Who postponed purchasing Elden Ring out of Fear!

[MikeOrator]

First off...I am what I would refer to as a hardcore casual gamer.  I play lots of games and finish most (hardcore) but I tend to choose easy open-world games that don't require much skill (casual).  So needless to say I was all about Horizon: Forbidden West, Ghostwire: Tokyo and playing more Assassin's Creed: Valhalla this spring over whatever the latest masochism Miyazaki and company had come up with. I have tried other FromSoftware titles in the past but became frustrated by my lack of improvement or any kind of progress. However, Elden Ring kept showing up in my media feeds, relentlessly, insisting I pay attention.  Memes, walkthroughs, analysis videos, and TikTok edits that I could no longer ignore.  I knew the game was a rare experience and one that should not be missed, but I just did not want the failure that came along with my inability to learn from mistakes and progress in any kind of meaningful way.  Finally, my spouse, after hearing me complain that I felt like I was missing out and whining about not playing what could be the game of the year, said to me that I could either go out and get the game and see for myself or shut the *expletive* up.

 

So I went out and bought it.

 

Turns out I love it.  I mean I Really Love It.  Don't be mistaken, I still suck, but it is a manageable suck.  I made a mistake with my class, haven't figured out how most of the upgrade systems work, and I miss obvious quest beats, but overall I'm having a great time.  My favourite metagame is running through hoards of enemies on Torrent in areas I am under-levelled for and trying to get away with unlocking Sites of Grace or snagging map pieces. 

Spoiler

I found an area I can get giant demon dogs and demon people to start fighting each other and collect the Runes as I hide down the road.  I have learned that the torch can sometimes be your most powerful weapon.  I have made great friends with a couple of skeletons that helped me finally beat Margit.  I accidentally killed the pot guy because he scared me.  I don't trust treasure chests.

  All these things would only make sense in The Lands Between.  

 

I am now kind of glad I waited two months to play Elden Ring.  I got to play both the new Horizon game and Ghostwire this spring and they were both great games in their own right and for different reasons. 

I am however quite worried that these games are not going to be as fun to play after playing Elden Ring.  

 

 

 

[MatThaRiPP3R84]

elden ring is not that bad, and if you can do the first boss at level 40 without a summon and a weapon of +4 there is nothing, any soulsborne game could do to stump you. as he is harder then every hard boss with the exception of the nameless king from dark souls 3. 

 

in many cases it's just your perception of what other people consider to be hard that will actually defeat you, the games themselves are only hard the first time you play one, after that you kinda know what to expect. To that end elden ring is the best game to start as it gives you many options, but even if you don't use those OP options all the time, just you and a boss sometimes you will still learn more about soulslike gameplay making you better prepared for the others if you choose to play.

 

but because of summons the bosses in elden are fucking relentless with their combos , in the other games they don't attack anywhere near as much or as fast. 

[kidson2004]

In my case, its not "fear" of playing it, its my backlog; which is stupid big on its own. Besides, with the smashing success for this game, I wouldn't be surprised if there's DLC for it. Also, I'm waiting for it to go on sale this Black Friday/Christmas. 

[MonaSaxPayne]

I bought it day 1 and still haven't played it yet... because backload

 

why did I buy it if I knew I wouldn't play it anytime soon?.. because old habits die hard I suppose. I really need to stop doing this

[Deadly_Ha_Ha]

Fear of a nightmarishly common platinum and, whoa! Turns out my fears came to pass; it's like 40%

[Sylvanticore]

1 hour ago, MonaSaxPayne said:

I bought it day 1 and still haven't played it yet... because backload

 

why did I buy it if I knew I wouldn't play it anytime soon?.. because old habits die hard I suppose. I really need to stop doing this

 

This is me in a nut shell, I brought so many games close to the day they were released yet they haven't been played yet, Elden Ring is the same for me, brought but not played because been catching up on the backlog.. which is a bloody lot at the moment! I'll get round to this game soon!.. once I finish DS2, BB, DS3, Sekiro and Demon's Souls >.>

[Caesar Clown]

Fear of paying full price, yeah.

