Elden Ring - 1 Year Later

[@exmerion]

Honestly the game is so massive that I only recently went back to play it after 10 or so months and I couldn't remember where anything was.

[@moonrabbit2334]

Same for me after ng+1 I took few months break and I started another character again with entirely different playstyle in mind. And I forgot 70% of the game which is a good thing

[@Sinhsseax]

Yeah, I had the same experience with several of the minor dungeons recently. You just turn a corner in a heroes grave and get f***** up by a fog spewing horserider that you think you have never seen inside there before.

[@ashtheprototype8851]

You don't remember because its completely forgettable.

[@ashtheprototype8851]

@@VENENOSEASON I bet you were bored the entire time too

[@VENENOSEASON]

@@ashtheprototype8851 I wasn’t my first play through but anything after that is boring and feels like a drag.

[@Young_Jim]

Maybe the fact that your initial experience was so awesome and long lived is a wholly acceptable trade off for the lack of replay ability you felt. I’m still on my first play through and enjoying the game but I think that I may well feel the same way as you when I’m finished. To me, the game was worth every penny even if I never go back to it. Great thought provoking video, thanks.

[@mrblackhouseprez]

Yeah I keep seeing this opinion in the video brought up. It was great at first but I can't replay it 3 times so it's not as good as I thought. I never replay single player games more than once. I usually squeeze everything out of a first playthrough then start a 2nd character and never finish the 2nd time. But I still love the games all the same. Dragon age origins, fallout new Vegas, Witcher 3, final fantasy 9,10, and 12. All games I've only beat once and never played again. Still some of the greatest games I've ever played.

[@juantsu2000]

I don’t even understand the lack of replayability point. This has to be one of the most replayable open world games ever. There’s a ton of stuff you can do in a different order, the game doesn’t ask you to complete all dungeons and there’s relatively little things you HAVE to do to get to the end. The game can be completed in like, 15 hours on ng+ cycles depending on how much you want to actually replay. I feel this mentality comes from people that spent 100+ hours completing the game on their first run that assume their other playthroughs will take just as much. I spent 50 hours on my first Sekiro playthrough yet now it only takes me like 10…

[@enman009]

As someone that has 6 playthroughs: no, the game doesn't lack replay value. Many builds, questlines, side content and things that can be done out of order really incentivise you to do as much as you want with pure freedom. Of course, if you don't enjoy the content then it will feel like a chore to you. But of course this isn't a game that you may replay right after the first playthrough. Take your time and enjoy it.

[@JonoBogano]

@@juantsu2000 with the wrong warp glitch you can also speedrun to the final bosses

[@Eo-ms3kw]

​@@juantsu2000 Maybe it is replayable for an open world game but it just doesn't compare to the replayability of the linear Fromsoft games. And you said it perfectly yourself: "there's relatively little things you HAVE to do to get to the end" which is exactly what was said in the video. If you barely have to do anything to get to the end, what is left of the experience then? It's a great game to make builds because of this but why do you need a build (except for pvp) when you can just run past everything?

[@badger297]

Elden ring is my first FS game. I usually only play online shooters, but figures I'd give this one a try. All the hype had to be for something I figured. I'm now over 300 hrs in on 2 different characters. This is one of my favorite games of all time. Idk if everyone ranks it among "the best games ever" but for me, it's definitely up there

[@user-ns4zm8qe9p]

It’s one of the best games ever for sure

[@divyenjoshi1168]

​@@scrimx9278 ​The Last of Us TV show has shown that storytelling is not at its purest and doesn't reach its peak heights in video games. Whilst the game is lauded as one of the best ever due to it's story, characters and writing, the TV show does that all much better. The gameplay is pretty mediocre and the mechanics aren't anything special. With From Software games the gameplay, precise mechanics, atmosphere, lore, music and worldbuilding all come together to deliver one of the best games ever. Elden Ring couldn't be translated to a TV show or film the same way at all because it is gaming in its purest form. As great as something like God of War or Uncharted or many of the single player experiences you've mentioned are, when story is such a big component it can be bettered in another medium.

[@enman009]

Trust me, many consider ER as one of the greatest games of all time. It also received the title of the game of the year with the most awards, surpassing BoTW, God of War and TLoU 2. So yeah, not an unpopular opinion.

[@grimreefer213]

Elden Ring isn’t even the greatest fromsoftware game let alone greatest game ever

[@divyenjoshi1168]

@@grimreefer213 I mean that is debatable, without DLC it has these strong bosses. It has amazing build variety, but then it can also be the most inconsistent game because of all the options. There is a lot of downtime traversing. I personally right now prefer Bloodborne, but if I took the DLC out of Bloodborne I'd probably say Elden Ring wins. From Software usually leave the best part of their game in DLC. So with a DLC on the level of Old Hunters or Ringed City, I do believe Elden Ring probably will be their best game. But it's entirely subjective. There's a few negatives with Elden Ring due to it's open world nature and gank bosses etc. But it is, in my opinion the most impressive game they've done for sure right now and gave me the best first playthrough I've probably had of any game.

[@Fear_the_Nog]

I do not comprehend the replayability point being made. This is one of the most replayable games ever made, purely due to its mechanics of builds. You create a brand new build and it's almost a totally different game. There is no restrictive narrative, so you won't feel like you're repeating the story beats, it's almost sandboxy.

[@TheUnrider]

Elden Rings experience relies very much on the exploration aspect. That just means that the 1. playthrough is really magical, thats how these type of games work. And every future run is a challenge run you impose on yourself.

[@eva-vv4db]

That makes sense to me 👍 love challenge runs

[@drewbydoobydoo2918]

I think a NG+ run is magical in its own way. You can respect into a totally different build right off the bat or press forward with what you know, but be more of a force of nature.

[@Kolket1389]

I kinda agree with you, but with ER the journey itself is so fun that I don't mind doing everything again, because each time I explore, I find something new. Not to mention the fact that when you change your build the game changes so much. I agree with you that you are constantly longing for that magical first playthrough. But that goes for all great open world games right? I mean, I would do ANYTHING if I could experience Witcher 3 for the first time.

