Should You Buy Elden Ring On PC?

Did you pre-order Elden Ring on PC? FromSoftware is one of the rare companies that never released a bad game. And Elden Ring is probably one of their most hyped-up games. Makes sense, considering George R. R. Martin helped them create this haunting dark fantasy world. But should you buy Elden Ring on PC? Well, before we get into the nitty and gritty, let’s go over some of the most asked Elden Ring questions:

What is Elden Ring?

Elden Ring is the newest FromSoftware-developed action role-playing game that’s being published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game was made in partnership with the brilliant fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin, who contributed setting material.

What is Elden Ring about?

Elden Ring asks players to go across the decaying realm of the Lands Between in order to battle the world’s demigods — a total of more than 80 bosses – and become an Elden Lord.

When was Elden Ring announced?

Elden Ring was launched at E3 in 2019 with a gorgeous and dramatic trailer, which you can see embedded a little lower down, and then we were given to years of radio silence, with no news to speak of.

When does Elden Ring come out?

Elden Ring was released on February 25, 2022.

How long is Elden Ring?

Elden Ring takes about 44 hours to complete in a single sitting. This is, however, merely the amount of time required to complete the game’s primary story. Expect to spend roughly 70 hours exploring The Lands Between and completing the various side missions and optional bosses.

What platforms is Elden Ring available on?

Elden Ring is available on Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S.

What do I get with the Elden Ring – Collector’s Edition?

When you buy the Elden Ring Collector’s Edition you get the following:

• Statue of Malenia – Blade of Miquella (9 inches)
• Exclusive steelbook
• 40-page hardcover artbook
• Digital soundtrack

What do I get with the Elden Ring – Deluxe Edition?

When you buy the Elden Ring Deluxe Edition you get the digital artbook and digital soundtrack as a bonus.

Where can I buy Elden Ring?

You can buy Elden Ring for a low price on HRK Game right now!

How much is Elden Ring?

You can buy Elden Ring for 59,99€ / $59.99.

Now that we’re done with the Elden Ring F&Q, we can finally start this Elden Ring PC review, and of course, Elden Ring’s gameplay is going to be our first topic.

Elden Ring and its Gameplay

Elden Ring on PC is the closest you can get to playing Breath of the Wild on this platform if Breath of the Wild was a sadistic and violent game that enjoys torturing you in all kinds of twisted ways. Thankfully, all Souls-like fans are masochists, so that works perfectly. Elden Ring has a familiar gameplay formula, which isn’t surprising. It refined some aspects, added new elements, but you’ll feel right at home if you’re a Souls fan.

The open world of Elden Ring is one of the most significant changes. And it goes against your natural instincts to avoid confrontations with many enemies. This time you can kite them around or take them down while riding your noble steed. But don’t let that fool you; Elden Ring is one challenging game.

Elden Ring perfected its combat gameplay

Elden Ring has the same thoughtful fighting that has been standard in these types of games, but it is now thoroughly perfected. You swing, your opponent swings, and you may both interrupt each other’s assaults with pinpoint accuracy. You have to outmaneuver the opposition; that’s all there is to it. But that’s not an easy feat when your enemy is dashing around the place, flailing their weapon like a madman with multiple types of attack patterns. But unless you find an opening, the enemy will find yours.

These games are interesting because the enemy rarely follows a different set of rules than you. So, is Elden Ring’s gameplay both complex and satisfying? Well, when you finally take down a boss with either a crazy tactic or dangerous play, there isn’t a better feeling in the world.

Some enemies and bosses are more of a chore than a challenge

My time with Elden on PC features some of the most exhilarating and adrenaline-pumping battles. But some encounters are more about grueling work than enjoyable combat. Some enemies or bosses have absurd amounts of HP. So it’s mostly a battle of attrition which isn’t all that fun.

When I first started this Elden Ring review, things were going quite well. Limgrave and Liurnia didn’t have many difficult enemies, so I breezed through most of my fights. Then one boss crushed me. I was shaken at how one-sided this fight ended, no matter how many times I tried. So I went away in another direction, trying to improve my stats, get better gear, and everything else that would strengthen my fighting capabilities.

That’s when you discover special abilities. See, weapons and shields now have unique capabilities. A shield can deflect magic attacks; a sword can fire projectiles. It’s all entertaining to use; that is when you’re not facing a boss. You’re especially screwed when you enter a Legacy dungeon without proper equipment. Maybe I didn’t use the summons efficiently (they do tank quite a few hits but certain attacks will hit both of you so that’s no fun) or perhaps some bosses need two players to beat it. I’m not sure, but they were an impossible obstacle for me to overcome on my own.