[Vern3r0z]

Hardcore casual gamer, what an oxymoron. When will you people stop overhyping the difficulty of souls games? There are many exploits to make these games super easy.

[DrBloodmoney]

Glad you’re enjoying it! It’s a hell of a game - a remarkable achievement by the developers!
 

Personally, no, I couldn’t wait!

I wanted to play ASAP, mostly so I’d be playing at the same time all as all my mates, so we could exchange info and discuss stuff as we discovered it - that zeitgeist fever of the first few days where it’s all new to everyone is priceless to me.

 

Whether the game would turn out to be beyond my ability to finish / platinum was never a factor. 
To be honest, even if the game’s trophies had turned out to be broken or unattainable or just plain too-hard for me, that experience would still have been worth it. 

 

 

The day I find myself choosing what games to play based on potential difficulty, or trophy rarity, or length, or completion percentage…

…if I find myself choosing games to “improve my profile”, rather than simply asking myself “does this look fun?”…

 

…that will be the day I know I’ve lost.

 

At that point, I wouldn’t be a gamer - casual or otherwise.

 

I’d just be a statistical accountant, maintaining a colourful online spreadsheet via a controller.

Edited May 7, 2022 by DrBloodmoney

[DrunkenEngineer]

1 hour ago, DrBloodmoney said:

The day I find myself choosing what games to play based on potential difficulty, or trophy rarity, or length, or completion percentage…

…if I find myself choosing games to “improve my profile”, rather than simply asking myself “does this look fun?”…

 

…that will be the day I know I’ve lost.

 

At that point, I wouldn’t be a gamer - casual or otherwise.

 

I’d just be a statistical accountant, maintaining a colourful online spreadsheet via a controller.

 

Truth.

[zulqarmessi]

Fact:

FromSoftware games have 100% enjoyment factor and 0% fear factor. ?

[Helyx]

I deliberately didn't purchase the game out of fear.

 

Fear that I would push my backlog further behind. I've learned a lot of restraint the past few years and I don't impulsively buy games like I once did. It's difficult to enjoy a new game when I have a shelf full of half-completed games and stacks that have never even been opened. Hell, I still have Dark Souls 2 & 3 that I haven't played yet, so there's no rush to throw $60+ at a game on release.

 

I know Elden Ring is a good game, because all my casual friends who only play Call of Duty and 2K/Fifa were all playing it at release and wouldn't shut up about it.

[technole]

Some games you know will be Game of the Year category right off the cuff, Elden Ring might even make the Game of the Decade. Like a new type of Zelda game for this generation. It's enough to drop everything you are doing right now and play it.

 

Nothing will top playing right at-release, aside from friends playing, but also learning things right as the community does. The naysayers who wouldn't touch this game with a ten foot pole said stupid jank like "oh you need to go to the internet to beat this game". Nah, the thrill of following NPCs, or just riding around oh a cave right here, lets explore it. Then you find out you found a bastion for upgrading weapons much easier. This kind of immersion kept me hooked hours on end.

 

Open world games are never going to be the same. Devs have been back seating too much with way points in your face and telling you to do this now and the like. Not here.

[You]

As of today, FIFA22 finally knocked the PS4 version of Elden RIng off the "Popular games this week" section.

 

Has been an impressive 9 weeks for the game, with the PS5 version still top of the list.

[dieselmanchild]

No fear, just pure anticipation. I planned to buy Elden Ring sometime soon after release because I couldn’t really afford to drop $90 on it right when it came out. But with the endless backlog, games I’ve prioritized for PSNP events, and my quite recent but very crippling addiction to Deep Rock Galactic, I just keep pushing it further away.

 

However, my friend has had some exams cancelled and has a 2 week block of free time right now which might be our best chance to play the everloving shit out of it together as much as possible, so I will likely start within a few days or the next week or so.

 

I can’t lie though, the timing really sucks. As much as I have been looking forward to it and as great as it looks, I’m currently having more fun gaming than than I’ve had in ages playing DRG and so somebody is going to have to pry my fingers from the controller because I simply don’t want to stop playing it. Not even for Elden Ring. 

