I Doubt You Could Even Imagine It | Elden Ring REVIEW

Elden Ring is one of the most special games I've played in years.
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TWOOTER: @ArloStuff
BOOKFACE: ArloStuff
"Reloaded Installer #11" by LHS.
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[@TROBassGuitar]

Didn't expect arlo to be my first review on elden ring I'd watch

[@Mojavekight17]

No way

[@JonCom3dy]

I know right lol

[@WilkinsYTP]

@☁️Cloud☁️ Shut up

[@BornT0Ace]

Me neither but a welcome change

[@slovakthrowback3738]

same

[@BobaVett]

I have to admit, I’m really REALLY happy I gave Sekiro a try. I skipped every souls game up to that one. Once I beat Sekiro, I went back and played their entire catalogue and now they are among my favorite titles of all time. The hype for this is unmeasurable.

[@MA-go7ee]

IMO Sekiro has pretty near the best combat system in any action game ever. Not only is it satisfying, it *looks* so goddamn cool that i could just watch someone playing it and be thoroughly entertained.

[@BobaVett]

@@MA-go7ee oh abso-fuckin-lutely. That game BLEW my mind. Going into it, I literally had never played a Fromsoft title. So I had no idea what I was getting into. My god is it brilliant. It’s all I needed to realize that I was a damn fool for skipping their previous offerings.

[@Shinegamikira]

I am so happy to hear how people got into the "souls" games, It is the only games that gives me that spesial feeling of wonder

[@BobaVett]

@@Shinegamikira me too. The feeling I got when playing all of them for the first time, and overcoming the challenges that I faced for the first time, is something I feel everyone should experience. ESPECIALLY that sense of wonder. That dark, treacherous wonder that no other game has captured I think. I preach the “souls” word to everyone whom will listen, all because I took a chance on a game, and pushed through the difficulty ceiling because the gameplay and world was so interesting and unlike anything I had seen.

[@Shinegamikira]

@@BobaVett I feel you, perfectly said!

[@breadleywheatler9242]

1:04 "I've explored most of the map, dozens of hours". I truly think Arlo found 2 or 3 or 4 map pieces and was like "ahh that's most of the map". I bet he's still getting map pieces, and It's now hundreds of hrs.

[@TheDamnWinner]

The world also has tons of HUGE dungeons and secret areas literally within secret areas. The depth of this game is actually astonishing

[@spyrojoe4721]

yeah just when you think you uncovered the whole map there is more, and it happened more than once for me, and then absolutely im sure i have still missed so many things within each area it truly is impressive, i can see myself coming back to this gem time n time again and never having the same adventure twice

[@charliehustle420247]

I love that feeling like omg this MUST be the final boss. Nope still 45 bosses to go.

[@cloudshad0ws]

When I was exploring an underground area and found a map piece for that area and realized that there was an entire layer BENEATH the main map that has it's own map.... blew my mind. ~130 hours in (though admittedly I am taking my time exploring) and I'm still not sure how big this game is. Insane.

[@lewispooper3138]

How do you feel about this L opinion now?

[@DonovanGG__]

Game is good, 7/10

[@mattgerlach744]

Me looking under every bridge: "Arlo promised there would be something under here."

[@anything6036]

holy shit you found a sex bot under the bridge! Congrats!

[@PsychoDiesel48]

That's me without encouragement! I explore the shit out of any environment I'm given! XD

[@jmccain22090]

@@anything6036 them Sirens might turn you into a Horny toad.

[@Aurjelling]

"Try mushroom, then incredible visions ahead"

[@CaptainAugust]

I just found a sick like ghost assassin armor set on a body under a bridge lol

[@ghostmutton]

The boss run-backs you mentioned have really started being a thing of the past. Since DS3, they've been much more generous than the slogs of past games. In Sekiro, I struggle to remember a boss that wasn't right next to a spawn point.

[@RizalBoon]

Yeah I remember in DS1 some bosses are a pain to get back to for a rematch.

[@KimeriX]

Having flashbacks of both smelter demons...

[@stevenn1940]

I don't remember any/many in DS3 that had a long return. I mean, maybe one or two, but thay"s about it

[@parchmentengineer8169]

I've really wanted to enjoy Bloodborne, but the boss runbacks are really killing it for me. Having to spend 4 minutes each death farming back up blood vessels and potentially getting killed and losing your echoes in the arena is not fun. Extremely excited to not have to deal with that in two days.

[@joelmichaelviado1226]

Imagine having only 2 check points per map. Good times.

[@greatestcait]

Miyazaki once said in an interview that the central goal of the design philosophy in these games is to make the feeling of trying over and over again fun in itself.

[@eldonhill4840]

That and that beautiful story he told about being stuck in a blizzard watching people help each other push their cars uphill and thinking "I want to make a game that makes people need to help each other like that"

[@LocrianDorian]

Trying to beat a challenge along with failing a few times should always be fun in video games. Don't mind the fact that most mainstream games have basically abandoned the idea that you can actually fail. If you do fail, this only makes the accomplishment feel better at the end.

[@saintsalieri]

But they are full of design decisions that do precisely the opposite, from far away checkpoints to needlessly strong enemies to losing currency or making the game harder every time you die. Celeste is an example of a game that makes trying over and over again fun.

[@ForestWicker]

@@saintsalieri everything you said has been alleviated by the design choices made in Elden ring except losing currency on death, but the best fix is just use your currency to level or purchase items more frequently versus stockpiling.

[@saintsalieri]

@@ForestWicker Yeah, Elden Ring looks a bit better. But still a pretty lifeless world lacking in versimilitude or any activity beyond hitting stuff. I'm slightly interested by it but I won't buy it until it's at most $20.