[@SqueebPlays]

Although not open world, the Dead Space is the first time I've felt like I've "Played for the first time again." Try a pure magic build for ER.

[@Kolket1389]

@@SqueebPlays The magic build was actually the next thing I wanted to do

[@VeritabIlIti]

​@@SqueebPlays agreed, the changes and updates really made it feel like a new game. I was eagerly awaiting every twist even though I knew what would probably happen because it was fresh enough to keep me engaged.

[@Entertainment-ev6ob]

I don’t understand people who say they find new stuff everytime they play the game, was your first playthrough under 50 hours? My first playthrough was 100 hours spent over a month

[@ChrisDaAce27]

Look harder, in two playthroughs found every single thing to be found and beat every single thing that could be beat. If you can't find over 85% of what's in the game minus the weak ass npc quests that hide gear on a blind playthrough then you rushed.

[@diode_wow]

I share the sentiment, and I don't see it as a bad thing. The first Elden Ring playthrough consumed me, it was magical. The second playthrough was less so, but then I realized; the first time, I played Elden Ring, the second time I played a Souls game. It was linear, less exploration and more of what you described; going for the optimal thing for my build and playing the game that way. The same way you'd play any other FS game.

[@sirornstein]

I just platinumed Elden Ring today, I would say yes. After my first playthrough I wasn't done with the game so I went back and got Ranni's ending, but was starting to crash and lose intrest. I hadn't touched the game in 9 months, but last week I got the urge to play it again and got the Lord of the Frenzied Flame and felt similar joy and excitement I felt a year ago when I played it for the first time. It may not be my favorite game, but it sure is one hell of a game that deserves every bit of praise it gets.

[@GILGAMESG069]

I found the best way of playing elden ring is on a fresh character, I don't explore dungeons or do quests unless I need to and I don't try to kill every boss except the main ones, I just plan on doing a certain build and plan my route accordingly and build my character gradually and it's fun because of how much freedom and build variety there is, I don't think elden ring is a game you should 100% at least not on a single playthrough

[@Commandosoap777]

Yup agreed

[@certifiedcib7958]

Man after I beat the game the first time, I immediately played it two more times and platinum it. Did a samurai/dex, godslayer/strength, and finally a mage. Now I’m playing DS3 for the first time and Waiting for the ER DLC and it’s fire 🔥

[@smittywerbenjagermanjensen5152]

I didn’t KZbin my first play through so I didn’t complete every quest/ending. I feel if you did a real blind play through then a lot of problems you discussed disappear. For example it is impossible to complete the frenzy ending and the Ranni even if you somehow figured it out on your own. Which means you were just looking up guides for items and quest endings/progression. Whereas a player who did an actual blind run has no choice but to play the game again if they wish to experience different endings to quest and story. Millicents quest is a testament to that statement considering she can drop 3 different items depending on player action. Something you could only know if you played the story again and did things differently. Sounds like KZbin guides took the magic of replay ability away from you.

[@spacedoohicky]

It probably depends on how a person thinks. When I'm traveling I'm scheming. I'm not so much getting from A to B as much as I am planning things while on a horse riding around.

[@dj_koen1265]

Its oke to be done with a game No game is meant to be played forever And eventually, maybe, you will get the desire to experience it again; when you forget almost everything about it playing it again feels like refreshing on old memories

[@danb.4420]

I’m thinking about playing this and making a series about how fear of failure has held me back from playing games.

[@HamzaAli-vs2ts]

Do it dude I bet that would be a great series!!

[@TwistedScarlett60]

I've already played through the game four times, and I'm excitedly anticipating my fifth. I can't relate to this idea that the game has nothing of value left in replays. My second playthrough was done knowing where everything was, giving me a completely different, power trip of an experience. My third playthrough was done with an item randomizer, recreating the initial experience of not knowing where anything is, and being constantly surprised with unique armours and items. My fourth playthrough was done with doubled enemies, bumping up the difficulty which had long waned. And my fifth playthrough will be in first person. I can't wait!

[@thedarkroom6416]

I think it’s the way you look at it

[@rafadrath7481]

Your comment is gold. Keep it up!

[@darkodev6961]

I am wholeheartedly content with how they made the game. I’ve beat all from games after I first played ER! But no game has EVER given me such a great In the moment experience. I’ve replayed BB, Ds3 and Ds2 a couple times also

[@tomsnow2872]

If it was truly that good of a first experience playing a fromsoft game then I'm glad you found that magical playthrough. For myself and alot of soulsborne players elden ring didnt produce that same feeling we had playing those other games simply due to the non linearity of the game.

[@flamingmanure]

agreed, frankly the other fromsoft games, barring sekiro, just dont come even close to ER in practically every aspect but music, ds3 is better in bosses depending on who you ask really, alot of ERs mini bosses like crucible or lionel can match up to your average ds3 boss or even better if you ask me. that first ER playthrough and those first few months of ER releasing are now stamped into gaming history, the hype, the community, the comradery, the groundbreaking open world design, the fact that even other game creators were sharing pics and experiences of theirs online etc etc its something that i dont think fromsoft can ever replicate again, if ds1 was lightning in a bottle, ER was an entire thunderstorm in a bottle, its no wonder they are moving away from souls-likes for god knows how long, they basically made the perfect one.

[@tomsnow2872]

@@flamingmanure have you ever played ds2 or bloodborne?

[@YoungAmzn]

rdr2 or days gone or last of us?

[@operaphantom9832]

@@flamingmanure ER is FAR from the perfect souls game

[@Crimsontears83]

Don't feel the same way personally. I have just as much fun with my multiple playthroughs, just different. It's nice to feel less powerless while still being challenged. The great things about Fromsoft games is even when you over grind, unless you're an incredibly seasoned and skilled player, the game is still pretty challenging and it's fun to go back through to see how much better than last time I can handle things.

