I’ve been playing Elden Ring on and off for the past month and a half now, and I’m still not sure if I love it or hate it. At times I feel like I’m progressing and moving forward and I’m enjoying myself. However, most of the time I’m lost or stuck on a certain challenge and I get frustrated.

This isn’t my first foray into the unforgivingly tough Soulsborne game series. I tried to get into Bloodborne multiple times, but kept getting stuck and quitting. I also spent very little time in a Dark Souls game, but also quickly quit.

What made Elden Ring immediately stand out from my previous experience with the other games was the Open World gameplay. My previous From Software games (Bloodborne and Dark Souls) were more linear, so anytime I couldn’t defeat a boss I would just quit. In Elden Ring, I’m able to move onto something new when I’m stuck.

This isn’t my full Elden Ring review. It’s just a collection of short gameplay videos , both good and bad experiences.

FIRST KILL

My first kill in Elden Ring, was against a common guard walking through the forest. After dying many times I ended up killing one, then another and more and more. This built up my confidence.

I later came across a camp of these common guards, where I was able to practice my stealth skills.

THE GOLEM

This was my first “Boss Fight,” but I later found out that these Golems are just common dudes scattered throughout the world of Elden Ring.

This was the first time the game felt closer to my previous experiences. I went into a cave and was sort of stuck there until I could finally defeat this Golem and escape.

ROUND 1

This was just one of my many deaths against the evil Golem.

ROUND 2

After this very close win against the Golem, I believe I quit playing Elden Ring for a couple of days. I needed to rest and regroup, and spend time with something less challenging.

There were many close calls like this one. There were also many brutal deaths,where I had no chance at all.

ROUND 3

This is the one. After what felt like hours of attempts, I finally defeated the Golem to exit the cave. I don’t even think my reward was that great. I expected something huge. That’s when I realized that this wasn’t a boss fight at all, just an overpowered enemy.

A few days later, I was walking in an open area and another Golem appeared from the rocks on the ground. Since I was able to use my steed, I defeated this Golem much quicker.

INTRUDER ALERT!

Here’s another tough battle win. At first, I was excited that another player had entered my game to help me. Or that’s what I thought was happening. The red intruder was there for blood, my blood.

I finally defeated the evil intruder, also after many attempts.

What’s next in Elden Ring? I’m not sure. I actually haven’t had time to jump back in in a week or longer. I do know that I plan to seek out some early game guides. I just need to get an idea of what to do or where to explore.

I’ve been wasting too much time walking around aimlessly. It’s time to find some new epic items.

So, back to my original question: Do I love or hate Elden Ring? The answer: I don’t know, but I will return with an answer once I beat the game, or get a little further.