Wow, this is the most "souls like" game you've found on steam yet

Surprise, the game is good! I'll be hanging out in the comments for a while to answer questions people have, so feel free to ask whatever.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it took some people over 100 hours to do everything in this game.” Took me 190 hours.

Elden Ring is the type of game where you can take a wrong turn and be completely rewarded as long as you’re tenacious enough. It also convinced me to pick up a Souls game.

I also completely agree that Skyrims scaling enemies didn't feel that good to play against. I like feeling like I've progressed past points of a game. I don't want a spider in a starting area to be level 60 because it's "scaling" with me.

"The pure panic of getting chased by a bear the size of an elephant that can knock down trees is really something that I think everyone should experience" -Iron Pineapple

3:57 not just ANY cave either, there’s a whole npc quest and an entire HIDDEN AREA involved with that cave. Crazy game

Even after 430+ hours I am still hooked to this game

I love how there are random teleporter traps getting you to far away zones where you are completely underleveled. Trying to poke around and snatching some high level rare items is so satisfying.

To be honest, while I was already over the moon after everything I’ve seen of this game, the two words you spoke in this video that made me happiest were ‘re-spec mechanic’.

I've been avoiding ER all this time because I don't like super difficult games (and I'm one of those who never played a Souls game.) Your video convinced me I owe it to myself to give it a fair shot and try it out. Thanks for addressing the difficulty and mechanical skill issues in your video as you did.

I had never played a Souls game before, all my friends said "I would hate it" as I'm the kinda person that plays everything casually and on easy difficulty. But I kept seeing videos, and in addition to looking cool, it was almost comical how often people died. So I went in with the expectation like I was rewinding a final destination movie, that I would die all the time (as a method to alleviate impending frustration from getting too close and failing). And I had a blast. I mean a genuinely good time. It's not often I can say im glad I didn't listen to my friends. I still haven't beaten it yet, I'm at the Malekith fight (pretty far in) and yeah I'm not bored yet. I also want to now go back and play other fromsoft titles. For anyone out there like me who doesn't like a challenge, I don't know how but this game is for you too. It's immensely accessible and an incredible gateway into the genre.

I'm one of the "Absolutely Love Your Content; Never Touched A FromSoftware Game" people (4 mins in Bloodborne, aside). I REALLY appreciated you taking the time and effort to address us directly. That section and, really, the entire vid and how you broke pretty much everything down has convinced me to give Elden Ring a shot. I thought the game looked great and interesting, like all FromSoft games, but was completely fine with living vicariously through you. But you explaining how pretty much how everything works in this game AND a pep talk?! I'm totally on board. You're a great ambassador for the genre and its games. Thanks again!

15:04 My friend played Oblivion without horse or fast travel. I imagine our co-op playtrough will be like when the fellowship chased after the hobbits that were being taken to Isengard. An epic hiking journey that will hopefully be more enjoyable than Gimli's experience.

20hrs I'm still in limgrave😅

Never played the series, and for the first time I tried it with Elden Ring. And this is one or the best game ever made... I played it 5 times in a row.

This game is fun, but it's even more fun when u have friends to talk about it with. Giving eachother tips and pointers for bosses, telling eachother about cool item locations, etc has been great

Finding random caves that take you into an underground area for over an hour of gameplay is what was missing from Breath of the Wild for me. So I'm pretty hyped about all the random caves I'll find here.

I´ve returned to your video after way over a year; after nearly 1500 hours in the game, trying Dark Souls 3 in the meantime; to thank you. As you and Vaatividya have been the two people who hooked me to this game. I am still playing it, still trying new things. And just thought to myself, I´ve to adress this to the people, whos experience with this game made me try it and helped me finally find what I´ve been missing in so many games I´ve played over the last 20 years: challenge. And yes, I know, there have been three parts of Dark Souls, but they didn´t intrigue me as much by their trailers, when you did with this video.

The sheer amount of stuff there is to find and to do in this game is insane. Just yesterday, I was checking up a sign that appeared in Limgrave after going into the Volcano Manor, got that done, found a tower I hadn't found (after 80+ hours), go to it, find a chest, it takes me to a completely different location. I love this game. I don't want it to end.

The fact that respecing is a thing here cures a massive headache for me. I’ve been fussing over what I should try on my first run of the game for weeks now because everything looks so incredibly engaging and fun to use! Now I can actually just try what I want without worrying over screwing my stats. lol

By far my favorite content you’ve done. I’ve been really doing my very best to avoid any types of spoilers (so I didn’t watch this, I listened) but I had to hear what you had to say. I am so excited, and this video has really made the wait worth it. TMI time: I had open heart surgery for a valve replacement in July and I jokingly said “I need to survive this so I can play elden ring.” And here we are! Thanks Pine.