On the other hand, Elden Ring bosses are really complex

I’m not a Dark Souls expert. These games really test my patience, but I try to tough it out as much as I can. Margit, for once, was quite a thrilling battle. I’m playing as a magic-user, so I have to keep my distance while firing these slow projectiles. But Margit doesn’t let you breathe. While I’m trying to refill my Focus Points, Margit throws these spectral daggers at me.

When he’s not doing that, he’s trying to stab me with spectral swords or smash my whole body with this gigantic spectral hammer. Even his wind-up animations can’t be read easily so I died. I died many times before I managed to outmaneuver all of his attacks while slowly but surely depleting his health bar with my magical attacks. His health bar isn’t that big so once you figure out his moves the fight is like a deadly dance between David and Goliath. And once I brought Margit to his knees, an immense sense of accomplishment and victory gushed through my veins.

You never know when you’re strong or weak

On the other hand, one of my biggest problems with the Elden Ring gameplay formula is that I don’t know if I’m strong or not. Some encampments are too easy; others have gigantic creatures that run me over in a matter of seconds. Learning an enemy’s attack pattern isn’t fun if they kill you in 2 hits.

Riding around also doesn’t feel safe at certain times, as projectiles lock onto you. There are also insanely fast bolts that will take you down before you spot where it’s coming from. This element urges you to approach structures using Elden Ring’s unexpectedly effective stealth system in some regions, but it’s not always clear what it’s trying to say. While this horse was theoretically a powerful way to go across Elden Ring, it left me unsure of how to approach some engagements or opponent camps. Should you storm in, should you sneak in? You can’t tell unless you try, which ends in you being dead in most outcomes.

Elden Ring and its Open World

Once you’ve figured out Dark Souls’ formula in Elden Ring, you will know where to go. It will take quite a bit of time, but every player will know where to go and what places to avoid. There’s a poison area ahead? Then there has to be a place with some herbs nearby. Does this castle have a lot of magic users? Find an armor that can soak up magic attacks someplace near. Writing an Elden Ring review requires one to soak up all of one gigantic game, which takes up a lot of time. And Elden Ring is a game that’s absolutely PACKED with content, so I’m sure I haven’t even seen 50% of what this world has to offer.

And let’s not ignore the fact that Elden Ring has outstanding art, mesmerizing graphics, and insane character design. From armor, weapons, enemies, bosses, NPCs, everything in this world looks familiar, yet uncanny. Everything you want from a dark fantasy is presented here amazingly. And yes, Elden Ring shows love to Berserk in many ways. FromSoftware outdid themselves this time and I can’t wait to discover more of this world and all its secrets. But, Elden Ring sometimes feels a bit too familiar.

A severe case of déjà vu

Elden Ring on PC offers some truly stunning moments. Yes, it’s a fantasy with skeletons, soldiers, dragons, and other typical creatures, but it also has some original and breathtaking encounters and environments. The problem is it also likes repetition. Many fights and areas in Elden Ring look a bit too familiar. There’s a wolf with a sword in its mouth. There’s even that annoying lizard that spits poison at you at all times.

Even some places give me the impression that I visited them before. But not in this game.

The game shines most when it’s being completely original

But when Elden Ring starts being an original game, it offers some heartstopping boss fights and otherworldly areas that send shivers down your spine. The Souls games always had some cosmic horror monster here and there, but a particular magical stag is a boss fight so majestic and magical you’re going to be thinking about it hours after it ends.

FromSoftware knows how to put on a show for you; I just wish they would have created more original shows than constantly rehashing fan-favorites. Because some of these bosses show that Elden Ring is one of the best RPGs on PC, just when it wants to be. Which isn’t as often as I would have liked.

PC Performance Issues

As you’ve heard already, Elden Ring comes with a sluggish PC performance. It has a tendency to stutter and slow down for little periods of time over time. For this Elden Ring PC review, I had a lot of moments that made me want to quit. Especially when I was in the open. One stutter during a boss fight and you’re done, finito, dead. Some options like DLSS or more advanced anti-aliasing tweaks are also not available. FromSoftwarre could have done more, as Elden Ring on PC is nowhere near as optimized as it is on consoles, which is a shame.

I haven’t encountered severe technical difficulties that made me want to put down the game for good, but a lot of issues did infuriate me over and over again. Hopefully, they get fixed soon, but from what I’ve seen, the latest patch broke the game more than it fixed it.

Should you buy Elden Ring on PC?

Elden Ring has issues on PC. But, is it still one of the most content-packed Souls-like titles available? Yes, that’s also a fact that you can’t deny. So if you like an open world, stacked with bosses, side content, challenging fights, and tons of stunning environments, you’re going to love this game to death.

It’s FromSoftware, so if you like any of their previous games, this is right up your alley. On the other hand, if you don’t enjoy being mercilessly beaten down by a boss for the 35th time, Elden Ring probably isn’t what you’re looking for.