[@Zulfrak]

Arlo: "Game is easier than DS but still a hard game" Also Arlo: "I died to the first Kirby Boss"

[@LARAUJO_0]

Almost died*

[@jac1207]

I think FROM stuck a good balance (outside of abusing some specific playstyles and equipment), in that even if you're over-leveled, you'll still die very easily if you just throw yourself into a bunch of trash mob enemies, can still be combo'd into oblivion, and certain boss characters can still take you out if you fight them without paying attention. Obviously the balance to that is you can take out bosses much faster with high level weapons and stats, but you'd still need to engage some attention vs. other games where you'd just mindlessly mash a button if you're very overleveled.

[@courtney7681]

the first boss tbh would be a bit difficult if your not used to kirby, which he was not

[@davingoodman871]

@@jac1207 that sounds fantastic to me

[@tanzolo4487]

I play fighting games competitively. Against people who do it for a living. Considerably harder than any fromsoft game i’ve played to date. I sometimes die playing kirby. No shame in that

[@nicholasmacdonald4925]

hearing arlo talk about this game just makes me want play it even more

[@umanitalks]

Same, I want to dive into this but unsure what class, part of me wants to go wretch so I could have a somewhat balance and get to make my build the way I want rags to riches anime style. You know what class you want to mess with yet?

[@L4Disillusion]

Yeah

[@sparkypack]

On Switch2 in 2025

[@ghostsinthesnow_makes_music]

if only i had a system to play it on 😭

[@charliehustle420247]

Me too and I've played it....ALOT!

[@jertlemiah]

I'd love seeing some more non-Nintendo game reviews on the channel from time to time!

[@taylorallred6208]

The boss run-back thing really resonated with me. I will happily do a boss fight 1000 times as long as I can just start right over with it when I die.

[@dirojsnimons6896]

Me and Orphan of Kos agree. If that boss had a runback like smelter demon i wouldn’t have done it. Period.

[@yourehereforthatarentyou]

@@dirojsnimons6896 you know there’s an elevator that leads right to orphan don’t you? orphans run is a stroll through beverly hills compared to martyr logarius edit: wait nevermind i misunderstood what you meant. disregard. (i’ve never played whatever game smelter demon is from)

[@strangegreenthing]

@@yourehereforthatarentyou Ds2, the runbacks in that game are a big part of what ruined it for me.

[@7RicolmE7]

This was changed since DS3. This isn't really a new feature....

[@sonymicronin]

Elden ring is going to give me the 2 biggest things that I personally felt were missing from BotW and what I desired more of while playing… Deeper combat and larger variety of unique and difficult enemies and then more Large and intricate structures and caves.

[@ryubayani1729]

I believe botw is designed for younger audience thats why the combat system is lacking. But yeah I fully agree with you.

[@Gamxin]

@Ryu Bayani I grew up with Twilight Princess and mastered the combat system. It was way more intricate but you could still just hack and slash if you really wanted to for the most part so I don't see why they went away from that. That also doesn't explain Skyward Sword's combat, which I found pretty cool, but pissed me off as a kid since each enemy continuously changed the angle you needed to hit at to even damage it.

[@MrBballer567]

Also rewards for exploring. No brittle weapons that break 10 seconds later or lame 300 rupee rewards for a boring side quest

[@azrazelhananto]

@@ryubayani1729 I feel like it's more about the enemy variety that's pretty lacking in botw, I haven't gone to a point in elden ring where I'm not surprised at the new wacky enemies/bosses. I felt like I realized the forms of most enemies after only 10 hours in botw

[@ictogon]

@@MrBballer567 300 rupees if you're lucky...

[@jobo8868]

You know Arlo loves elden ring when he starts the video speaking the ancient tongue 😅

[@sjk8495]

And when he compares it favorably to BOTW!

[@cybunny25]

@Scarlet Spider it's the Breath of the Wild of Souls games

[@sjk8495]

@@cybunny25 Arlo's not the only one! Others noted that as well!

[@iamsancho443]

Never seen Arlo before, when he started talking i was like fuck this

[@thewicked1862]

IKR Who doesn’t walk around their house imitating NPCs from all the souls games

[@hobosorcerer]

This review excites me a lot more than those of some more seasoned souls veterans, because it tells me that there will be plenty of new players to experience what we've enjoyed from the series in a more accessible form. Cheers to you, Arlo.

[@pokepwned]

As someone who’s never played a Soulsborne game, I always thought they looked super cool but not quite cool enough to ever move to the top of my backlog queue. This game, on the other hand, looks absolutely incredible and I’ll be picking up and playing it asap. Hopefully this will be the launching point for me to play all the Soulsborne games!

[@dirojsnimons6896]

@@pokepwned definitely try Bloodborne i know it might seem unappealing at first because everything’s ugly and dark but trust me. Once get used to the combat and get used to the system’s you’ll have the best feeling of any game imo. Bloodborne has it all tbh, satisfying gameplay, fascinating lore, beautifull vista’s and amazing level design. Mb for the paragraph but i recently just played through it and i hope other people might experience this beautiful game aswell.

[@pokepwned]

@@dirojsnimons6896 I don’t think Bloodborne looks unappealing at all, the dark atmosphere and challenging gameplay look super cool. I’ve just always had games in my backlog that I prioritized over it. I just meant that Elden Ring is the first Soulsborne game that I’m prioritizing over the rest of my backlog. Trust me, if I enjoy Elden Ring as much as I think I will then Bloodborne is probably next in line.

[@jostafro4967]

Agreed. Never played a souls game but this looked really cool. My friend told me not to buy it because it is so hard I would just rage quit, but after this review I think I'll give it a go

[@dominohurley2552]

After watching this I'm in. This looks like everything I like about BOTW and more. My biggest worry was it becoming a soul crushing slog. Something magical about this game that sucking me in!

