Summary
Elden Ringenthusiasts are still waiting for the announced Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, which doesn’t have a release date yet. Because it’s an expansion, there’s likely little chance that it will compete withElden Ring’s base game in terms of how immense its open-world is, and nor is it confirmed that the expansion will take place within such a setting. It seems obvious that it might sinceElden Ringis an open-world game and translating its crafting and exploration mechanics would only be natural, though, and that lends itself to another potentially rich experience while searching every nook and cranny.
Ever sinceElden Ringcame out, FromSoftware fans have been vocal about their hopes that the studio will return to developing linear, tighter Soulslikes.
Of course,FromSoftware’s entire history of SoulslikesbeforeElden Ringoperated within claustrophobic yet engaging environments that players could get lost in, unlike howElden Ring’s Lands Between is a sprawling vista. No matter what, FromSoftware’s next Soulslike game will disappoint fans on either side of the fence whether it is open-world or linear, but pacing itself between both genres could help satiate both in the long run.
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FromSoftware Should Follow Elden Ring with a Linear Soulslike
If FromSoftware followedElden Ringwitha linear Soulslike game likeBloodborne, it could help to create some distance betweenElden Ring’s influence. It might also make sense from a logistics standpoint for FromSoftware to take some time before its next open-world game, particularly because conjuring such an enormous world for one game may have taken a toll that another open-world game immediately after would only exacerbate.
Unless FromSoftware’s next open-world game also took place in the Lands Between thatElden Ringestablished, that would understandably take a lot more development time between releases. Instead, a linear Soulslike would obviously feel much smaller and shorter in comparison, but fans would probably enjoy that distinction for the sake of convenience.
Elden Ringcan be played infinitely with new quests, endings, or interactions to discover after 100 hours, and that might not be as appealing now as it waswhenElden Ringwas a novelty for FromSoftware. The studio has demonstrated it could put out an extraordinary open-world Soulslike game, but returning to that genre so soon might make it feel a bit stale.
FromSoftware Could Stagger Open-World and Linear Soulslikes Equally
The formula that might best accommodate FromSoftware’s talents could be to stagger open-world and linear Soulslike games for the foreseeable future. This would mean that a linear title followsElden Ringwith an open-world title following it, and so on. This too could become formulaic and stale, but for the next decade at least it could be a decent way to diversify whatFromSoftwaredecides to put out, especially if it also plans to continue its newly refurbishedArmored CoreIP in the meantime.
FromSoftware certainly doesn’t seem like the kind of developer to lean too heavily into an established pattern, with some games receiving a lengthy franchise of sequels and others only having a single entry to their name, and it’s anyone’s guess what its direction will be onceShadow of the Erdtreelaunches. Until then, other Soulslikes will attempt to achieve that same favor, and it will be interesting to see how the subgenre progresses.
Elden Ring
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ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