[@alihasanabdullah7586]

Elden ring for me was very much like Persona 5, I sunk about 150 hours into both, and I would not want to play them ever again. But they were both masterpieces, best 150 hours ever.

[@Funnylittleman]

I don’t really agree with you on this one. I’ve spent the last year re-playing Elden Ring over and over in an autistic frenzy. It never gets old to me. The sense of mystery has mostly gone, yes, but the grinding and trying out 500 different builds and playing only what I want and skipping the rest makes it infinitely replayable to me. I love DS2 and 3 but there are areas I DREAD when I replay them. I wish I could skip Shrine of Amana or Irythyll Dungeons like they were Elden Ring sections.

[@qlcrane8019]

Listing a different melee weapon as a new exciting build is not valid. The game combat is still dark souls 1 tier and hasn't evolved at all and its all just r1 spam and magic. Also the game has like 5 cool bosses and rest are shitty reskins used over and over again just would have made me wish I got another dark souls 1 style of world design instead of big empty open world. They mastered something in ds1 and refuse to use it again its infuriating

[@khalilwilson2586]

The things I would do to walk into limgrave for the first time

[@Quiron1985]

again. (I just finished your sentence)

[@kloakovalimonada]

Name one thing.

[@khalilwilson2586]

@@kloakovalimonada lie to my grandma

[@DietmarEugen]

It's easy to be overwhelmed by the freedom you have playing ER. I think players need to apply restrictions in order to not fall into this freedom trap. Don't use Torrent, for instance (except spire and other places where it is required). I played an explorer of Limgrave and Weeping Peninsula repeatedly with all the builds I tried as if playing for the first time. For me, playing a game does not have to be efficient, but I understand that people have limited time to waste.

[@VeritabIlIti]

I agree, I'm still on my first playthrough because the exploration is just so rewarding for me. But I also love that aspect of Metroidvanias, and some people HATE that, so to each their own

[@rafadrath7481]

This is the way (for us) ❤

[@TheJackal917]

Yes. It is. Not a shadow of a doubt. From's design is a timeless classic.

[@danielcalabrese5769]

I have to disagree with you because on my first playthrough I did pretty much everything and ran through a second time for the last few ending achievements. All up I played for 250hours and loved it. I do feel the same way about not playing it since then but not because I knew the system but instead because it's soooo big that I would need so much time to play it again. The fact that you choose to avoid combat and rush straight for upgrades and gear is why you are not as keen to play so instead choose to play much more organically and don't try to min max this time and just have a rough idea of the build you want and fight everything that comes your way and use one of the first cool weapons you find and build around that using whatever you find along the way. You don't have to get OP you can just play in a way that keeps the game challenging if you choose to that is.

[@spawnstah7228]

This is so bizarre, every criticism targeted at the open world design on a 2nd playthrough could be also applied to any of the souls games, you pretty much just described two styles of play, and somehow applied one of them to ds and the other to er, if an open world game gives you the OPTION to skip steps it should be praised, it's 100% the players fault if they need to be FORCED into doing content. Nameless king is an unnecessary boss, he may not drop items for your build, you may not need the souls for killing him, you do it because it's fun. If you're running past enemies, speeding through the game it's not because you can and it's efficient or whatever, it's because you don't believe it to be worthwhile, for some reason

[@Gio_Panda]

I know this sounds far fetched, but hear me out: in this sense Elden Ring feels to me kinda like Outer Wilds. Both are absolutely unforgettable experiences, and I will never forget playing them, but most of their value was in discovery, and unfortunately the fact that they are so memorable kind of works against them for replayability. That said, I wouldn't have them ANY OTHER WAY. In a way, I feel like the fact that they are "limited", that they "run out" for you makes them more special. I am SO SAD that Outer Wilds is completely and utterly impossible to replay, more than any other game I've ever played, and I would spend an UNGODLY AMOUNT OF MONEY to be able to delete my memory and experience it again... But isn't this a testament to its greatness? Elden Ring is not quite on the same level of unreplayability, but I feel like it makes us sad in the same way: it was so unbeliveably good we just wish we could experience it again for the first time. I think it's ultimately good we can't, because it gives these experiences more meaning.

[@kasplat5874]

You aren't wrong, but... this is more how I feel about BotW / TotK where exploration and discovery is all the games have and you have to forget before you can enjoy them again. I haven't returned to Elden Ring, but I did multiple builds for months, mostly low-level where I was definitely grabbing items and avoiding combat and also exploiting Rot and Poison, etc. to see how far I could go and I still enjoyed my time. I would rather wander around in ER than jump back into BotW which I grudgingly played prior to TotK and even though TotK is better, I can't see ever replaying it, it is just too big and wore out its welcome way before the end as the discoveries got further and further apart.

[@calebbonny8848]

My second play through has been just as enjoyable as my first

[@Alex-K94]

Same

[@Kaleb._]

I played the game one year later. It was amazing

[@wilhelm100]

I've played through Elden Ring over 20 times by now. I started noticing the issue you bring up after my first three times since I didn't look anything up. I solved the issue by limiting my access to the open world. I wouldn't level my weapon past the appropriate level for the next boss, I would not farm runes and I would try new things every time I play. This way I don't break the game and I make use of everything the devs put into the game

[@andrerocha3998]

what is the fun of playing the same game 20 times wtf is wrong with you

[@ragna6410]

New Game Plus 13. And 3 characters with New Game Plus 4. I freaking love it.

[@Sasuke-xf5mw]

What weapon? Strength/faith? I have played basically 365 days in a row but I'm running out of steam

[@ragna6410]

​@@Sasuke-xf5mwI prefer 2 Greatswords. Faith and Strength. Blasphemus and Final Boss Sword. Or sometimes Katana.

[@Sasuke-xf5mw]

@Ragna good stuff. My first playthrough was Blashphemous Blade so fire.