[@OmahaGTP]

Great review. I’m 80 hours in and still coming across what looks like a tiny area and then 8 hours later trying to remember what I set out to do in the first place.

[@MarkKoschwitz]

Man... this is by far the best review I've seen of the game. I think I've seen your reviews on some Switch games, but there's really just a lighthearted fun style you have that is awesome. This video gave me everything I needed to know and you putting in your own background on FromSoftware's games made it enjoyable because it let me relate to you easier. Faaaantastic review. Thank you.

[@animeadict17]

When I woke up this morning I did not expect Arlo to be the first Elden Ring Review I would see. Thank you so so much Arlo for your non spoiler video! I am going in completely blind to this game and was worried I would be disappointed some how. But you did an excellent job giving good information and not spoiling anything. I will retreat into my hole now and avoid all social media.

[@Erifire]

Ditto

[@TheTbrandon]

In some ways Arlo's review of this game is the one I was most interested in, because Arlo reflects the views of someone who isn't a avid Souls fan. He represent the more casual fan and the fans that have yet to be made.

[@glungusgongus]

Dark Souls is literally on his best games of the decade list

[@TheTbrandon]

@@glungusgongus that's pretty recent though. And he self describes himself as a casual Soulsborne fan.

[@glungusgongus]

A casual plan who played the game before most others on the planet and who wrote 5+ pages of script

[@TheTbrandon]

@@glungusgongus yup. Lucky him

[@The_Court_Poet]

Elden ring is my first souls game and everything you’ve said is pretty much how I’ve been feeling about the game so far. I don’t know how I’m going to enjoy other games as much going forward. I get the feeling that other games are gonna feel like they’re just not enough after the massive euphoria that Elden ring brings me.

[@billbadson7598]

14:52 _”…almost TOO many (sites of grace). You’re trying to go through a scary area and you’re like, ANOTHER one? Come on!”_ I know with 100% certainty this man has been to Caelid.

[@TheNastyNord]

Arlo- "The single most beautiful game I've ever played" I can't f***in wait!!! Also said, "Elden Ring is one of the best games I've ever played." Hearing this, knowing that you only played Dark Souls... the anticipation is out of control!

[@fregatopolitis]

@@Fifth313ment Wrong video mate

[@xRickAstleyx]

@@Fifth313ment why are you having a tantrum about a different game entirely?

[@Blue-fg8vt]

@@xRickAstleyx feels like a bot

[@Moshugaani]

I wish Breath of the Wild did mini-dungeons in the same way as Elden Ring! It's so much more satisfying and intriguing to find one that's integrated naturally in the world like they are in Elden Ring instead of the same looking shrine entrances in BotW (finding the shrines is still very fun in BotW). And the different kinds of dungeons are also better than the shrines that all use the same visual design.

[@fruit4evr]

I loved the design of the shrines but it got old eventually with everything having the same look

[@dog8438]

I loved BoTW shrines, but I still totally agree about mini dungeons

[@the1upmario]

Yeah the shrine’s felt like game rooms and not part of the world.

[@tomgu2285]

True.

[@Terranigma23]

Same, and I hope that botw2 will have a lot more of enemy variety. The cast of enemy in botw1 was quite poor,

[@tni333]

It's too bad the game has one giant flaw: Your shield and weapon still clip through your cape! How am I supposed to win Style Souls when that happens! >:( j/k, the game is the best I've ever played

[@padraig548]

Fashion souls demands you optimize based on aesthetics. If you clip, your failing! Find a kit that works with your armor or change it. Jeeze. Sarcasm, by the way. Xp.

[@joelwilcox5424]

@@padraig548 *Elden Bling

[@pacerboy1711]

I spent almost an hour create a pretty girl warrior to put her a bikini

[@jamievaughn1485]

Don’t forget enemies still being able to hit you through floors and walls. Was really hoping they fixed this but nope. I assume at this point it might be there on purpose lol.

[@bartholomewthundercatiii3484]

@@jamievaughn1485 I thought it was intentional. Just kinda plays into the Souls’ series theme of “never let your guard down.”

[@jonathanlee726]

Just finished watching Arlo’s review of Dark Souls, where he vented a lot of frustrations with the design. Now hearing him gushing over Elden Ring convinces me we Souls fans are victims of mass delusion and Stockholm Syndrome.

[@c3ru1ean41]

Or maybe the design improved?

[@nebula8893]

What? He literally referenced his dark souls complaints and said the reason he is gushing over elden ring so much is simply because the game improves on everything he hated. It really is that simple

[@jonathanlee726]

Just to be clear, I am a big fan of Elden Ring, and yes, it absolutely improved on Dark Souls. I’m referring to the experience of getting into the series; the unforgiving difficulty made it very easy to see or perceive things as flaws when I started out, much like Arlo and his Dark Souls debut. Now that we’ve had more time with the series, we understand it better and and have come to appreciate the pain it deals out.

[@Godslayer5656]

To be fair, Arlo still really liked the game, and put it on a lot top 10 lists. He vented a lot, but he still loved the game, I still love DS1 and agree that the design of some bosses and run backs are just garbage.

[@The-Vitruvian-Man]

It's games like this that make it a must to own a console other than Switch.

[@Killjoy.Z]

There are like.... MANY games like that

[@reelbytes6447]

PC gang

[@j0nnyism]

Should be on all consoles imo

[@junaidhashim3106]

I have watched so many reviews of Elden Ring since it was released. But it was Arlo’s review that ultimately convinced me to buy the game when I finally got a PS5. Listening to someone who is not a Souls veteran so eloquently articulate why this game is so wondrous and fun gave me hope that I too would find enjoyment in it. This is SO not the type of game I typically play, but this review has me excited to jump in and just explore. Thanks Arlo!

