Elden Ring

16Full Release

What this is

A dark fantasy world where exploration and flexible builds shape how challenges unfold.

What you actually do

You explore interconnected areas, fight enemies and bosses, collect gear, and shape a custom build through experimentation. Progress comes from learning attack patterns, choosing your route, and finding tools that suit each challenge.

Verdict

Build Variety Meets Relentless Combat

Elden Ring makes exploration and build experimentation meaningful because almost every challenge can be approached from another direction. Its scale, repeated encounters, and punishing enemy patterns can wear down players who prefer tighter pacing.

User reviews first

Steam recent first

Is it for you?

What shines

Rewarding open-world exploration
Many viable build options
Satisfying boss victories
Strong atmosphere and world design
Secrets encourage curiosity
Flexible approach to challenges

What to know

Sparse quest guidance
Fragmented storytelling
Repeated bosses and enemies
Uneven open-world density
Occasional PC performance issues
Punishing attack patterns

Quick facts

Genre

Souls-likeDark Fantasy

View

Third person

Solo

Co-op

up to 3

PvP

optional

Length

60h+

Entry

Can start here

Pricing

Paid

MTX

Account required

Active Support

Crossplay

+Best if

You like turning repeated defeats into progress through experimentation, exploration, and build changes.

!Skip it if

You want tightly guided quests, consistently fresh encounters, or a forgiving combat rhythm.

Developer

FromSoftware

Publisher

FromSoftware, Inc.

Release

Feb 25, 2022

Game DNA

Rhythm

Mixed pace

Depth

Deep & complex

Mood

ChallengingAtmosphericImmersive

Structure

Open world

Also tagged

RPGFantasyGreat Soundtrack

topic

Your role and how it develops

Your role

You create and develop a Tarnished, choose where to travel, and decide how to overcome hostile encounters.

Learning and mastery

The world gives newcomers more room to retreat and grow, but the combat still demands patience and careful learning.

Replay and variation

Very high, supported by flexible builds, alternate routes, and different ways to approach its challenges.

Systems you interact with

What you actually engage with

Open-world exploration

Roam freely, uncover hidden paths, and decide which challenges to pursue.

Action combat

Read enemy attacks, manage timing, and learn through repeated attempts.

Character builds

Shape your strengths through equipment, attributes, and different combat approaches.

Gear and abilities

Collect weapons, armor, spells, and other tools that change how you handle fights.

Dungeon challenges

Enter compact areas with traps, enemies, secrets, and demanding encounters.

Co-op and multiplayer

Call on allies or engage with other players alongside the solo adventure.

topic

Time investment

How long it takes

HowLongToBeat

Main story

focused run

60h

Main + extras

story and side content

101h

Completionist

full clear

136h

Session fit

What the time commitment feels like

When it clicks

Expect a slow, demanding start while you learn the combat language and discover where your character fits.

Session constraints

Progress can stall when a difficult encounter demands repeated retries or when the open world offers little direction.

Best session rhythm

It works best in unhurried sessions where exploration, detours, and repeated attempts can unfold naturally.

DLC timing

No timing guidance for extra content is available yet.

topic

Review interpretation

Current mood

Players are still energized by Elden Ring's freedom, atmosphere, and replayability, with a demanding challenge that keeps pulling them back.

Why it works

Players and critics repeatedly highlight the freedom to explore, satisfying combat, flexible builds, and the way the world rewards curiosity.

Critic gap

Players and critics broadly praise the open world and exploration, but both note that PC performance can undermine the experience.

What players value

Open-world exploration

high

The vast, mysterious world rewards curiosity and makes exploration feel distinctive and absorbing.

Challenge and combat

high

Players describe tough encounters as frustrating but deeply rewarding once patterns are learned and victories are earned.

Replayability and build variety

medium

Different builds, repeat playthroughs, and experimentation give players strong reasons to return.

Atmosphere and presentation

medium

Players highlight the game's immersive atmosphere and striking world.

Evidence-backed risks

PC performance and stuttering

mediumreviews and critics

Recent players report poor PC optimization, freezing, and recurring stutters; critics also identify PC performance as a weakness.

Online hacking and save-file corruption

highreviews

Several players report invaders or hackers corrupting, modifying, or breaking save files during online play.

Punishing difficulty and limited guidance can frustrate newcomers

mediumreviews and critics

Players describe demanding combat and repeated frustration, while critics note that the lack of guidance can leave players wandering aimlessly.

topic

Minimum PC

Playable baseline

OSWindows 10

CPUINTEL CORE I5-8400 or AMD RYZEN 3 3300X

RAM12 GB RAM

GPUNVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 3 GB or AMD RADEON RX 580 4 GB

Recommended PC

Better target

OSWindows 10/11

CPUINTEL CORE I7-8700K or AMD RYZEN 5 3600X

RAM16 GB RAM

GPUNVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1070 8 GB or AMD RADEON RX VEGA 56 8 GB

Storage and usability

Disk, language and input

Install52 GB

Download50 GB

Free space60 GB

Languages15 listed

ControllerFull

Accessibility

Verified Steam support

Camera comfort optionsSteam

Custom volume controlsSteam

Playable without timed inputSteam

topic

Support status

Developer activity

Events, not updates

Last game updateDec 16, 2025 · 7 months ago

Last official postMay 13, 2026 · 2 months ago

Updates (12 mo)2

Posts (12 mo)6

CadenceFrequent

SourceSteam

Official Steam news

Elden Ring

Build Variety Meets Relentless Combat

Is it for you?

What shines

What to know

What you actually engage with

How long it takes

What the time commitment feels like

Current mood

Why it works

Critic gap

Open-world exploration

Challenge and combat

Replayability and build variety

Atmosphere and presentation

PC performance and stuttering

Online hacking and save-file corruption

Punishing difficulty and limited guidance can frustrate newcomers

Playable baseline

Better target

Disk, language and input

Verified Steam support

Developer activity

Latest from the developer

Deal layer comes later