[@jaysanj152]

One thing i appreciate from this game is that lack of constant dialogues and chattering. There are no edgy marvel esc/anime one liners for your character to spill every minute or a navi like character that constantly talks and doesn't shut up for one sec through out your adventure. It's just you,your horse and the lands between and you can take it all in and when there is actual Dialogue,it's never a miss and all of them are equally memorable. Playing this game feels like i am reading an amazing book with deeper lore the more you dig in rather than watching a blockbuster movie where such games feels like you're in the back seat.

[@qlcrane8019]

You mean from soft again lacking in writing skills and being lazy to have to code more dialogue and stuff? I love how we meet and npc that constantly talks to you at the start and then disappears for 100h and then suddenly acts like you should care for her and her mission again for the last 5 minutes into boss rush into an ending

[@PhotonKingShark77]

Its been a whole year and I still haven't beat it yet. Stuck on the woman who has never learned defeat.

[@bryb2644]

Black Knife Tische my friend. Finally beating Malenia was up there with paying off a car.

[@PhotonKingShark77]

@@bryb2644 tried him didn't work

[@bryb2644]

@@PhotonKingShark77 which build?

[@Maybelater1018]

I find I don't agree with the sentiment a lot of reviewers have. I don't play games obsessively and I usually hop around from game to game. I'm onto my 3rd run of Elden Ring and while those big surprising moments don't happen anymore, I still find things I've never seen, little secrets and lore bits and what have you. But what I WILL say, I do very little of the mini dungeons now and spend my time enjoying the design of the open world itself. I also DO change my builds a LOT and play a lot of PvP so that may extend my play time way more than the average person who picked this up.

[@Maybelater1018]

I'd also like to add tailoring the game to what you want means just that. I haven't leveled over 140 the entire time playing because it would sap the challenge out of it for me. I'm doing a playthru with no summons for the first time and I've been enjoying getting my butt kicked by Malenia. I also have a lvl 30 character for low level invasions where you see longer fights and way less cheese (still cheese tho)

[@cortie2812]

Hey there nice video, you bring up some good points. It's fully understandable to feel like not wanting to replay Elden Ring as much as previous games. Though I do feel like the game does have replay ability maybe even more than the previous games. It does heavily rely on two types of playstyles for that replay ability in my mind. The first being players who set specific goals for themselves. This includes speedrunners and challange runners but also just people who stick to a specific boss progression to keep the boss fights more interesting. And the second playstyle being perfectionists. The bosses in Elden Ring compared to previous From Software games have intricate usage of moves. This makes the skill ceiling higher for bosses especially when looking at rememberance bosses. As one from software fan to another I just wanted to share what I felt when playing and replaying Elden Ring. If one day you have that itch to play it again I would recommend trying to go with one of these mindsets. You might come to really enjoy Elden Ring in a completely different way to previous FS games or even your first playthroughs.

[@tkfu9436]

I had the exact same experience when I first played this game except it never got old to me.. even over a year later, I will turn it on every so often to explore some more or just retread old ground, it always keeps me interested.. I am just glad I can enjoy the game for what it is and not be like Oh woe is me now its boring because I've seen it already.. Just saying.

[@rafadrath7481]

Great comment. Thanks 🙏

[@TheDiamondSea]

One year is not a very long time. Nothing has changed since then. The game is still good.

[@fallzero7304]

One of the best things about this game is that it felt complete. Gave this weird feeling that the Dev's were allowed to take their time and flesh out the code so that it would work the way it's supposed to. FromSoftware usually does better and this game was a culmination of all the experience they had from all of their previous titles and made an open world which was missing from their roster. I definitely enjoyed Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West since both were extremely well developed and visually stunning respectively.

[@adron7748]

I disagree but because I started playing Elden Ring December of 2022, and recently just beat it… all the reviews were talking about how everything was so hard that my first play through was about how to get as OP as possible before every boss. Also, most npc are hostile so I sort of did my first playthrough how no one should lol. I was impressed with the world and everything but it was overshadowed by rune farming and getting my moon veil build as good as possible. I just started NG+ a couple of days ago, and I am playing it with peace on a new different build while exploring since I know I destroy anything that’s hostile. I’m excited to go through caves without any hurry to grab what I need and leave but to explore all that I can. Like, I’m level 279 at ng+ so yeah lol I’m ready to have fun with the game and not sweat about it dying and losing my runes to level up since one level is more than 700k at that level lol

[@akicauchemar7286]

Seamless co-op mod is absolutely must. Get it and you will have forever fun as Elden Ring is now a full fledged DnD party adventure

[@Sumi_S]

Mod! Isn’t it already in?

[@bradlylopez9281]

i mean, i wish i could meet my partner for the first time again because the beginning phase is always the most fun. it’s just the nature of good things.

[@Vartazian360]

I do think that they made a big mistake by making smithing stones just able to be found in the world, even +10 somber dragon smithingg stone, literally can just find it in the open world...And I believe that the way that great runes were implemented was terrible in that they have to be activated with a consumable and the powers them selves are very underwhelming.. However these 2 criticisms asside, the game was an absolute masterpiece and i loved every second of it.

[@eldenbladesofficialshop]

what you need to remember though is that the bosses and legacy dungeons in this game are some of the absolute best in the entire series which means even without the open world the game is still fanstastic

[@karunsv1785]

Legacy dungeons yeah. Bosses, by the endgame, nah.

[@marijntimmer958]

After i finished the game i immediately went through it again 3 times. Just looking for secrets, little nooks and crannies i might have missed, went for the platinum trophy. Tried weird builds for invasion etc. I still go back to it quite often

[@heatrayzvideo3007]

Elden ring is the modern equivalent of ocarina of time

[@Fathernewman]

I think the repeatability relies on how much exploration you do in your first play through, if you completely scan the map and make sure you leave no stone unturned the you probably won’t feel too much of a need to replay it but if you choose to leave certain stones unturned and focus on a more specific play through you can always replay the game and find all the things you missed the first time around

[@T-Servoux5]

I really don't share this experience AT ALL. I play and I have to stop myself from fighting every boss because at the end of the day, it's fun. I find it odd that way to many people break their own game experience and take all the fun out of it. Outside Speedrunners who are making their own fun. Also specifically how can you have this experience with the second playthrough, every quest was so much better understanding what you need to do to progress their story. 1st playthrough I messed up almost every quest, second playthrough was so much better figuring out what to do next since I understood the game better, and seeing the story lines progress.