 

I suppose trading one masterpiece for another for a few weeks isn’t the worst thing in the world though. And funny cuz I bet you anything in a few weeks I’ll be having trouble putting down Elden Ring to go back to DRG. First world problems. Eh? ?

[TomataEighty9]

15 hours ago, Deadly_Ha_Ha said:

Fear of a nightmarishly common platinum and, whoa! Turns out my fears came to pass; it's like 40%

 

I never understood this thought. So you will only play a game if its rare or ultra rare?

 

For me, i haven't bought Elden Ring because of my backlog. I have enough games im not playing, and i wanna clear out some of those first  

 

Second, i wanna wait until i get my ps5. Newer games, i will rather experience first time on ps5. 

[mecharobot]

For me I get FOMO from things that might actually become unavailable, which is the opposite of mainstream games. I could get it from sales anytime for decades to come.

Edited May 7, 2022 by mecharobot

[Deadly_Ha_Ha]

1 hour ago, TomataEighty9 said:

 

I never understood this thought. So you will only play a game if its rare or ultra rare?

 

For me, i haven't bought Elden Ring because of my backlog. I have enough games im not playing, and i wanna clear out some of those first  

 

Second, i wanna wait until i get my ps5. Newer games, i will rather experience first time on ps5. 

Well, I'm partially joking. In truth I haven't found any real interest towards Souls games since after DS3. Sekiro, Demon's Souls Remake, and Elden Ring... I don't know, I just don't want to play them the way I wanted to play the other games. I wish I did because I "miss" them but I can't play them just because either. 

 

But no it's also true that I am sorry to see how common the rarity of this game is. I don't want a common plat on my account but as this game probably won't become THAT common (being 50%+) it's not like I WOULDN'T play it if I actually wanted the plat

[TomataEighty9]

1 minute ago, Deadly_Ha_Ha said:

Well, I'm partially joking. In truth I haven't found any real interest towards Souls games since after DS3. Sekiro, Demon's Souls Remake, and Elden Ring... I don't know, I just don't want to play them the way I wanted to play the other games. I wish I did because I "miss" them but I can't play them just because either. 

 

But no it's also true that I am sorry to see how common the rarity of this game is. I don't want a common plat on my account but as this game probably won't become THAT common (being 50%+) it's not like I WOULDN'T play it if I actually wanted the plat

 

I can understand wanting a challenge, or a rare plat, for the sake of it, but NOT playing a game, because it's not rare enough, that seems extreme to me. 

 

If i see a game i really wanna play, i don't care if the rarity is 99%, i just wanna play what i wanna play  

 

But no "hate", i just don't follow how that can be a thing for you  

[Deadly_Ha_Ha]

11 minutes ago, TomataEighty9 said:

 

I can understand wanting a challenge, or a rare plat, for the sake of it, but NOT playing a game, because it's not rare enough, that seems extreme to me. 

 

If i see a game i really wanna play, i don't care if the rarity is 99%, i just wanna play what i wanna play  

 

But no "hate", i just don't follow how that can be a thing for you  

If this account was the only way I played games then maybe I'd feel stifled by how I curate it but I have another account for games I don't feel like getting the plat in as well as a PC. I don't treat this account as casual gaming and I like it better that way, but if I want casual gaming there are plenty of other places for me to do that. 

[TomataEighty9]

3 minutes ago, Deadly_Ha_Ha said:

If this account was the only way I played games then maybe I'd feel stifled by how I curate it but I have another account for games I don't feel like getting the plat in as well as a PC. I don't treat this account as casual gaming and I like it better that way, but if I want casual gaming there are plenty of other places for me to do that. 

 

If i may ask, just of curiosity

 

What is the point of a 100% profile, if you cherry pick games? 

 

It just seems a little too easy? Like winning a 100m run after you drugged the rest of the field with sleeping pills?  

 

The real 100% profile, would be one where you play everything you want, and fight for the 100%? or? 

 

Im not saying you don't play hard games, checked your profile and there's some tough ones!  