[@jim_hawkins_blues]

Did you like it?

[@aedanroberts6822]

The only time in the game where I've felt "well this is just cheap and un-fun" are with those minotaur archers who shoot those giant magic arrows from miles away with perfect aim and a speed of light so you can't even sprint around to avoid it. It's genuinely stupid to be walking along and after seven different paths still getting taken out by arrows that come from seemingly nowhere with zero clue where the monsters are located. Other than that? Been having a blast.

[@WookieWarriorz]

just dodge, completely fair to me. I just dodge them.

[@claytopolis]

I agree. the railgun minotaurs are a bit much for a common enemy in areas. if it was one or two supporting weaker enemies, i wouldnt mind.

[@daisukegori2112]

@@WookieWarriorz No!

[@markrutte8711]

When I played The Legend of Zelda on the NES as a kid this is literally what I imagined as a kid.

[@j0nnyism]

Same here but my imagination isn’t as dark. I hope yours wasn’t either!

[@superfrankytien]

Congratulations on getting a review copy Arlo! Please understand it will be a while before I can watch this video, but just knowing that you were the first content creator who I saw put up a review makes my day a hundred fold!!! Everybody else we are SO close!!! Happy Elden Ring(ing)!!!

[@1BlueYoshi]

In the video Arlo says there are no spoilers at all, all the footage is from the earliest part of the game and he doesn't talk about any specifics of the late game, if that's what you were worried about

[@superfrankytien]

I actually don't want to see anything even from the beginning part of the game I've tried to avoid as much as I could. I want to go in as blind as I can so literally anything counts as a spoiler to me.

[@1BlueYoshi]

@@superfrankytien Ah ok fair enough

[@TheTabaK23]

No spoilers in the video. Definitely worth a watch

[@superfrankytien]

@@TheTabaK23 I have a different definition of spoilers compared to most. So even though, to most people (you included) this video is spoiler free, it isn't spoiler free to me. And I will most assuredly come to back to watch this review after I have completed my first few play throughs.

[@GreatGatzB]

2:17 Breath of the Wyldstyle? Emmet would LOVE that game!

[@katiethompson19]

👩‍🎤

[@Lee-km7qq]

Fromsoft outdid themselves with this game, and the open world setting really plays into their expert scaling. Now I'm even more excited for their Armored Core game after Elden Ring lol.

[@eltopo71]

I honestly just don’t understand the hype? Graphically it’s so far behind everything this generation, the controls are terrible the fighting it’s so old fashioned not to mention laggy. What really is so great here? Boss fights are all the same dodge, dodge, slash dodge. Although the design of the bosses are pretty good everything else poor. I am someone who loved Zelda, Witcher 3 and more recently AC Valhalla and I think to compare this to Zelda and Witcher is actually insulting and a disgrace! After putting about 10 hours of frustration, disappointment and no fun I have deleted and got my money back. I must be missing something but I would not recommend buying this game to anyone. Dated. Boring. Frustrating.

[@makecodgreatagain6049]

@@eltopo71 that’s really unfortunate, you’re missing the game of most gamer’s dreams.

[@shattermelon496]

​@@eltopo71this might be the worst comment I've ever read.

[@driftercarbon]

The way you talk about the fairness of boss fights and the good flow of combat makes me want to play this. I tend to stress out too much playing Souls games, and other really hard games, but I'm really starting to think this one might be one I can handle.

[@markabyss1200]

I've been playing since ds1 nearly 10 years ago. To this point I've played through every soulsborne game excluding Sekiro. This series is just... not quite like anything else I've ever played. I've tried other ones and the closest ones to it is stuff like Nioh. Despite that though, nothing has quite captured me as much as souls has. This is one of my most anticipated games in the last 10 years, barring only metroid dread (my favorite video game series). To be honest, I don't mind if the games get a little easier as long as the core experience is still there and it's fun throughout. I'm just happy that this is an experience we are finally gonna be able to play. Side note, I recommend all of you look into the creation of ds2 if you're interested. The original director that was removed halfway through development actually had a view of the game becoming a game very similar to elden ring. With the game being rushed and him not having a solid map laid out after a year or two, they scraped him. But they still had to find a way to connect the maps they'd already designed.

[@314Marvin]

Just want to add as another Souls fan, Sekiro is really amazing. I feel like it's rather slept on in the souls community but IMO that and DS3 had some of the most magical experiences I've had with the whole series.

[@poposterous236]

I didn't even WANT to like Dark Souls, I just started playing it because people said it was "hard". "Oh yeah? The NES was hard, this is an RPG. It won't be hard after I grind and level up." I used to be so naïve... The series does not disappoint. Only wish I got into it sooner when my buddy told me about Demon's Souls in 2010. It stands apart in the landscape of modern gaming and From Software absolutely deserves their reputation for delivering high quality games.

[@markabyss1200]

@@314Marvin I did give Sekiro a good shot and I did enjoy it, but my favorite thing about souls is exploration, and variety in builds. At least one of those doesn't exist in sekiro. Not fully anyway. It was fun, but didn't capture me.

[@PeterParker-jz8eo]

@@markabyss1200 Yeah the combat of Sekiro is definitely my favourite of any game ever, but I thought the exploration aspect is really great too, exploring a feudal Japan mixed with dark fantastical elements and giant creatures? Count me in!!

[@latima123ify]

@@314Marvin Sekiro has by far my favorite combat in fromsoft and maybe gaming. When you master it , feels like a beautiful dance.

[@HexanDecimal]

I didn’t expect you to do this review but I’m pretty happy you did. I value your opinion on things, since you tend to make valid points not just on game play but just on how fun something feels.

