The game at the top of many gamers' E3 wish list was Elden Ring. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait very long once the E3 2021 season started, because a new gameplay trailer aired during Geoff Keighley's Summer Games Fest kickoff event before E3-proper even started. FromSoftware fans rejoiced with the first official mention of the game in nearly two years, especially since the trailer contained a release date for the highly anticipated Soulslike.
While everything shown off in the trailer looked like the excellent refined gameplay that fans have come to expect from FromSoftware, Elden Ring might also be inadvertently impacting one of the studio's other franchises: Dark Souls. As more and more information about Elden Ring comes to light, the likelihood of a Dark Souls 4 seems to be diminishing with Elden Ring's striking resemblance to the series. While studio president Hidetaka Miyazaki said that there were no plans for Dark Souls 4 back in 2015, fans have hoped for a return to the series anyway. However, Elden Ring seems to be putting those hopes to rest.
Elden Ring’s Return to FromSoftware Form
FromSoftware's most recent games have branched out in major ways from the original Demon's Souls formula that the first two Dark Souls games borrowed heavily from. Bloodborne changed things up by removing the ability to block and encouraging players to be far more aggressive than they might have been in earlier titles. Dark Souls 3 was something of a return to form after Bloodborne, but still introduced plenty of new elements that kept the Souls gameplay from feeling stale.
Finally, FromSoftware's most recent game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, was a true departure from the series in terms of combat and systems in a similar way to Bloodborne's departure. After changing things up in such a major way for Sekiro, Elden Ring looks to be going back to the more traditional gameplay musings of the Dark Souls series.
Back are shields and the wide variety of weapon types and classes that the Dark Souls games were known for. When assessing the snippets of gameplay from the trailer, it looks like the combat system is far closer to the likes of Dark Souls 3 than Sekiro, Bloodborne, or anything else. While the use of shields wasn't prominently featured in the Elden Ring trailer, some of the player characters held shields of varying sizes and shapes which suggests that players who relied on them in Dark Souls and Demon's Souls will be able to stay safe behind their shields once again.
If shields are back, it means that the aggressive play from Bloodborne and the posture management from Sekiro may be dropped in favor of dodge rolling and stamina management from the games of Soulslike past. If the Dark Souls combat model being revived, it means that Dark Souls 4 might just be made under the alternate title, Elden Ring, and never actually see the light of day. However, if Elden Ring can perfect the series' combat, then Dark Souls 4 might never need to exist in the first place.
Darks Souls' Dark Fantasy in Elden Ring
In addition to gameplay departures, Bloodborne and Sekiro also departed from the Dark Souls' classic dark fantasy setting in favor of gothic horror and fantasized feudal Japan. Despite not being an entry in the Dark Souls series, Elden Ring is the first FromSoftware game to return to the fantasy roots of the studio's history. It doesn't seem like the two are connected in any significant story or lore elements, so it may suggest that FromSoftware is ready to leave Dark Souls behind.
Elden Ring's connection to Game of Thrones' George R.R. Martin will hopefully give it a distinct feel separate from Dark Souls. However, a fantasy theme regardless of writing, will most likely scratch the itch for many fans. That might make a potential new Dark Souls entry less appealing in the future following Elden Ring's release.
If Dark Souls 4 were to be in the works, it would need to really change its setting up in a way to keep things interesting while also sharing DNA with its predecessors. It would need to show a side of fantasy not yet explored in Dark Souls, Demon's Souls, or Elden Ring to keep the interest of fans. While that might be possible, Elden Ring seems to already be doing that so it might limit where Dark Souls 4 could actually go. Either way, fans of the series looking for a new take in a potentially stale setting will have to be satisfied with Elden Ring.
Elden Ring is Adding to the Dark Souls Formula
Each FromSoftware game seems to build upon the ones that came before it, so it's likely that Elden Ring is going to be an amalgamation of every From Soft game released so far. The obvious similarities to Dark Souls and Demon's Souls have been stated above, but it also is taking a page out of Sekiro's book by having a jumping mechanic that's adding a new level of verticality to the world. Dark Souls 3's focus point meter might make a return to be connected to the many different magic weapon powerups that were showcased in the trailer. Popular systems from Bloodborne might make returns as well, but nothing concrete has been seen on that front.
Not only is Elden Ring borrowing from other games the studio's made, but it's also adding plenty of its own ideas to the mix. The open-world setting will likely give players a new sense of exploration, discovery, and ownership over their journey, as well as creating new pacing not yet seen in previous games.
The addition of a ridable mount is also going to change the gameplay in a drastic way. Plenty of games have added things like horses to help the player traverse open worlds, but Elden Ring is making its horned horse an instrumental part of the gameplay. Combat and giant boss encounters can take place on its back opening the game up for endless possibilities never before seen in the likes of a FromSoftware game.
All of this innovation is leaving a direct return to the Dark Souls series in the dust. While it wouldn't be unheard of for Dark Souls 4 to change some things up in a major way, changing things this much might leave die-hard fans of previous games resistant to it. At this point, FromSoftware is evolving past Dark Souls and leaping to greater heights. That's not to say that the original Dark Souls trilogy is bad or outdated, just that From has already done all that they've needed to in order to make that series what it is. Returning to it post-Elden Ring might feel like a regression of the studio and limit it to making the same games that they've made for over a decade.
Elden Ring will launch January 21, 2022, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One with next-gen upgrades to follow.