"the worst thing about this game is that going back to other games will be dissappointing" is such an insane statement that i agree with

I picked up EldenRing two months ago, a long time after release, for the reasons you mentioned in the video (too difficult, never played a souls-like before, etc.), and I just fell in love with it. I'm currently on ng+4, after getting 100% of the achievements and focusing on getting everything discovered, including killing all 165 bosses. PS: I even bought the Book of Knowledge Vol. 1 of the game, which is the first time in my life that I bought something like that.

“Bro what, how is there a cave here?” And the follow up of “It’s a fucking big cave!” Had me nearly wheezing! I am **SO** pumped to go exploring myself, so thanks for telling me that it’s worth doing!

As someone who has never really played any frontsoft games, I wasn't sure if I was gonna try Elden Ring. But after this video I am super hyped to try it out. Thank you for your intricate explanations. The amount of passion you have for these games truly shines through. EDIT: Just bought and pre-loaded the game! Wish me luck with my first soulslike :)

People who have never played Elden Ring, really have no clue how, Big, this game is

I totally forgot about the frame stuttering thing lol they've taken good care of this game :)

Without spoiling one of my biggest "oh shit" moments so far was when I went in a random ass building with an elevator and was thinking "boy this elevator sure goes down far" until it opens up into a giant cave with crytals like stars at the ceiling and its like 1-2 hours of content + a cool boss that is completely hidden away.

This man played elden ring for 60 hours in one day. Fucking legend.

I had already decided to get this game this christmas and you made me even more excited for it!I also really appreciate that you didn't put any spoilers in the video.

One of the best things about elden ring is there is no enemy scaling, destroying an enemy that used to dominate you is always so satisfying

This is exactly the review I was looking for as someone who wants to go in a fresh as possible and yet get some idea of the game. You have made the best review possible for that. Thank you!

What a shock it was when I took an elevator, thinking it would take me to a small dungeon, but found an entire new area spreading in all directions. This game is insane.

The reason why enemies don't scale is another core design philosophy of Miyazaki and From. You should feel yourself getting stronger with effort and take pride in it. The capra demon was a initial level boss in DS1 but is a regular enemy by the time we reach lost izalith.

I just wanted to return to this video to hear how much you liked it. I’m over 200 hours so far and have been very entertained and satisfied this entire time even during the aggravating times. I’m not sure if I have many hours left in the tank but I appreciate your videos adding to my enjoyment for elden ring. This game was something that brought me back to the days when I had to call my friends/cousins to figure out what to do in orcarina of time/majoras mask. Many of your videos was that alternative to calling and that mixed with the community has made this game an experience. Great content, please keep up the awesome work.

Update for PC players regarding performance: it’s apparently a very mixed bag on whether you’ll be able to run the game with or without issues. My personal experience was pretty great and reflected as such in the video, but I’ve read about tons of people (even those with powerful rigs) running into issues. It also seems like the day 1 patch made the game somehow run worse for some people than the pre-release review version. Might be a better call to go with the PS5 version for now or wait for upcoming fixes.

My first thoughts while entering a dungeon: "Oh ok. A cave. That's pretty cool. I'll take the elevator." An hour later: "Where the HELL am i? Are those ghosts? Should I be here? How do I get out? Is that a Ball Lightning?!"

This video is just being recommended to me, but I have to commend you on how thoughtful and well-written your narration was. You did a fantastic job summing up what's so engrossing about Elden Ring and you made some nice overtures to new fans on why they should give it a try.

Damn, I wish I’d watched this video earlier. Not only was it a great review, but it was entertaining and I actually learnt some things I had no idea even existed. I have completed this game 37 times and I’m absolutely hooked. But I had no idea for example guard counters even existed. Great vid!

Literally the only review I would trust for the game and was waiting for (mostly for any performance issues) I'm glad you like it Pineapple. When I get the free chance I'll happily explore the Lands Between.

I can't tell you how awesome it is to hear a review that FINALLY talks about and appreciates the world and the aesthetics of it! All you see is "what's the best build?" "What's the meta?". Everyone is obsessed with the stats and builds. I'm not saying that part of the game isn't cool as well, it is. But there needs to be way more content like yours that genuinely appreciates how vast and rich the world really is. It sill blows my mind that people have made entire videos talking about how bad the game supposedly looks.

I've been watching your channel for a while and yes, i'm one of those viewers who have never played a souls game but for some reason have taken an interest of it (mostly because of its amazing art direction and cool world design), it's really encouraging to hear what you said in the video. It makes me really want to try the game once i could get my hands on a better PC or a hopefully PS5 :D thank you so much for the cool content dude, love your stuff!

