The game at the top of many gamers' E3 wish list wasElden Ring. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait very long oncethe E3 2021 seasonstarted, 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 Ringmight also be inadvertently impacting one of the studio’s other franchises:Dark Souls. As more and more information aboutElden Ringcomes to light, the likelihood of aDark Souls 4seems to be diminishing withElden Ring’s striking resemblance to the series. While studio president Hidetaka Miyazaki said that there were no plans forDark Souls 4back in 2015, fans have hoped for a return to the series anyway. However,Elden Ringseems to be putting those hopes to rest.
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Elden Ring’s Return to FromSoftware Form
FromSoftware’s most recent games have branched out in major ways fromthe originalDemon’s Soulsformulathat the first twoDark Soulsgames borrowed heavily from.Bloodbornechanged 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 3was something of a return to form afterBloodborne,but still introduced plenty of new elements that kept theSoulsgameplay 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 toBloodborne’s departure. After changing things up in such a major way forSekiro,Elden Ringlooks to be going back to the more traditional gameplay musings of theDark Soulsseries.
Back are shields and the wide variety of weapon types and classes that theDark Soulsgames were known for. When assessing the snippets of gameplay from the trailer, it looks like the combat system is far closer to the likes ofDark Souls 3thanSekiro,Bloodborne, or anything else. While the use of shields wasn’t prominently featured intheElden Ringtrailer, some of the player characters held shields of varying sizes and shapes which suggests that players who relied on them inDark SoulsandDemon’s Soulswill be able to stay safe behind their shields once again.
If shields are back, it means that the aggressive play fromBloodborneand the posture management fromSekiromay be dropped in favor of dodge rolling and stamina management from the games of Soulslikepast. If theDark Soulscombat modelbeing revived, it means thatDark Souls 4might just be made under the alternate title,Elden Ring,and never actually see the light of day. However, ifElden Ringcan perfect the series' combat, thenDark Souls 4might never need to exist in the first place.
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Darks Souls' Dark Fantasy in Elden Ring
In addition to gameplay departures,BloodborneandSekiroalso departed from theDark Souls' classic dark fantasy setting in favor of gothic horror and fantasized feudal Japan. Despite not being an entry in theDark Soulsseries,Elden Ringis 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 leaveDark Soulsbehind.
Elden Ring’s connection toGame of Thrones' George R.R. Martinwill hopefully give it a distinct feel separate fromDark Souls. However, a fantasy theme regardless of writing, will most likely scratch the itch for many fans. That might make a potential newDark Soulsentry less appealing in the future followingElden Ring’s release.
IfDark Souls 4were 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 inDark Souls,Demon’s Souls, orElden Ringto keep the interest of fans. While that might be possible,Elden Ringseems to already be doing that so it might limit whereDark Souls 4could actually go. Either way, fans of the series looking for a new take in a potentially stale setting will have to be satisfied withElden 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 thatElden Ringis going to be an amalgamation of every From Soft game released so far. The obvious similarities toDark SoulsandDemon’s Soulshave been stated above, but it also is taking a page out ofSekiro’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 fromBloodbornemight make returns as well, but nothing concrete has been seen on that front.
Not only isElden Ringborrowing 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, butEldenRingis 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 theDark Soulsseries in the dust. While it wouldn’t be unheard of forDark Souls 4to 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 pastDark Soulsand leaping to greater heights. That’s not to say that the originalDark Soulstrilogy 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 Ringmight feel like a regression of the studio and limit it to making the same games that they’ve made for over a decade.
Elden Ringwill launch July 16, 2025, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One with next-gen upgrades to follow.
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