[@qlcrane8019]

Exploring areas again and exploring missing areas so that you can find same catacomb#290506348 with a boss which most exciting part is to try to guess which boss is it reskinned or made into duo this time. They should have cut the world into half and polished it because it was clear that after the 2 first major areas there was a big rush in development

[@smw1193]

The experience this game gives you is so good it is literally a once in a lifetime experience. Each subsequent playthrough is more like a celebration of that adventure reminiced after the journey ends.

[@Commandosoap777]

Perfect description

[@moonrabbit2334]

Funnily enough ER is the only one I am playing multiple times. I never played again of ds1, 2 or 3 or bb

[@flamingmanure]

DW thrust is kinda trying really hard to cover his bias to some of the older games designs, when objectively speaking elden ring has by far the most replayability, and thats not even an opinion. hell it took me 4 hours to finish new game plus, about as much as the older games replays, and a new character i just finished the story with took me 12 hours, while in the older games it used to take me 6 to 8 hours. just shows just how much more intricately and more thoughtfully designed this game is than the previous ones.

[@valrond]

So basically, you took a huge game, played like what? 250 hours? to look behind every nook and cranny, and then you are surprised that you don't get surprised the next time you play it. Yes, the second time you know where to go, the good thing is, there are so few things that are mandatory, that you can skip most of the things that you don't enjoy, just get whatever you need for your build, and do the fights you want to do. You can't avoid the Fire Mountain or the Godskin duo. Miyazaki said Elden Ring wasn't supposed to be played 100% the first play through, you where supposed to do some things, explore a bit here and there, so there would be enough unexplored content for the next one. So a bit of that, is on the user, and not the game itself. Also, you really can run just past most enemies in Dark Souls 3 (not so easy in Demon's Souls, which I finished the remake today, too many tight corridors to slip by), which I think is great, first you explore, kill, get the loot, then you just run past the enemies to where to died the last time.

[@minerman60101]

Patch 1.03 added a lot of smithing stones into the world and made a lot of enemies drop smithing stones more frequently; especially the soldiers and knights, and it made the stones cost less. For the small dungeons, I would double the health of many of the human sized bosses (excluding Limgrave), and made every single boss recharge your rune arc. If you were stuck on a harder boss, you could cool off with a bit of side content and return to the boss with the slight buff of your rune arc being activated. I was able to get an enjoyable new playthrough by playing Rune Level 1, solo, and specifically doing each region in order before I can move on to the next one. (Limgrave, then Liurnia, then Caelid sans Dragonbarrow but with the Divine Tower, then Altus and so on), and by limiting horse use to only going between places I had already been to. I've had a ton of fun this way, and side content feels more worthwhile when it actually poses a challenge.

[@mikealgee1489]

My second playthrough wasnt a speed run cause i was testing out different builds using different weapons i came across. i certainly didnt know where everything was just because i’d play the game once already there are hundreds of items in this game. it sounds like you’re creating a checklist for ur build using the wiki and then bee lining for those items which is fine but i dont think thats what they had in mind. It’s basically speedrunning the game which is why it will feel that way if thats what you are doing.

[@CyberJedi1]

Maybe this is the biggest flaw of Elden Ring, it's a masterpiece and one of the best games of all time, but only for your first playthrough, after that, you don't want to go back and replay it. I've seen many youtubers and people in general, including me, that 100% the first time and up until now, don't feel replaying the game. Dark Souls, Sekiro, Bloodborne, are super linear, but maybe it's what makes them super replayable. Now, I will say that maybe 1 year is not enough, but give it a couple more, give it time to our brains to forget a little about all the details and secrets in the game and maybe we can have a satisfying second run. I think the game is still too fresh in our minds.

[@sentryion3106]

I don’t see anything wrong with that. One massive er play has the same amount of content and playtime as probably 2 sekiro endings so honestly once you finished it once you already got way more what you paid for compare to other options

[@bexarath]

I will never view lack of replayability as a negative if the initial experience was amazing. Outer Wilds is, by design, a game that you can only really play once, but it is still one of the greatest games ever made, IMO.

[@divyenjoshi1168]

It's the sort of game that gives you one of the best gaming experiences ever on your first playthrough, but thereafter is maybe a once a year kind of game unless you're a challenge runner. But that's OK, that one experience alone makes for one of the best games of all time.

[@joshualegroulx9629]

Thank you for putting into words why I never felt like going back to Elden Ring. I've played and beaten every From Software game multiple times, ran several builds and played many NG+++'s in each game. I still come back to them almost yearly, DS3 and Bloodborne being my personal favorites, but I've tried several times to get back into ER and I just can't do it. Probably the best game ever for a 1st playthrough it was almost perfect, game is incredible but I don't see myself going back, and there's nothing wrong with that, I have the other From games to play.

[@whatsinthebox9732]

Wild nonsense take. You are one out of thousands. I’ve New Game+ the hell out of this game and it’s still a sandbox of endless customization, build crafting and boss battles. Know the majority don’t have this issue at all.

[@Sinhsseax]

Perhaps it's that I play for PvP reasons, but I still have an endless checklist of characters I want to make and do not experience the same thing. Nothing against you however, I felt the same thing around 6 months after release, it has just let off, now that I have forgotten parts of the game existed.

[@TimboTbagz]

​@@whatsinthebox9732 What does it matter how popular his view is? I still come back to ER but having also played other FS games to death, I know exactly what he means. Imagine saying not wanting to play NG+ is "nonsense", have a word with yourself 🤣🤡

[@whatsinthebox9732]

@@TimboTbagz i never said not wanting to play NG+ was nonsense moron, know the argument before you butt your ignorant nose into it. The nonsense take is using your overall lack of enthusiasm or interest or whatever it is in a NG+ simply because you've done everything and the game is so huge. It's a minority take. This game is just like every other FS game except it's bigger. In the end if you're just lazy and don't want to do it all over again that's on you, not in any way a design flaw like this video tries to make it seem.