What a great review. I was thinking abt getting the game I def am now

Oh man, you showed off scythe powerstancing. Easily the best review of the bunch just for that. I thought it'd look weird but it looks deadly and graceful and not at all clunky like I expected. I just hope the other scythe animations are better than in past games.

im so hyped for this game, dont think ive been more hyped for a game in like 3-4 years, already preordered

Thanks for the review! I just got into the Souls series and now I’m hooked.

just got it. feels overwhelming at times, but I'm having a blast.

4:30 You can even see the fire from the dragon making that rock look burnt and melted. I love how FomSoftware has placed so much attention to detail in their world. It's going to make combat so immersive; I can't wait to try it!

I have a very specific question, do scythe backstabs still have the straight sword animation?

I’ve watched this review many times. This is so well written and I love the passion.

First time souls game player and I f***ing love this game. I think I'm ruined on other games though, lol.

This might be the first souls like I'll ever play. This looks amazing. I'm, not a good gamer, not at these games and seeing you talk to people like me saying "well, no, you can do this" is really making me think hard about it IP.

I wish this review was an hour long, I love hearing him talk about games, especially ones he's passionate about (like this one). I love the souls series and you are are so damn good at making me want to buy this game - not saying I didn't want to before..

Bounced off DS2 years ago and got pushed into trying Elden Ring as all my friends were pushing me to give it a go. Thank god they did as I'm obsessed with this game, in my top 10 all time for sure!

Perfect video & perfect commentary. Thank you

The fact that spells/Miracles seem more viable and engaging makes me happy. I just hope they are more then aim and shoot. I realy wish for a lot of high skill PvP viable spells, to fight against.

Iron Pineapple: I really do want everyone to experience the sheer joy and wonder of the big and small surprises in this game Also Iron Pineapple: *being chased by 3 massive, naked ogres*

The new players section related exactly to me, and I really, really appreciate you adding that and not having the typical "get good" type thing. Thank you for this video

ive just discovered your channel recently but yeah i had tried to play several of the other souls games when i was younger and liked the vibe of them but was never able to stick through the learning curve. Elden ring was the first one i was seriously able to stick through and have since played ds1 and am currently playing ds2 and loving it. Elden ring helped me learn what was so magical about the souls games. The fights aren't just needlessly difficult like some people act like. It is all about repetition and and learning through trial and error how best to defeat your foe, and the joy comes through overcoming that harsh but fair challenge. Im currently playing through all the other souls games before going in for a second go around with Elden ring.

This is the first souls game I’ll be playing while its actually fresh and the meta is being built. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it for this game so I’m sat here with tears in my eyes. It feels like a dream. I’m taking a day or two off to play this masterpiece.

Man, wish more companies would focus their effort on creating amazing games instead of just taking the business route. You need people that are really passionate about the things they do ❤️

Love your review dude!

After watching almost every Elden Ring video of yours, I finally decided to give it a try!

This video was like a warm hug. Elden Ring has personally reignited my childlike love for video games and you complelty nailed why it does. May we enjoy this beautiful game for years to come!

watching speedruns of this game in around a year is going to be really fun hopefully

I had the experience of “let me just hit the wall, in case there is something there”, and ended up going on an adventure through an awesome location that took me an entire afternoon and ended with an epic boss fight. I don’t even believe I will be able to get to the end of the game, but I’ll heavily cherish stuff like that.

LOL that dog around the 13:55 mark was sent flying by its ally.

When you break the ballista at 6:12 the fucking bowstring has a physics interaction with the broken bits of wood and pulls one of the shafts that falls off the platform into an arc while it's falling. Truly next level detail.

What you said at around 15:58 was very useful for me. As someone who has a bad habit of overthinking and stressing about trivial things to the point of causing myself literal anguish, thank you for making that point clear. I can’t wait to get sucked into this game

"Don't expect anything crazy like stealthing a whole camp..." I love doing just that in the gatefront Ruins lol

This video is what I thought and you put in words for me(for that you deserve a sub), and coming from a new souls games player I was stunned at the views and every hour (even the grinding) was enticing and I dread the day I finish the game.

“All the weapons felt good” -Certainly not the whips *uses a clip wielding a whip* -oh my sweet mother Gwynevere

First time i fought the dragon Agheel, I wasn't confident enough to take him up close as one hit from his fire breath killed me instantly. So in order to beat him I had to run rings around him on Torrent while pelting him with arrows. It was the cheesiest way to beat him but it still felt like the most intense battle ever. Running around at full speed dodging his fire breath as it fills the screen, shooting arrows at his head when I can, all while the intense latin chanting goes on in the background. You know a game is designed well when even a cheap victory feels super epic.