[@dominohurley2552]

Same here, always check out his reviews before buying a game. I love how picky he is about everything. You know this game must be fire, he only had like one criticism (so far).

[@CreativeSteve69]

Gotta admit it's been pretty fun watching Arlo talk about more games he enjoys outside of Nintendo stuff once in awhile. Just love hearing bout his excitement over games in general no matter the system. :)

[@GoddessCynthia]

Wow, I can't believe Hidetaka Miyazaki put Elden Ring on switch exclusively for Arlo!

[@fameswebb6439]

Lololol I’ve been waiting for Elden Ring reviews to pop up, and I never thought Arlo would have made one. Thanks bud

[@Fitzroy17]

You know you're a huge Arlo fan when you watch the review for a game you're not even interested in, just because you want to hear Arlo talk about it. What I'm really desperate to watch is his Metroid Dread review! Can't wait for that to come out!

[@glungusgongus]

Imagine not being interested in Elden Ring

[@bigpoopoo3336]

Please play this game please

[@blue_hero]

Yeh, I'm glad people are excited for it, but to me it seems a bit too gory and a little visually dull. Still, a lot of cool ideas from what I've seen.

[@BenjaminAnderson21]

@@glungusgongus Hey, not everyone enjoys games with gut-splattering death animations. It's sad when great games spoil themselves by being overly disturbing and/or profane.

[@glungusgongus]

@@BenjaminAnderson21 You're on an Elden Ring video.

[@SamAdamsDesigns]

you fully convinced me to buy this game and I love it. I was dead set against it and I *knew* I would hate it... I was wrong! Thank you for this review

[@ravio3943]

Hey Arlo, I just want to thank you for putting so much detail into your review and more importantly, having zero spoilers. Seriously, you have the best reviews out there. Thank you so much!

[@MrHylan333]

It's really crazy that for this entire video.....theres no cuts in the gameplay footage. just going from one place to the next and always something interesting

[@TransientWitch]

It happened an age ago, but when I recall I see it true. On a day of wint'ry storm, the review ban was lifted, and the youtubers began to post, starting with Arlo the Felted. And I was driven to the brink...The Reviewing ensued, a war that wrought only spoilers. The Elden Story was broken. But, by who? And why? What could reviewers ever hope to win by spoiling? The Conquerer of Lenses, Iron Pineapple, and the Blade of Dante, the Sphere Hunter. These two were the mightiest I have seen, and locked opinions in tandem. But there would be no victor. And so, we inhabit a hype-driven world, awaiting the coming of the Elden Ring...Unless, of course, some shouldst break street dates...

[@colbyboucher6391]

This comment deserves to be at the top

[@arthur78]

Love your reviews man! Thank you for keeping them as spoiler-free as possible

[@humanaesthetic]

I’ve really been enjoying all of these reviews and different takes on Elden ring; glad to see Arlo on it so early.

[@thewhistler6537]

As a Souls vet, I welcome the more accessible changes. I want my friends to play, I want more people to play. This is the way.

[@nanoff815]

I thought Dark Souls 3 was accessible enough.

[@thewhistler6537]

@@nanoff815 As did I, but many of my pals also hate the run to the boss, and the depressing aesthetic. I love it all, but I can't fault those who don't. Just excited to get my friends into a game I enjoy. Who knows, maybe when they're done with Elden Ring they'll be more willing to give previous fromsoftware titles a go.

[@cubablue602]

It's a balance but I feel the enemies in Elden Ring are a little TOO easy generally. Maybe +20% HP and more protection on obvious hardened enemies. The Limgrave Dragon for example is classified a GREAT ENEMY but even starting characters can take that thing down on horseback pretty easily. That doesn't feel right. Not at all. The nearby Tree Sentinel is far more challenging than the Limgrave Dragon. Enemies need rebalancing. More Margit type bosses and less weak giant enemies. Margit was a fantastic opening boss hurdle.

[@SquishyHo]

When my partner told me you had a review out, I was filled with joy for you because you got to get the game earlier and you got to play it earlier and I was just so happy for you. Thank you for sharing your love of games with us. It is contagious and beautiful 💜

[@zachary37]

Honestly the boss run backs are what made me quit the Souls games a few times. You die a ton of times to the same boss, and the actual fight is fun, but you just get tired of running back over and over...so I'm excited about that change!

[@thesnatcher3616]

Thank God Sekiro and Dark Souls 3 mostly got rid of those. But still, I never thought they were that big of an issue for the most part. Screw Lost Izalith as a whole tbh. The entire game's weak points shine at their absolute brightest in that hellish area. When Arlo mentioned Ds1's flaws, I am CERTAIN that he had that horrible horrible area in mind. Just a dirty filthy stain on an otherwise amazing game.

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

Agreeeed. I’m so surprised that any players whatsoever would defend it, given how utterly tedious and obviously badly designed that was

[@Bogan360dude]

Thanks for the great spoiler free review Arlo, hearing your thoughts on it has gotten me even more hyped without needing to see more than I wanted to before actually playing.

[@devindykstra]

I'll admit, I'm not normally a fan of the souls genre, but this one looks cool.

[@glungusgongus]

Theyre all cool.

[@TheTabaK23]

I didn’t think I would enjoy the difficulty either. Then i played sekiro and omg I’m hooked

[@glungusgongus]

@Neutral Frere what the fuck are you saying. Souls is an RPG not a roguelike

[@uajrh1]

@Neutral Frere these are RPGs

[@glungusgongus]

@Neutral Frere wrong

[@jumponeverything]

Very excited to watch this, wasn't expecting it from you but I'm very glad you have made it

[@seangriffey8669]

19:49 I have found that a lot of it comes down to knowing where the upgrade items are. Like in the other ones, I go out of my way to get all the upgrades I can at any point in time because I know where most of them are.

