone. I got lucky and unlocked an ending with pure luck during exploration, but there were still many quests I simply forgot about or couldn't find the persons involved. I'd recommend writing down quests somewhere in order not to get confused.

-Performance. I know there have been many patches and optimizations since launch, but for me (RTX2060, Ryzen 5 3600) I struggled to run the game even on low at a consistent 60 fps. Rarely, I would freeze up entirely (though luckily never in an important fight)

-Someone fire the person who designs the camera for FromSoft games.

-The art direction of the game is absolutely stunning, the lands between are gorgeous and the architecture is on point. The Academy of Raya Lucaria is one of my favorite areas in any video game.

-The exploration is 99% of the fun. I've lost track of how many times I saw something in a distance and wondered, that looks cool, could I go there? The answer: you absolutely can. There are so many secrets that you can stumble upon by checking a tiny hole in a wall or by reading the 'helpful' messages left behind by other players.

-The story of the world is tragic and gripping. It reminds me a lot of Hollow Knight, with a lot of lore and story hidden by reading tidbits from scrolls picked up or item descriptions. The dialogue from many of the characters evokes so many burning questions about the world, and after ending the game I couldn't sleep at night trying to wrap my head around the lore of the game. The story doesn't tell itself to you, you have to actively seek it.

-Gameplay-wise, it's tight, exciting, and provides a challenge without making it cancerously difficult. I came into this game scared given how everyone talked about how hard Elden Ring is, but the fact is that there are so many options, and leveling isn't difficult at all, that you can get decently strong just by exploring the map, picking up an assortment of weapons, spells and armor. I played the game with a melee build, and thoroughly enjoyed the dodging and slashing of a close quarters battle, but I'm also excited to try a mage build for my second playthrough. There is no 'correct' way to play the game.

I started playing Elden Ring pretty late, but managed to avoid hearing too many spoilers before starting my playthrough. Playing through this game blind was one of the best gaming experiences of my life. Is it my favorite game ever? Nope, that honor goes to Hollow Knight, but Elden Ring definitely comes close.

My favourite game ever

A lot of beautiful scenery, towns, and new roads. As for performance issues, I run a RTX2060 with ryzen 5 3600 and get the occasional stutter when I cross certain boundaries, but I wouldn't say it's game breaking. Still, looking forward to more optimizations in the future because the fact that my PC is struggling when the recommended GPU is a GTX760 is kinda ridiculous

i literally can't sleep at night thinking about this game

edit: warframe is home. you'll keep coming back and the game keeps getting better and better. Once you're all caught up, you take a little break and the cycle repeats. God I love this game

CS:GO. The most brilliant shooter in recent memory. The one problem: cheaters.

160 hours in the game, and I'm still 3 xp ranks short of prime matchmaking. Valve, you should not have made this game f2p, as the game is only playable when you have prime anyways.

After suffering for this long, I can safely reassure the prime enabled community that this game is absolutely infested with cheaters in non-prime. I feel like I'm not doing this amazing game justice, but I cannot in good conscience recommend this to the average f2p casual looking to have some fun.

Edit: buy prime for real game