4/5 ★ – bell97's review of Elden Ring.

Elden Ring has shown me, perhaps more than any previous fromsoft title, that these are not for me. I really wanted to like the game but I just couldn't get into it. A major point of contention for me is the gameplay. The game just feels clunky to play, no other way to slice it. I chose a Samurai build which may have had something to do with it. After spending a lot of gametime playing with someone who was a mage class, I definitely felt like I had made the wrong choice. The Samurai just felt slow and awkward to move around. The combat never really clicked with me, no matter the weapons or abilities I used. The game also commits one of the greatest sins in my eyes with video games, you can get hit mid dodge animation, something that has always felt cheap to me. You are also sometimes unable to do damage to enemies in a stagger state while they can hit you in the same state, again cheap. The reasons above are what made me walk away from the game, but there are many positives that are the reasons I didn't leave until the 20 hour mark. The art style is gorgeous. There's a moment with this game many discussed at its launch when you can first see many of the spirit trees (as I will call them). You think this is a beautifully executed map reveal moment, something often done in open world games. What makes it so special with Elden Ring is twofold. The reveal itself is already better than many other games, but on top of that it happens multiple times in the game. I don't think I've ever been so blown away by map scaling before. The enemy variety is also fantastic. Every character managed to make me feel grossed out, uncomfortable or stressed in a unique way. Everyone who designed this world and characters deserves a raise. Overall I walked away from Elden Ring very disappointed. Not because it's a bad game, but because it's an excellent game that I simply don't like. Even with the flawed combat I can totally understand why this deserved game of the year, I just wish I liked it more myself