Hayao Miyazaki’s The Lord of the Rings has DLC up for GOTY awards in 2024. It’s that good. As someone familiar with old-school FromSoft like Armored Core, but not the more recent, more popular stuff with Souls and Bloodborne, I had to rely on an ancient context for endearing myself to Elden Ring. To my mind, it was no different than The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: the Adventure of Link from the NES. Burn every bush. Knock on every wall. Stabby stab ineffectually. Go outside and take a walk if things get too frustrating (which happens). However, Elden Ring’s open world and loose approach to plot and shadowy lore modernize the classic format of exploration and tough combat. But the co-op… it’s so bad it has Tolkien fat rolling in his grave.
Red formerly ran The Well-Red Mage and now serves The Pixels as founder, writer, editor, and podcaster. He has undertaken a seemingly endless crusade to talk about the games themselves in the midst of a culture obsessed with the latest controversy, scandal, and news cycle about harassment, toxicity, and negativity. Pick out his feathered cap on Twitter @thewellredmage or Mage Cast.
