Elden Ring: 15 Minutes Of Gameplay Showcases Open World Traversal, Boss Fights, And More

FromSoftware has released 15 minutes of Elden Ring gameplay and it features some of its open-world traversal in The Land Between, Souls-like combat, a healthy amount of death, and a look at some of the dungeons that await players within. 

The entire showcase heavily emphasizes player choice when navigating the world of Elden Ring. Unlike previous FromSoftware games which are more akin to wide-open, interconnected areas rather than a full-on open-world, Elden Ring’s world is completely open, allowing players to tackle objectives how they see fit. 

Maybe you open the main gate to proceed through the castle? Perhaps you’re worried about a secret archer that might snipe you down when you walk through the gates so you take a side route instead? The choice is seemingly yours and that seems to be a running theme through Elden Ring – do what you want, when you want. 

Now, that’s not to say that Elden Ring will allow you to do that easily. Something tells us the game will have its own way of telling players, “no, not yet,” but only time will tell for now. In fact, Elden Ring has a guiding light that seems to nudge players in a suggested direction, but as the gameplay showcase narrator notes, players don’t have to choose to follow it. 

Choosing not to follow it might pit players against massive fire-breathing dragons that drop from the sky out of nowhere. We also get a look at some of the many NPCs we’ll run into in The Land Between, including the Iron Fist aka Big Pot Boy (it’s an NPC that appears to be a large pot with arms). 

In perhaps the most surprising reveal in the video, FromSoftware showcased Elden Rings’ map, which is new to the FromSoftware formula. Players can even set beacons that act as waypoints to help them navigate The Land Between. We also get a new look at the Spirits of Elden Ring, which appear to be summonable allies, as well as online co-op gameplay. Here, we’re treated to some of the more Sekiro-like stealth that can be used to skulk around the world. 

Elsewhere in the video, we witness a fight between the playable charater and the massive hulking boss that wields a golden axe featured heavily in Elden Ring’s marketing thus far. That boss appears to be no joke, either – it seems to have multiple phases, fire magic, massive leap attacks, and more. 

It’s safe to say that we’re shaking in our armored boots just thinking about having to fight this boss when Elden Ring is released on February 25, 2022. 

For more about Elden Ring, check out Game Informer’s Elden Ring preview and then read about how it was delayed to next year. Check out Game Informer’s breakdown of everything we know about Elden Ring after that. 

Are you excited about Elden Ring? Let us know in the comments below!