Edited May 7, 2022 by TomataEighty9

[MonaSaxPayne]

12 minutes ago, TomataEighty9 said:

 

If i may ask, just of curiosity

 

What is the point of a 100% profile, if you cherry pick games? 

 

The real 100% profile, would be one where you play everything you want, and fight for the 100%? or? 

 

some ppl (the self righteous elitists who care way too much about what games other ppl play) would call him a fakepletionist lol

[Deadly_Ha_Ha]

5 minutes ago, TomataEighty9 said:

 

If i may ask, just of curiosity

 

What is the point of a 100% profile, if you cherry pick games? 

 

It just seems a little too easy? Like winning a 100m run after you drugged the rest of the field with sleeping pills?  

 

The real 100% profile, would be one where you play everything you want, and fight for the 100%? or? 

 

Im not saying you don't play hard games, checked your profile and there's some tough ones!  

It's fine. To even most people I grant that it seems like I'm splitting hairs here but if my account was only the kinds of games I'd rather not HAVE on my account, then yes you'd probably be right. But the games I include are exactly those that are fights, or are "dangerous" at this point, or are just games I want to play that aren't like, 50% plats, of which there are enough for a lifetime. For instance, I wrote the trophy guide with CelestialRequiem for Armored Core Verdict Day some relative handful of months ago, and for a few weeks now it's been impossible due to server shutdowns for PS3 and PC FromSoftware games of older generations. It was a risk to do it when we did but I went for it and got lucky. I just did Killzone Mercenary - a million year old, online Vita game that well could have expired while I was playing it. I got lucky and it didn't but my account as I know it could have gone bye bye. Games like Adventure Time, I mean they're possible sure but they're so excruciatingly buggy that finishing them is almost nothing short of a miracle and at times I thought I'd really boned myself. But I got through it. I have lots of plans, lots of old games and hard games to do that are far more risky than really anything in categories of games I might have played but just don't like the idea of on my profile. I did the Souls games + Bloodborne that I wanted to do and I'm happy with them. I'm about to start the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy because I love those games and XIII-2 is close to 30% but I don't care because that game is going to look great on my account.

[TomataEighty9]

3 minutes ago, MonaSaxPayne said:

 

some ppl (the self righteous elitists who care way too much about what games other ppl play) would call him a fakepletionist lol

 

Well i guess you might be right. I don't care enough to call people names over how they choose to play games. Im just curious  

1 minute ago, Deadly_Ha_Ha said:

It's fine. To even most people I grant that it seems like I'm splitting hairs here but if my account was only the kinds of games I'd rather not HAVE on my account, then yes you'd probably be right. But the games I include are exactly those that are fights, or are "dangerous" at this point, or are just games I want to play that aren't like, 50% plats, of which there are enough for a lifetime. For instance, I wrote the trophy guide with CelestialRequiem for Armored Core Verdict Day some relative handful of months ago, and for a few weeks now it's been impossible due to server shutdowns for PS3 and PC FromSoftware games of older generations. It was a risk to do it when we did but I went for it and got lucky. I just did Killzone Mercenary - a million year old, online Vita game that well could have expired while I was playing it. I got lucky and it didn't but my account as I know it could have gone bye bye. Games like Adventure Time, I mean they're possible sure but they're so excruciatingly buggy that finishing them is almost nothing short of a miracle and at times I thought I'd really boned myself. But I got through it. I have lots of plans, lots of old games and hard games to do that are far more risky than really anything in categories of games I might have played but just don't like the idea of on my profile. I did the Souls games + Bloodborne that I wanted to do and I'm happy with them. I'm about to start the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy because I love those games and XIII-2 is close to 30% but I don't care because that game is going to look great on my account.

 

Oh i see  I can follow you now. You want your profile to look a certain way? and have a challenge. Cool  

[CelestialRequiem]

I think it's also weird to assume that people who have 100% profiles don't play anything else. @Deadly_Ha_Ha and I both have gaming PCs; and I game often on my Switch and even my PS2. 

 

If he really wants to play Elden Ring, he can play it through another means without it having to be on his account.