Great review on your part --I am actually considering buying this! Thanks.

13:56 the way he kicked that dog made me laugh way harder then I should have

It's been years since a game grabbed my attention like Elden ring has. Absolute masterpiece and easely game of the year. A true titan.

I only just realized that spirit summons are a "replacement" for NPC summons that are way more flexible so FromSoft doesn't need to worry about whether people find the one sign sitting around in some gigantic dungeon.

Great review my friend

Having never played any soulsborne game before I came into this game with no expectations, and Jesus this game blew me away, it grabbed my attention so much that I’m now looking into the dark souls games for the first time. Definitely game of the year

"You can explore caves that are pitch black without a light source" Me, a DS2 fan: "YES! YES! YES! YES!"

14:03 really loved hearing this cause its totally true the souls games are allways described as "hardcore" and "you will never beat it" but actually the difficulty is not that high these games just have a learning curve to them i found this out a few months ago when i started playing dsr and now ds3 they just have something you have to learn about them

Loved Elden Ring - I'm almost finished my first play through of Dark Souls Remastered and the fact that I love it just as much if not more says everything about the "dna" of these games. Rock solid from the gate. Can't wait to play thru the trilogy and then experience ER again

Great video. As a beginner you convinced me and now I'm enjoying the game so much. The open world is absolutely mind blowing. Just explore and explore the world and getting stronger

I’m on a super strict no-footage rule since the launch trailer, but I had to open up this video and put my phone down so I could still hear what you had to say. Glad you loved it, man. I can’t wait to experience it for myself tomorrow. Remember all, don’t you dare go hollow!

I got a question. Is there a "transformation" like Dragonform or Werewolform like previous games? (And if there is, don't spoil what it is for me XD)

14:00 the dog😭

I ended up getting the game on a whim after my partner recommended it to me. After a quick upgrade to my graphics card, it runs smoothly, and I ended up not only catching up to, but surpassing them in about a week, both in game progress and in skill. Very much enjoying my time so far, definitely gonna ng+ this thing a few times to play around with as many builds as possible and discover even more little hidden corners. I'm not resting till I have all steam achievements.

Can't wait to go on this journey with everyone.

Hearing that the game has a respec mechanic is refreshing. Planning out my build in advance is its own kind of fun for me, but I prefer being able to try out everything without feeling like I'm sacrificing character strength.

450 hours, and yesterday I found a cave and talisman that I have never seen.

The imagination and depth of this game is unparalleled.

I can't even fathom how they managed to create a game like this. Sounds like a once-in-two-generations type of game

Maybe I'm over thinking things, but this sounds like From Soft's swan song to the genre they single handedly created. It's probably also going to be the most accessible Soulslike game to date, since it seems you can really take your time and fine tune things to fully adjust to your play style. I can't wait to check it out.

Great video!! I'm a complete noob, I've never played one of these games, and it's REALLY difficult BUT I LOVE IT so far!! Also, I'm running the game on a Linux PC!! I struggled to get it working and friends laughed at me trying to get this game working on Linux BUT SteamOS is Linux so I was determined. Well, apparently a bunch of other people were determined as well and I now have it running at 60fps with no glitches or freezes. Now I just need to learn how to do combat properly.

After 120+ hours and finishing elden ring twice i absolutely am in love with this game just from the exploration to the combat it makes me truly entertained

The fact that masterpieces like this come out now and then especially these days where everything feels mediocre , gives me hope.

I already had high hopes for this game but I’m glad to hear it has went beyond my and everyone’s expectations of it.

I'm at 206.8 hours in on Elden Ring; 120 was just Journey 1, and now I'm having a blast in Journey 2, which is WAY easier when you're loaded up with all your goodies and knowledge from the first run! I think that's what's impressed me the most: From Software gave us more tools than ever before to really customize how you play, a let you make a style that lets you win. As long as you know that ahead of time, (and that death is just a tool for learning), then it's easier to grasp From Software's open world concept of exploring to get more tools, get more practice, and more importantly, find your style! It took me a while; I really like being a spell blade. Once you figure out the weapons, spells, or style you like, I think the game gets easier because from then on, you just invest and get stronger at the thing you do well or really enjoy. There were a few times I really had to reconsider, but for the most part, I love how the game gives you a lot of options. Yes, it's difficult, but unlike a lot of RPG's, you REALLY feel every point you spend and tweak you make IMMEDIATELY, which makes your choices incredibly meaningful! This game really is a masterpiece!

My play through took 120 hrs and I did a lot of the side stuff. Goty by a large margin, insane how good this game is.