Elden Ring is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware. It was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding provided by American fantasy writer George R. R. Martin. It was published for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 25 in Japan by FromSoftware and internationally by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Set in the Lands Between, players control a customizable player character on a quest to repair the Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord.

Elden Ring is presented through a third-person perspective with players freely roaming its open world. The six main areas can be traversed using the player character’s steed Torrent. Linear, hidden dungeons can be explored to find useful items. Players can use several types of weapons and magic spells, including non-direct engagement enabled by stealth mechanics. Throughout the game’s world, checkpoints enable fast travel and allow players to improve their attributes using an in-game currency called runes. Elden Ring features an online multiplayer mode in which players join through cooperative play to fight bosses or engage in player versus player combat.

FromSoftware wanted to create an open-world game based on Dark Souls. Miyazaki admired Martin’s previous work and hoped that his contributions would produce a more accessible narrative than those of the company’s earlier games. Martin was given unrestricted freedom to design the backstory, while Miyazaki was lead writer for the in-game narrative. However, the game’s narrative is still presented through flavor text, dialogue, visual narrative, and players’ interpretations. The developers concentrated on environmental scale, stat management, and the story; the scale required the construction of several structures around its world.

Elden Ring is an action role-playing game set in third-person perspective. It includes elements that are similar to those in other FromSoftware-developed games, such as the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The game is set in an open world; players can freely explore the Lands Between and its six main areas, which include Limgrave—an area of grassy plains and ancient ruins—and Caelid, a reddish wasteland home to undead monsters. The open world is explored using the character’s mount Torrent as the main mode of transportation, though players may use fast travel outside combat. Throughout the game, players encounter non-player characters (NPCs) and enemies, including demigods who rule each main area and serve as the game’s main bosses. Aside from the main areas, Elden Ring has hidden dungeons, catacombs, tunnels, and caves where players can fight bosses and gather helpful items.