Praise the sun, Elden Ring's embargo has finally been lifted. FromSoftware's latest title is just the studio's second non-Soulsborne IP in years, which is why it's easy to understand the excitement surrounding the game. Not only that, but Elden Ring also boasts an all-star cast led by Hidetaka Miyazaki along with George R.R. Martin, the famed novelist behind the now-iconic Game of Thrones. This combination of factors all but guarantees that Elden Ring will be met with sky-high expectations at launch. But, it appears that FromSoftware was more than up for it - Elden Ring isn't just a great game, critics are saying that it's easily one of the best of all time.
As GamesRadar puts it, Elden Ring is "both a refinement and evolution of the Dark Souls formula, presenting an expansive world that's as hostile as it is inviting," an apt description after giving the game a rare but well-deserved 5/5 rating. IGN echoed the same thoughts, describing Elden Ring as "FromSoftware's largest and most ambitious game yet" and "a game that moved a genre forward." Polygon also drives the same point home, describing Elden Ring as the "natural next step for FromSoftware", detailing how the game "plucks the best from "Bloodborne, with its compact, puzzle-like mini-dungeons, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which offered new levels of mobility and faster action."