This has been keeping me away from my pins which is a feat in itself. Absolutely astounding game, it's truly a work of art.

Edit: I didn't post any tips/tricks! One is to simply back off and turn tail from anything which is wrecking you. The game doesn't hold your hand and tell you when something is too powerful to take on - it'll just let you get pummelled over and over again. The Tree Sentinal right at the start is a prime example.

Another thing to try - ditch the shield and go with 2 swords it's amazing. Especially 2 of the same kind you get all new specific combos. I'm rocking 2 katanas at the moment and its all kinds of ace (you have to get good at dodging though).

Seriously - this is the best piece of advice ever if this is your first FROM Software game - do not be afraid to use google and places like the wiki to look things up:

https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Elden+Ring+Wiki

It does not mean you are failing - there is an absolute TONNE of stuff in this you can miss if you haven't played Demons/Dark Souls games before, and honestly these games are deliberately obtuse its all part of their charm.

I've played through every other game to completion but i've still had to use a guide to progress some of the NPC side quests - and believe me some of the stuff you see during the side quests are even more spectacular than the main game.

My time on this now seems to consist of either:

1) Getting absolutely SMASHED by everything in whatever latest area I've found.

2) Going back to previous bosses/dungeons that I couldn't do before - laughing in their face and then proceeding to decimate them with my (now significantly upgraded) swords.

I mentioned it above, but this has been much more enjoyable for me since ditching the shields. Put a weapon of the same type in each hand (2 katanas, 2 flails etc) and the block button becomes a "whirling dance of death" button instead.

I'd also say put some priority on:

- upgrading your weapons with stones - don't just keep levelling up your character without upgrading your tools the benefit is really diminshed
- investing a bit in vigour when you level up - it just saves you from getting killed in one hit all the time. When you can take a few more hits it's less frustrating.

I've just re-specced my character for the second time... just slightly....

First build was a DEX/INT katana wielding sorcerer, I then decided to ditch magic and go full DEX and use a bow for range, which was infinitely better. However, I've just found another sword called "Rivers of Blood" that requires 20 Arcane. I just had to have this immediately so removed the remaining points I had in INT (for Moonveil) and dumped them in ARC instead. Now have a monster Nagakiba +18 in one hand and Rivers of Blood +8 in the other, which is some sweet weaponage right there... I'm still getting my ass kicked though.

I'm pretty much on the end stretch of the game now (I think).

What a ride its been, I honestly don't know how any game I play next is going to measure up. I may just have to start this again on NG+ and maybe go through as a different build. I did use online groups and guides so I've seen most of what the game has to offer (in terms of side quests etc). Amazing really - I found some of the side quests to be the most epic parts of the game, and a lot of people could miss them out entirely!

It has been rage inducing just a few times - and this is coming from someone who has finished all the other games in the series. On the whole though, I think I'd put this down as my all time best game ever - maaaaaybe just possibly tied with Resident Evil 4. It's an absolutely astounding achievement - I still can't quite fathom the scale of the world they've built here. Yes it doesn't have much "interaction" outside of hitting things with your sword, but the variety on offer and the way it's all seemlessly stitched together is nothing short of jaw-dropping.

There are only a handful of games that stand out in my mind so vividly and have had such a big impact. This is literally the kind of game I would have dreamed of playing when I was a young lad (way back in the 80's). I'm a lot older now and it takes a lot to wow me, but hats off to all involved, it's been a pleasure and a privilege to play something so brilliantly well designed and executed.

So all finished last night. 104 hours on the clock, and level 145.

I think I did pretty much all the side quests and optional stuff besides the red guy who sits in the Roundtable Hold, because he gave me a key which I never used (I didn't find his cell in the sewer, but I did find the boss down there).

Don't think I've ever played a game with such consistent quality, and even after 104 hours it still had it's hooks into me I still could have gone on and done a lot more. Nevertheless, as far as game content is concerned, this goes way beyond what's expected.

The question now is - what can I possibly play that will measure up to this? Everything else is going to seem very underwhelming. Well I have Rick and Morty (pinball) arriving next week that'll certainly help ha ha...

Me too - and I used it a lot, because I'd rather be able to get through the bosses with a little bit of challenge, instead of bashing my head against the wall trying to defeat the impossible.

If i'm totally honest it did make some bosses a little on the easy side. Malenia is one that everyone seemed to struggle with but only took me 2 or 3 attempts with the mimic. I like that it gives you the option though - if you do want the sheer wall of difficulty you can always solo them.

I have a feeling I basically did this game on "easy level"? Dual katanas (+25 Nagakiba and +10 Rivers of Blood), and I always summoned my fully upgraded mimic tear - none of the bosses really gave me much trouble at all. Malenia and Maliketh took 2 attempts, Godfrey, Radagon and last boss all went down first try. Are you guys doing bosses solo? I just didn't want the head banging frustration of trying that...

Think the only ones that gave me any trouble were the 2 commanders (Niall and O'Neal). They were gits.

I was just posting in another forum about this game, how good it was and the impact its had. Since finishing it, I've tried to move on to other things but I just find everything else so unengaging and average and it's basically almost ruined other games for me.

Its such a masterpiece, I can't even begin to describe the admiration I have for the whole team responsible for making it. The time that must have been spent on every little aspect of it from the world and enemy designs, to the artwork, the camera work (how good are those vistas you get to the final dungeon areas eg, when you look out across the lakes and see Raya Lucaria in the distance), the mechanics etc... Everything is just such top quality.

Just hoping they can get some DLC out for it soon, I wanna dive back in - but really to explore a few new areas.