[@Daynger_Fox]

Arlo, you can equip your horse item in the pouch and just hold Y and hit a dpad direction to equip the horse. It saves having to click around the item menu. You can put something on every direction in the pouch. Try it out!

[@cr-nd8qh]

Just found out you can hold down on the dpad to get back to the first item

[@ICharlyl]

I feel like breath of the wild made a strong serve to Sony, horizon managed to respond and pass to elden ring, and elden ring freaking spiked it back to Nintendo's court. Let's see how they respond.

[@seanmorris1985]

Horizon came out before BOTW released. It’s sad horizon lost to BOTW back in 2017 with GOTY. But Nintendo have never been worried about what Sony or Microsoft do. And considering that BOTW2 is most likely near the end of completion I doubt it will top Elden Ring’s open world. But still super keen for this and BOTW2

[@dcta51]

@@seanmorris1985 i think it will at least match it and will start a whole debate on each game's style.

[@cloud9296]

I am glad you're getting a review out, even if it's not scripted Arlo!! I trust your opinion will always be honest, even if I won't always agree (usually I agree) and that's really valuable to me!!! You are one of the big reasons I've started getting into video games and I'm super happy you're going outside of Nintendo!!!

[@StarlinkNova]

Dang Arlo! I was already hyped for this but you just kicked it up a notch! Seriously looking forward to jumping in and exploring the magical world of Elden Ring.

[@MisterNorthernCanuck]

So good to have an honest review from someone who, like me, does not have that much FromSoft experience. Thank you!

[@painuchiha2694]

Hey arlo you should definitely do more unedited reviews to get these out faster The big Nintendo games should be edited but otherwise I really like this quick elden ring review Hopefully you do this more often

[@clownbaby5862]

He should do a quick review like this and then release a full scripted one

[@matthewcabagelover9993]

@@clownbaby5862 he kinda already does that with his first impressions

[@astraldragon01]

This is a great game that really hit the spot when you are flying along and suddenly you see a weird structure or enemy and you stop and ask yourself what do I do about that now. I love the game and I will be heading straight into newgame plus when I finish it just to play it again

[@lesbianmorgoth652]

As someone who started with DS2, and still considers it the best one of the four games I've played, I'm really excited about how much you enjoyed Elden Ring as someone who had only played DS1! So glad that both newcomers and veterans are really enjoying it :)

[@Armbrust210]

It's interesting to see this game and community develop, because it reminds me of the same evolution that Monster Hunter went through. A really dedicated but "small" community of fans that love these games above all else, is confronted with their series changing and getting more mainstream appeal in the process. Well, my Souls guys, i wish for you to get it better than we've had it with MHWorld 👍. As an outisider i can't know if this is what the Souls games needed, but if not, you can always wait for Elden Rise to improve the formula

[@raymonlandry228]

Souls games like this one became mainstream a long time ago.

[@juantsu2000]

1) MH World was a masterpiece. I don't know why you talk about it as if it was a disappointment. 2) Souls games are far from niche. They've been quite popular since Dark Souls 1.

[@MatyFattyDaddy]

It's strange because I started with World and adore it and think Rise pushed it too far into mainstream like you're saying World did. Gen U is great too. I do get what you mean about changing a game towards more appealing for more people vs making it more appealing for fans of the genre it's in.

[@colbyboucher6391]

@@MatyFattyDaddy Yeah, as a Souls fan I play Rise and I'm just like... everything's so trivial, what's the point? Meanwhile when I tried GenU I couldn't get past all the flour picking and egg carrying. Which sucks, because beyond that, I *guarantee* you I would have fallen in love with it by comparison.

[@MatyFattyDaddy]

@@colbyboucher6391 yeah Rise is fun but also now that Elden Ring is hitting a magical spot for me with environment and the level of difficulty I feel is perfect, I see why so many people prefer to DS games and MH games to be more difficult. Exploring is rewarding BECAUSE it's difficult to earn the view of a new area. For Gen U though I think you can get enough currency to bypass farming. I forget how but the game gave me like infinite currency.

[@sealink129]

Man, this game looks _SO_ gorgeous! 🥺 Just the landscape and visuals are so aesthetically pleasing with the textures and color palette and the enemies look fantastic! Like, I could just stare at the sky alone for hours!

[@MalzraAirwynn]

Honestly, the boss run backs were part of what made getting into Bloodborn hard for me. I'm good with a challenging boss that takes me several attempts to beat. But running through the same areas i already know how to handle doesn't make the game more challenging or engaging for me, it makes it tedious. It was the same with Metroid Dread, some people actually complained that the game put you right back near the boss or EMMI room when you died, but for me this is good, getting me right back into the action instead of slogging through areas I've already cleared helps me stay engaged with the actual challenge in front of me. If Eldin Ring is more generous with this, I may give this one a go.

[@ashencometmom5291]

the runback to fight martyr logarius again was probably the stupidest one i can remember

[@thesnatcher3616]

@@ashencometmom5291 I mean, it doesn't take THAT long. But you usually have to waste a bloodvial cause he can shave off 2/3s of your hp with just one projectile attack, and it'll instakill if you aren't at full hp. Still an awesome fight though.

[@AK46supr]

Short cuts, my friend

[@Daniel-do5gt]

I was on the fence about getting this Day 1, but you’ve convinced me I won’t be disappointed! Thanks, Arlo!

[@Killjoy.Z]

Arlo's delivery style just puts me in a good mood. The vibes.

