Highlights

  • FromSoftware's next open-world game should learn from Elden Ring's vertical level design and branching paths.
  • It should also consider incorporating more direct storytelling through dialogue, while still using environmental details for deeper lore.
  • Avoiding excessive difficulty with basic enemies and being more cautious with boss design could also help future open-world projects thrive.

FromSoftware has experimented with quite a few different gameplay styles and genres over the last 30 years, from King's Field's first-person dungeon-crawling to Armored Core's faster-paced third-person combat. But of course, the gameplay style that FromSoftware is now best known for is its range of third-person action-RPGs, beginning with Demon's Souls in 2009, and being used across beloved games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and most recently, Elden Ring.

While each new action-RPG entry evolved the FromSoftware formula in a few ways, Elden Ring went above and beyond, scaling the formula up to a fully-fledged open-world game. Elden Ring contained more enemy types, more weapons, more locations, more optional content, and more bosses than any previous FromSoft game. Though it's only a DLC expansion, Elden Ring:Shadow of the Erdtree keeps that ball rolling, setting some new standards for any future open-world FromSoftware game.

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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's Rellana Fight is an Early Skill Check for Returning Players

Elden Ring: shadow of the Erdtree features some incredibly difficult bosses, and due to how early she is encountered, Rellana is one of the toughest.

What FromSoftware's Next Open-World Project Needs to Learn from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

In a recent interview with GameSpot, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that the open-world structure of Elden Ring isn't "going to become the new base or foundation" for FromSoftware's future titles, but he also went on to say that there are many different directors at the studio who want to experiment with different genres, suggesting that another open-world game could still be on the cards in FromSoftware's future. If that does happen, there are a few things FromSoftware needs to learn from Elden Ring and its recently released Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

Things FromSoftware's Next Open-World Game Should Take From Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

One major element of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree that FromSoftware should carry forward into its next open-world project is the DLC's more vertical approach to level design. While Shadow of the Erdtree still contains a sizable new open-world for players to explore, many of its new areas are stacked on top of one another, thus maximizing the map's space. This verticality also hides a lot of Shadow of the Erdtree's areas, resulting in an even more rewarding sense of exploration. Additionally, Shadow of the Erdtree features a handful of optional areas that lead into even bigger optional areas, such as the Darklight Catacombs that lead into the Abyssal Woods. These branching paths should also be carried forward, as they help to make the open-world feel even grander.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree makes a slightly controversial decision with its narrative. While most FromSoftware games let their environmental design and item descriptions tell the vast majority of the story, Shadow of the Erdtree tells the player a bit more directly through dialogue. Though it'd be divisive, it'd be a worthwhile change for future FromSoftware games to carry this forward, being a much more accessible way to enjoy the game's story. Item descriptions and environmental details could then still be used to give players a deeper understanding of the lore.

Things FromSoftware's Next Open-World Game Should Avoid From Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Though Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is an incredibly impressive expansion, there are a few elements that FromSoftware should try to avoid in any future open-world projects. Difficulty has been a major point of conversation following Shadow of the Erdtree's release, and though some of the discourse seems exaggerated, there are still some valid criticisms that should be heard. For instance, basic enemies probably shouldn't be able to kill the player in just one or two hits, especially when they're frequently presented in a group of 3–6 enemies.

FromSoftware also needs to be a little more careful with its boss design. Though many of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's bosses feel completely fair to fight, there are one or two in the DLC that take FromSoft's infamous difficulty a little too far. These bosses boast some absurdly long attack chains, some of which feel impossible to dodge even with perfect timing and an extended stamina meter. Difficulty is a key part of FromSoftware's games, but Shadow of the Erdtree should remind FromSoftware to not take things too far.