When rumors and eventually official confirmation revealed that From Software’sElden Ringwould be open world, there were a lot of questions about how it would work. While From Software games tend to offer a certain level of freedom in terms of where players can explore and what they can do next, the term open world usually conjures up a different idea. Could From Software deliver an experience that satisfies its die-hard fans but also experiments with concepts that are more mainstream?
After having played several hours ofElden Ring’s Closed Network Testin early access, it’s clear that this is still the same brand of game that fans have come to expect From Software to deliver. Even with some subtle changes like a jump button and mount for traveling the larger spaces,Elden Ringstill feels like playing aSoulsgame. Not aSouls-like game a laBloodborneorSekiro, mind you, but aSoulsgame.
RELATED:Watch the Elden Ring Gameplay Preview
But becauseElden Ringand theSoulsgames offer an experience that is unlike any other, that familiarity is easy to overlook. On top of that, there is a lot of new wrinkles on the formula that makeElden Ringan even better version of aSoulsgame.
Elden Ring Combat Mechanics
The core combat components of the Closed Network Test, and presumablyElden Ringas a whole, should be familiar to From Software fans. Players can start as a number of different classes, which have different stat distributions, starting weapons, and a new magic-based attack called Ashes of War. R1 is responsible for the quicker light attack, while R2 deals a slower but more damaging heavy attack. Most weapons also have a charged heavy attack for those opportune moments, but landing one is no easy feat.
Depending on weapon and class, players will find slightly different playstyles available to them. They can wait out (or bait out) enemy attacks and go for the high damage weapons that move slow, or they can get in quickly with lighter weapons before dodging back out of danger.Precision and timing are still essential inElden Ring, and every enemy can punish one wrong move.
The aforementioned Ashes of War function like special attacks and carry an associated MP cost just like in aSoulsgame. Players will unlock new Ashes of War as they defeat enemies in the world, and they can then be equipped on a specific weapon type. One of the starter classes, for example, has an attack called Storm Blade, which sent a gust of wind at a target similar to theStorm Ruler fromDark Souls 3.The attack is faster and less damaging, but still strong enough to outpace a basic light or heavy attack. Another weapon offered the ability to call down lightning on a target and functioned more like a straight magic ability.
While it’s unclear how potent these Ashes of War attacks could be in the final game, the Elden Ring Closed Network Test made them seem like huge boons. They were great for getting a big chunk of a basic enemy’s health down, if not to take them out altogether. Or they could do significant damage to bosses without needing to get in close.
Another key point of note with combat is theability to use stealth to sneak through the open world. At any point, the player can tap the left stick and their character will crouch, making them less noticeable to the enemy AI. While in stealth, the player can bypass groups of enemies or attempt to pick them off one-by-one, either approach was viable. Some enemies can be finished off with a brutal backstab – a familiar move from theSoulsseries – but others will just lose a bigger chunk of health.
Elden Ring’s Open World: The Lands Between
Moving through the world ofElden Ringcan be as treacherous as players expect, even more so in certain circumstances. Theopen world known as The Lands Betweenis filled with groups of enemies that can overwhelm the player if they are not careful. The common approach of pulling enemies one-by-one is still the optimum way to progress, but oftentimes the enemy AI will be more aggressive and it’s up to the player to juggle survival with picking off members of the group. Past From Software games have offered a similar idea before, but inElden Ring,there is a lot more area to work with. It truly feels like there are diverse groups of enemies littered across the map, and if players are not careful, they can easily be overwhelmed.
Luckily,Elden Ringhas some new features that make exploring a little less brutal.Sites of Grace are the game’s version of bonfires, and they allow the most reprieve from the action. Players can rest at Sites of Grace, level up, equip Ashes of War, fast travel, and even distribute their flask allotment into any combination of healing and MP-replenishment. The Sites of Grace have a gold trail that floats in the air and leads in their direction, which helps give the player a focus as they progress. It’s not overly obvious in a “this is the way to go” way but the trail does help ensure players don’t miss one on their journey. They will be spending a lot of time traveling through The Lands Between, and having to start over with a fresh enemy pool can be harsh.
While Sites of Grace are more permanent waypoints throughout the world, there are also Stakes of Marika scattered throughout that function as pseudo checkpoints inElden Ring. Should a player die they can respawn at the closest Stake of Marika, if they recently passed one. Stakes of Marika don’t have the same utility as Sites of Grace, but they are extremely helpful when players are just trying to progress through the open world.
Those longer treks can also be demanding when it comes to Flasks of Spectral Tears, which are used for healing or gaining MP.Elden Ring’s solution for keeping momentum going is to replenish a small number of flasks after a player defeats certain groups of enemies. It was never clear what groups might give a replenishment or how many flasks would replenish, but the mechanic adds a unique risk/reward to traveling in the open world. Players could stealth by a group and hope that a Site of Grace is nearby, or they could take on the horde and try to earn back a healing flask or two.
Co-op and PvPare also on the menu forElden Ring, a staple of the Souls series at this point. Players can summon a random teammate to help them tackle open world travel or they can summon right before a tough boss, either a real player or an AI one. Invasions allow for PvP, which takes on a new complexion thanks to the larger playable area. At this point, fans have an opinion one way or the other on summoning and invading, but the implementation inElden Ringis as solid as one would expect.
Boss Fights and Dungeons in Elden Ring
Although the emphasis has been put on the open world of Elden Ring, there are still the more familiar, curated dungeons as well. Players might find a cave while exploring and go through a small, self-contained area with traps, enemies, and items, and usually, there is a boss at the end. For these smaller “caves,” the experience was brief but the bosses we saw were still creative and challenging.
Rest assured, though, there are the bigger areas that break off from the open world and fit the traditional Souls mold. While most of that is saved forElden Ring’s release date in February, the Closed Network Test did give a taste of what’s on offer. There were new characters to meet, enemies to take out, items to collect, and even more bosses to defeat. Fans worried about the open world should take comfort in knowing that DNA still runs throughElden Ring.
But it is the open world that givesElden Ringnew opportunities to experiment on the From Software formula. There are enemies roaming around that are actually boss fights, large enemies that could have easily been boss fights in past Souls games, and a freedom to approach combat (or avoid it) at one’s own pace – but even that feels like just scratching the surface. Current-gensystems allow for the silky smooth 60 FPSthat helps with the precision of combat. And have no fear, this game is still gorgeous and packed with detail, even if its visuals are not trying to rival some flashier titles. This week’s Closed Network Test is just a taste of theElden Ringto come, and while the flavor is familiar it’s as delicious as ever.
Elden Ringreleases Aug 06, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