[@a.3160]

It’s cringe

[@OfAndalu5]

Finally starting this giant adventure... Beyond excitement

[@HarrisBoe]

I feel bad for Horizon. The Horizon games are great, but both have been overshadowed by other open-world releases that happened around the same time. Zero Dawn had to compete against BotW, and now Forbidden West releases just before Elden Ring.

[@drnanard9605]

I mean, they're very different experiences and don't target the same audience.

[@notrenbanney2450]

I agree but the 1st game is probably one of the most popular games of the PS4 and the 2nd game is being reviewed mostly very well. I've been playing on PS5 and it has blown my mind

[@diegov1743]

Imagine Horizon 3 releases just before The Elder Scrolls 6

[@ArynBacklogDragon]

I find it hard to feel bad for any first party Sony game.

[@olizelda]

I just bought horizon and now I'm conflicted on buying elden ring cause I really don't have time for two massive open world games lmao

[@patrickmcgee8318]

To hear you gush about Elden Ring has gotten me even more pumped than I already am for it. Lol. Thank you for your enthusiasm!!

[@randomgeekstuff7078]

Thanks for this review Arlo, another great video!

[@tpspeed]

Speaking on the more large scale dungeons, i am in love with how intricate and still claustrophobic they are. The open world is amazing but it's great to see From Soft didn't forget to pack the places like Castle Morne with that original level of polish the other games have. Everywhere feels fleshed out, there's still that want to explore but that anxiety of what could be around the corner is still there too and it's amazing

[@lognacho]

I love when Arlo just enjoys so wholeheartedly a game, it makes me happy

[@RH1812]

Glad you had fun. Over the years I have moved to the side of the room where I think a lot of the second half of Dark Souls needed more time in the oven, but as the ‘start’ it’s great.

[@skoobs5382]

You genuinely make my day better Arlo❤️

[@jaybosher6144]

The fact that arlo reviewed elden ring g should be enough to say this is an amazing game

[@riftshredder5438]

It's funny because open world games were originally being compared to Skyrim, now they are being compared to Breath of the Wild lol

[@sidnew2739]

Rightfully so.

[@afinetap]

I genuinely appreciate this review. Never played a Souls game (I have Jedi Fallen Order, Sekiro, and DS3 in my backlog tho), but this review pushed me over the edge and I LOVE that you said it was accessible to newcomers that's like the biggest thing for me. I feel we're very similar in the fact that we're mostly nintendo guys and the fact you enjoyed it is very encouraging. thank you!

[@delsinrowe6826]

NIce Voice acting on My friendly neighbourhood! Was so surprised to see you there!

[@JoeFilms5420]

I’m trying to go into this game completely and totally blind, so I’m gonna wait to watch this until I’ve already played the opening. But it’s great to see everyone enjoying it so much!

[@Kale13000]

In regards to Dark Souls feeling like some of the design is questionably, you're absolutely right. Dark Souls is good but there's a reason it's known as the "flawed masterpiece." Some of the enemy design is more frustrating and annoying. From Soft has been refining that a lot. Bloodborne made the boss design much better and encouraged aggression more. From what I'm hearing, it sounds like Elden Ring is going to be closer to Bloodborne's combat style

[@greenninja9330]

I herd its close to ds3

[@thelegendarycrow2883]

Micolash has to be the most stupid boss in any from software game

[@fluffytheostrich3878]

From what I've played so far, elden ring doesn't feel as refined as blood borne. Definitely more like dark souls, which is a bit of a bummer, as I was hoping it would be more tightly designed than it is.

[@thelegendarycrow2883]

@@fluffytheostrich3878 yeah bloodborne combat is the best in the series honestly

[@Violentlypassive]

I wouldn’t say its bloodborne combat style so far, Its a little of everything. The emphasis on breaking the poise of enemies, feels very sekiro and things line the gaurd counter have a bloodborne aggressiveness to it. At the same time, its way more slow and deliberate in the combat which is closer to dark souls. It really feels like ds3 with all the best things from other games and new things that are just from this game that are also better

[@benthomson1132]

I needed this today, thank you Arlo.

[@rafaelgarcia4747]

Arlo. The only review I need to watch for this game!

[@Zyckro]

Such a unique perspective! Thank you Arlo! Love your stuff! I suspect some of your points (like boss runbacks and health bars) are fixes introduced in the more recent games in the series. Bloodborne. Dark Souls III. You would probably say the same thing about these, so you should play them some day in the future! Nonetheless, super excited to get my hands on ELDEN RING!!!

[@Neon_Plasma]

Nah boss health and run backs remained in those games. Though the former might be because Alro hasn't beaten Elden Ring yet where I am sure endgame bosses have more health.

[@masterkdude7134]

All of the games are amazing, definitely give them all a shot. Some of my favorite games of ALL TIME. Dark Souls 3, Sekiro, and Bloodborne are all super fun mixes to the formula.

[@StevesgamingWorld]

First time I’ve come across your channel and thank you for sharing your thoughts and enthusiasm for this game. You have a new subscriber!

[@zincpodzzz]

16:45 Oh my gosh the music building up and up right here when he’s saying how beautiful the game is make this perfect!😂

[@GrayDisciple]

Dude... I'm so glad you reviewed this game for us Arlo! I know I can trust you not to ruin something fun to discover!

[@chainclaw07]

THIS sounds like the ultimate hype video - for players on the fence about playing a fromsoft game for the first time.

[@agustinusrangel2575]

True for me

[@itsdaelis2554]

my favorite reviewer has made a review to a game I’m gonna start playing in a few days. Now I’m happy :D

[@mortaldragon2]

Arlo my man!! Thank you for reviewing this!! I'm just like you. I hated the run backs in the other from software games. I'm glad to know they fix that. I'm sold for buying this game thanks to your review!!