[@TimboTbagz]

@@whatsinthebox9732 So your argument is that anyone who doesn't do NG+ is lazy or lacking enthusiasm? I'm on NG+ so you can keep your petty insults, although I appreciate it's all you have. The PvP doesn't come close to Dark Souls 3, most popular players recognise this and the player count has tanked but apparently KZbin guy knows better 😂 How about appreciating that some people have a life and won't play a game to death if they don't enjoy it? Let me guess, you're new to the series and think the crafting system is a great new mechanic? Lmao.

[@danfish88]

It’s weird that now I’m seeing all this nostalgia through rose tinted glasses for DS3, when a large portion of the souls community slated it when it came out for being too linear, which is exactly what it’s being praised for now. My take is that gamers are entitled and don’t know what they want, and I’m not sure these content creators even believe in what they are saying in their videos, they are just stirring the pot.

[@jamiecal11]

Good vid but the whole 'i had no yearning to revisit it' bit isn't really striking when the game is only out a year anyway.

[@Gakusangi]

It's about what you want out of the game. I never play NG+ in these games, I have no desire to play through with all my top gear, maxed out character in a world full of familiar enemies with bigger numbers. I always start entirely new games with an entirely new build in mind and the fun for me is figuring out how to make this new idea work in the game or if it even CAN work in the game. So I keep coming back to Elden Ring over and over to try new things because that's how I've always played these games. My first playthrough of Dark Souls 1 probably took longer than all of my friends because I'd keep getting to Anor Londo, exiting my game, start on a new file and try out a whole new character with all new gear and spells and stats just to get to the same point and do it over and over until finally deciding to pick one of them to actually finish the game with. I still go back to Dark Souls 1 now just to do the same thing, trying out new stuff and new ideas. Sure, there's nothing in the world left to surprise me. There are no new items, no new enemies and no new areas to explore, but that's not what keeps the experience "fresh" for me. It's about how I can game the game, how I can master the mechanics, how I can make new builds viable and try out stuff I hadn't my first seven times through. Not for meta or the world or the story, but for the sheer "what if" factor, for the systems and mechanics. I guess that's what sets me apart from some people that play these games and it's why I find such enjoyment in them. I approach them the same way I would a new playthrough of Fallout: New Vegas. New character, fresh start, new ideas, ready to try it all out and see how it goes. I wish more games gave me that kind of freedom.

[@thunderstrucktb4758]

Exactly what I do too. Getting creative with my builds is what appeals to me about these games and keeps me coming back to them.

[@Saint.Cosmos]

I'm the same. I beat Bloodborne about a half dozen times and never did one single NG+. Same with this game, I kind of "retire" a character when I beat the game.

[@Pikachu-qr4yb]

Thanks, I was looking for this answer actually, as I was debating if I should go NG or NG+

[@Gakusangi]

@@Pikachu-qr4yb It's fine to try out both and see which you find suits you better. I just like trying new things which usually means a whole fresh start because... I also wanna optimize my way to that idea and see how viable it is from start to finish.

[@ElektelStar]

That's what I do too. I create a character with a "class" in mind and play trying to build it. Once I finish the game I retire the character as it is, its story is done. Then, if I want to play the game more, I just start a new character with a new class and backstory in mind and progress with that. Sure, my first run is as completionist as I can make it, but the fun of a new character is first of all trying to remember where the item i need for the build is and building its story without maybe exploring everything but only the bits that have some plot or lore tied to it. This way I also have to explore (and maybe find out things I missed previously) and fight through it because no matter how good I get at the game I'm still a weak squishy tarnished with a toothpick for a weapon

[@sheesh6193]

Idk I think elden ring is an amazing game and I’m a completionist type of player. But I also don’t run games back after completely beating them right away so I don’t end up getting bored with it. I can’t wait for the dlc to come back as I will fully beat the game with the dlc.

[@DrunkedOwly]

I think I actually was exploring more in my consequent playthroughs, maybe because I'm bad at finding stuff

[@tanisboyd7738]

I dont understand why theres a a criticism unique to elden ring in that knowing "the system" or understanding where the loot/stories in the world are, and why thats different than any other open world. I feel like the game mechanics exist as a souls-like, but should be compared moreso to other contemporary open world games

[@byronbush1986]

Think what would help the game is every new game you start, the items are changed. Obviously key items stay the same but weapon placement, spells, smithing stones etc change to make you want to explore once more to find the things you want.

[@hmmm5740]

randomizer mods exist you should def try them

[@kode-man23]

That was Sekiro for me. To this day it's the only FromSoft game that I haven't got the Platinum for. It was a good experience and a fun challenge, but my god am I glad that they went the complete opposite direction from it and made Elden Ring. I realized that the builds and exploration aspect, for me, are why I play those games. Also, I guess that when I start a new play through of ER, I always tell myself "okay, I'm going to do a ____ build, so I only need these things" and then 17 hours later I'm still wandering around Liurnia, collecting shit that I absolutely have no use for before realizing that I'm basically just doing another full play through. I just can't bring myself to rush through and skip things, even most catacombs and dungeons. I have over 600 hours in ER, so I guess that I just don't have the same viewpoint as you do here haha.

