I feel like this has become a somewhat contentious topic as of recent. Upon release, ER was heralded as a grand new direction for soulslikes, praised for its seamless open world, amazing bosses and freedom of choice. It's regarded as one of the best open world games, being put in the same conversations as games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
However, not everyone seems to resonate with the game equally: repetive mini bosses and dungeons, rather empty open stretches in the overworld, leading to the feeling of just being funneled from one boss to another (at least on repeat playthroughs). Its lack of tight linearity compared to "classic" soulslikes is also brought up as a negative sometimes, with people wishing for more tight and honed experiences.
What's your guys' thoughts on this? I feel like Elden Ring is owed a huge deal since it's the de facto soulslike that's brought in millions of players who would never have touched a soulslike ever. It's debatable whether it's the best entry point, but its impact is undeniable.
I vibe with tighter experiences personally but still like Elden Ring and am coming around to it more and more playing the DLC. I think I might have spoiled the fun out of the game by watching entire playthroughs on YouTube before playing, thus already knowing most of what's in the game.
I have played every soulslike from FromSoft
I like Bloodborne most, but Elden Ring is close second.
The huge open world was an awesome change from the more linear routes through the older games. It was disappointing seeing repeat bosses but what are you gonna do when you like triple the size of the game? It takes longer to make a single new enemy than multiple dungeon maps.
Also it would be great if they could decide on if they want their games to be multiplayer or not. Not this in between where you and a small group of consenting adults all share a password and go to a specific summon spot every time they die in a game that constantly tries to kill you. They can't seem to balance the PvP either, in one game the invaders can consistently take on a host+summons and then the next game is gank squads discouraging anyone from ever invading.
Fantastic game that will sit with the greats for the rest of gaming history.