[@NoDakExpress]

Great video Arlo, I’m excited about it being a bit more approachable (some would say ‘easier’, but I’d say less absurd)

[@coloryournight]

None of the dark souls games were absurd tbh

[@Malisteen]

Less opaque, certainly. A big part of the frustration of earlier souls games is just how unclear they are about what you're supposed to do & what the mechanics are. The games get much less 'difficult' once you know what you're doing. If Elden Ring conveys that stuff better then it's going to feel much easier for new players.

[@totallyrealcia]

@@coloryournight DS2 got a little absurd to be fair

[@daniellaniganohara2456]

@@Malisteen yeah Elden Ring has tutorials for the mechanics, but theres hardly any direction, which is part of the fun

[@thajocoth]

I haven't tried anything in the Soulsborne genre at this point. One thing I love about Metroidvanias, Zeldas, Pikmin, etc... is the exploration of those worlds, the search for hidden things, the nonlinearity without going all the way to open world (it's a delicate balance), puzzles to solve to progress, etc... These are my favorite parts of any game that has them... But never is the combat a highlight for me. The games that I enjoy have enough of what I enjoy in games for me to play *despite* their combat. Combat isn't particularly interesting to me in games, just in general. It's not a skill thing either, as I can be great at a game's combat (as long as they don't overdo it button combos), but will still find those combats to be repetitive and uninteresting. As far as I'm aware, Soulsborne game rely most heavily on their combats, but also do quite well in the things that I enjoy in games... It makes it a difficult genre to consider, but also a difficult genre to dismiss entirely.

[@Henry-jl1xt]

Im not sure how far exactly your aversion to combat goes, but if you think there is any chance you might enjoy actual „good“ combat, you should at least give elden ring a chance - its simply the best at it. looking at 95% of all games, i understand your point. Clearing the 50th enemy camp in far cry, or hacknslashing your way through something like devil may cry or even the witcher can be so tedious. But trust me, the souls games are not in those 95%.

[@saintsalieri]

I am similar to you (combat is never the best part of a game to me) and I can say you won't like them. They are the same sort of "deliberate" marshmallow test combat where you memorize enemy attack animations and then chip away at them. And aesthetically the games are pretty cringe (kind of an edgy teenager's sketch notebook of dark gothic stuff), while narratively they are opaque/laughable. You have to like the combat or there's nothing for your in Souls games. Elden Ring might be a new exception with the open world.

[@Ray03595]

agree. I play turn-based rpg's for battles. open worlds, i care about exploring, and i dont really mind a simplistic battle system. I just want a fun battle system. Dying 100 times to beat one enemy just isn't my idea of fun. And even i beat it the 100th time i'd be more relieved/annoyed, than accomplished. Idk, I just play games to chill. I don't really need that big of a combat challenge in them. I do like a good puzzle challenge much more tho. I love it when game designers outsmart the player.

[@saintsalieri]

@@Ray03595 Sometimes people talk about Dark Souls as if they are uniquely skillful games. I dunno, it looks like taking the marshmallow test over and over again. How many animation cycles can I bear to roll out of the way before striking? When I die, how many times can I keep coming back until I beat this? Meanwhile I play challenging platformers and racing games that are all gameplay, all the time. I also like roguelites with simpler battle systems but the appeal is instead reading the situation, making judgment calls, and so on. I always feel I am getting better, and only rarely are they openly a test of my patience. Or turn based games like Octopath Traveler or Divinity Original Sin can have pretty difficult battles in them, but they are about using your wits and creativity, not memorizing a pattern and delaying gratification.

[@colbyboucher6391]

@@saintsalieri OK, platformers, when do I need to jump? Oop, I died, did it wrong, do it over again until you get it right. It's a marshmellow test too, the only games that aren't are multiplayer.

[@markstollery5362]

Wonderful review. Arlo you are the best. Keep up the good work.

[@Dash123456789Brawl]

Wow, I’ve been a big fan of Ricki the Sock for years, so it’s really cool to see he’s started a gaming KZbin channel!! Loved the video!

[@sonichedge80]

Elden ring is how my Nintendo fanatic buddy hyped up breath of the wild to me years ago, unknowingly dampening the experience for me. I love botw but I’m glad those expectations were finally lived up to.

[@CitrusArchitect]

Wow, don’t think I’ve heard Arlo gush this much since bug fables!

[@TKM20XX]

I have been anticipating this video every since arlo announced that he has given dark souls 1 a try and his followup video about looking forward to elden ring. It's so exciting to hear how much he is enjoying the game, I hope down the line when everyone's able to dive in for themselves that arlo can release a video discussing all his favorite moments in detail.

[@SaatananSukka]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! In recent years a lot of "open-world" games have left bitter taste in my mouth and I've been anxiously looking for my next Skyrim experience (havent played BOTW unfortunately) and this game has gotten my adventure senses tingling! So far the footage makes me cautiously optimistic that the magic of video games is not completely dead and I will cross my fingers in a hope that this game wont be a buggy mess at the release date!

[@charissaruth18]

You should play BOTW if you want an open-world game. It’s absolutely incredible (and I like it much more than this game so far 😅)

[@GoldenMushroom64]

SUCH A FANTASTIC GAME.

[@saxoman1]

"Ive only played Dark Souls 1" This is actually perfect, because not only is that my favorite one, it had the BEST interconnected world design with fast travel only enabled later on (which im sure you loved), and i want to see it compared to the first truly open world souls game!

[@littomanser]

Few people talk about the great sound this game has, not just music… the sounds really are a guide to where watch or move, even en combats, critical strikes, etc. LOVE U VID BRO INSTA SUBS

[@kevinbair8486]

I'm so glad people are enjoying this game. My experience on PC has been it crashing over and over again and it soured it for me, but I love watching other people talk about it or play it themselves.