[@aliceinwonderland4395]

I actually had the exact opposite effect. I completely agree with you on the linear Souls games being much more fun because they forced you to engage with the game and its challenges, which is why I found my first time around in Elden Ring to be the worst experience I've ever had since Dark Souls 2. But, when I picked up to replay the game again 1 year later, knowing where everything was, it was the most fun I've ever had. The reason for this is because I had the tools to *forcibly make* the game *fun* for myself. By knowing what to do and where everything was, it made the process of build-making and preparing for upcoming fights wayyyyyy more interesting to me. I played as an archer/scout build, which essentially made me *want* to engage with the entire map and collect ingredients to craft arrows for my needs and upcoming occasions as I was going along. I fought every single boss in the game, even all the reskins I had complained about my first time around and I was actually having *fun* because I was meeting the challenge properly. My first playthrough made me extremely sour because of the strange difficulty balancing, the vast emptiness of the open world since I never crafted nor had incentive to and the many, many reskinned and recycled fights. But this 2nd playthrough changed my outlook in that I viewed this game and all these fights as tests for the build I was making - to test whether I needed to make it stronger, iron out some kinks or to see whether I was already strong enough. That created an impressively fun feedback loop and greatly enhanced my positive criticism of the game. I genuinely believe this is the only game compared to all the others that is MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE when you know everything.

[@Assassin21BEKA]

Glad that it was the case for you. But its quite unusual situation anyway. For most people the first playthrough is this magical thing where you don't know where you are going and what you will find.

[@aliceinwonderland4395]

@@Assassin21BEKA I'm very tired of open worlds and Elden Ring's was really bad to me (still is). So that explains why I found Souls magical but not Elden Ring.

[@richardeikelenboom5097]

The biggest disappointment for me when I found out I could kill all the merchants and just by what I need from the twins in the main tower of the game. That kind of hinted at being able to run through everything like you mentioned. 15:57

[@ashish_sunny]

this was beautiful to watch. your poetic narration and the gameplay is gem

[@andrewpowell3723]

I see the point of not having to do much to reach an end game screen, but aren’t people choosing to play the game that way? I have hundreds of hours in the game, in part due to new play throughs. With those new games, the goal was never to just beat the game, it was to endure the journey. I would choose to do most of the optional content since that’s what I valued in the game. I think it’s awesome there’s freedom to choose to do a power fantasy or run through the game as quickly as possible. I don’t do that, but all the power and freedom to those who do.

[@dragons_advocate]

I feel somewhat similar about replaying Elden Ring, but seem to have a different perspective than you do. I don't need, or sometimes even want, games to be neverending. Elden Ring kept me entertained for 150 hours, and that was only my first playthrough. Many hours more later, I don't have immediate desire to go back and play it again. But I will forever fondly remember the time I did! And for that experience, I am grateful.

[@collinhalverson4681]

Personally, I did not remember where everything was on my second NG playthrough, so I can't really say I relate. For NG+, however, I can. There's no real reason to stop for stuff on NG+ playthroughs, turning the game into you just doing the stuff you want to do. During NG, you have to explore to get experience and items. Despite me being incredibly thorough on my first playthrough, there were still new things I was discovering on my second and even third playthroughs. But also, I play Dark Souls NG+ mostly the same as this game, so idk if this is a particular problem to ER. I'd recommend using Torrent less. The "system" fades away more as you're actually forced to deal with what's in front of you. I feel like Torrent's existence is 50% of the reason the "system" is allowed to exist. If you cut it out, then you have a true open world Souls game. I think Torrent is vital for covering long distances and a first playthrough, but on future ones, I try to use him less.

[@brightnight8831]

0:55 i'm really confused. what armor is that.

[@arobotarmy9878]

I still did everything on my second run. Having a completely different build to progress from the beginning was different enough to keep it enjoyable the second time.

[@Andresdha]

I actually feel like precisely this was a good twist on the souls formula. Yes, sacrificing replayability but in return giving you one of the most mid blowing blind first playthroughs you’ll ever have in a game.

[@IAreHungryman]

I don't have to engage with the open world, but I want to. I don't want to be efficient, I want to experience the game with new perspective for the 3rd time.

[@VeritabIlIti]

Your comment towards the end echoes my thoughts perfectly: it's okay that the game doesn't deliver the same experience beyond the first playthrough. There's this sentiment I see with a lot of people nowadays that seems to tie playtime and replay value to the overall experience of a game, and it's true that some devs deliberately design their games for multiple playthroughs. But expecting Elden Ring to bend that knee just because other Soulsborne games did feels more like unfair expectations instead of accepting what the game is. It's like ordering a buffet and being disappointed that it doesn't have one really good steak from another spot: the game has its own merits, merits that few other pieces of art have ever touched for me. It's fascinating seeing FromSoft go from Sekiro to this: Sekiro said "this is the way you win, period" while Elden Ring opens a breadth of possibilities. I think that dichotomy demonstrates the overall capabilities of the studio quite well. The comparative lack of replay value also, as you mentioned, allows repeat players to trim the fat: there's lots to do, and not all of it is perfect. Compared to many other games that people recall fondly but then return to and find they forgot some big annoyances, Elden Ring offers the opportunity to tailor your experience. It's very different from the other Soulsborne games, but I don't think that's a bad thing.

[@Assassin21BEKA]

It may be 1 time experience, but this one experience is such amazing, that it will be forever with you. I feel like i need to have like 3-5 years without it in order to have this magic again.

[@Jaeno311]

This is the best game ever made.

[@ietsbram]

Than you havent been playing the right games

[@Jaeno311]

@Unreal Expectations I think you mean "then" and this is the best game ever made. Bye

[@wbuzash]

Bloodborne > Elden Ring

[@zooka0619]

it’s great but play more games dude

[@Jaeno311]

@@zooka0619 who says I don't

[@SharpesRifle]

After completing it the 1st time, I don't remember where everything is, you must be looking up guides on where to find ect. There is so much, no one after 1 run will know where everything is

[@TheNewblade1]

This video hits different if u keep capitalist realism in mind. I just mean most ppl don't realize how they're perception limits they're understanding.

[@opethmike]

their* perception

[@robe1111]

I played it again after a year and I had no clue where stuff was. I’m also not good enough to skip a lot because I’d be under leveled so I still had to go do things on the side. I was thinking that I would be bored of it coming back because it wouldn’t have the fun of being new but I had almost as much fun as my first play through

[@orionofvolga]

I agree the Elden Ring experience is meant to be felt the first time around, after that the thing I do to make it interesting is just to see how fast and low level I can take down the bosses each succession.

[@itszaque]

One thing that helped me with replay ability was taking advantage of ng+ more than ever. Spending the time exploring EVERYTHING on one run has made consecutive runs more fun because the challenge is there in ng+. It becomes more like a DS3 experience where you only have to fight through the main progression with new builds each cycle.

[@itszaque]

I still don’t necessarily think the replay ability is better than DS3, but the build and spell variety is definitely a plus. Messing around with sleep, with certain schools of magic and unique talismans make the replay ability at least have a unique feel. While DS3 is overall more rewarding to replay imo, Elden Ring can offer more options for builds than any other fromsoft game.

[@registereduser]

Is there any point on getting the PS4 version, or should I wait til I get a PS5?

[@gamenshorts]

I agree this was a memorable experience, my cousin in the Bahamas and friends in Florida did the co-op and we stayed up all night leveling up and laughing

[@Sirindilable]

It's like you intentionally avoided your adventure. And you self aware at the same time. Do not be a speedrunner. Just take your time and play without using the knowledge you got. If it so hard. use item randomizer mod. Easy.

[@CHMgamemedic777]

I would give anything for experiencing this game again for the first time

[@Hihi6789sfvvdsc]

On my 9th run now and by now I obviously stopped exploring, yet I still every now and then find something new. And testing new builds for each run is so much fun and always feel like a different game.

[@art7104]

Nah, I’m on my 5th time beating the game and still having a blast

[@Luxius1509]

bought since launch, literally still playing it almost daily atleast 30mins ~ 1 hour aday

[@ArleniaSery]

I have 1000 hours in the game. It is even better. The bosses are phenomenal. I'm still finding out new things.

[@geroffmilan3328]

I put almost 350hrs into my first playthrough. There can't be a thing I haven't seen that I cared about. And that's it. I started NG+ but lost interest before I even got to Raya Lucaria, because I had already experienced everything I wanted to. This game deserves to be considered amongst the GOATs, but - like some movies or books - a re-run carries very little value for the person who didn't rush the first time through.

[@Alienoiable]

So this video is just taking your personal experience and talking about it like it applies to most people when it really, really doesn't.

[@MaidenlessScrub]

I've replayed Elden Ring 8 times. 8 TIMES while I never looked at any other single player game again once I'm done with 1 playthrough with some exception like Sekiro (2 times) and Withcer 3 (1 time). So the replayability value is a very subjective opinion.

[@Alex-K94]

Well said. I'm on my third run. You could put some of his points on other games or Fromsoft titles too. Hell. After beating DS1 for like the first 2 times. Every new run is the same grind. A new character is op in like 2 hours and I run through Anor Londo by hour 3. But I love it for that. I don't get the surprise of a boss having another phase in DS 2 or 3. I got my spells and weapon ready for that guy to get up again. ER is as replayable as every other game imo.

[@MaidenlessScrub]

@@Alex-K94 I wish ER has a boss rush like Sekiro so I can hand my own ass to Malenia whenever I turn the game on

[@moonrabbit2334]

Let me give you my perspective on a comparison of replayability between ds3 and ER. For me I literally can't play anything other than high poise UGS weilding character so there's no variation I can do differently in second playthrough as a UGS weilding character. But in ER I can Do so much differently second time around based on just one aow. In my first playthrough I used Collosal swords then turned to jump attack focused powerstancing Collosal swords. In my second playthrough I used braggard roar focused on charged attacks+ bleed build(three times faster bleed buildup in charged attacks I think). It's a niche build of 50 str and 40 arc with 150 bleed stat but due to it changed attack poise (only huge enemies and jump attacks cancels it) and low stance of charging, most enemy attacks will go overhead or get staggered while charging into them. For example I fought Mohg and his attacks were going overhead I was like WHAT. So you see how different the style of replayability for me is so much better in ER.

[@vowish5319]

Back in the days where games were made really good, we were satisfied having one truly good playthrough, or a couple hundred hours. Personally I did everything my first playthrough and it took around 200 hours, thats well the price. I think people are too used to the ‘ live service ‘ games now that release unfinished and give promises of endless updates and content..

[@mori4785]

You should’ve also mentioned your feelings on playing through again in anticipation for the DLC, I think that brings an entirely different perspective

[@Travar1410]

It is you... and it is me.. It's each, individual experience, that we all had, differently.. Not many people that have played this.. would not say, that this game is the top, 5?10? Games that they have ever played imo.

[@tomekkruk6147]

I guess each individual experience differs, but for me Elden Ring has so much replay value that it's unbelievable!

[@Ventus_S]

Did you try other From entries before? just curious.

[@FirstLast-yc9lq]

@@Ventus_S I've played them all - Bloodborne lacks build variety, Sekiro has little to no replay value, Dark Souls 3 is a real chore until the second half. The only one I play as much as Elden Ring is Dark Souls 1. This idea that "shorter = better" is just a stupid starting point.

[@tomekkruk6147]

@@Ventus_S DS3. I was not a fan of the genre, but somehow Elden Ring kind ofsucks me back in.

[@LennyNW]

@@FirstLast-yc9lq sekiro has the most replay value out of them all imo since the combat is amazing, elden ring has the least replay value to me.

[@SensitiveShellCollector]

I was playing this after a brutal break up. never finished it and haven’t really played any games sense. in a way better place in life now.

[@SoulsNThings]

This critique is fair but I see it differently. I've played the game 4 times now and yes the sense of discovery as far as the world is less impactful, but the huge variety of builds keeps me going. I don't really like to change my build during a play through as I'm playing a character with a theme so I guess it comes down to if a player is willing to reroll their stats or not.

[@joyless95]

I feel that repeat playthroughs are for the people that build craft and then pvp religiously but that first playthrough is for everyone it’s an amazing experience

[@Ghorda9]

you're forgetting people that like fighting bosses with different builds and challenges.

[@joyless95]

@@Ghorda9 that’s another good point challenge runs are super cool as well