One of Elden Ring's producers has revealed how long it will take to complete the game's main story if players aren't drawn in by the vast world and side quests.
Speaking in an interview for Taipei Game Show 2022, Yasuhiro Kitao stated that the runtime "will differ significantly by player, but in terms of the targets set during development, the idea is that the main route should be able to be completed within around 30 hours." This would put Elden Ring's completion time roughly on par with previous FromSoftware titles, including Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Bloodborne.
Kitao went on to say, "The game as a whole is quite massive, and contains many dozens more hours worth of gameplay, but if we are talking about the main route only, it shouldn't take much longer than that." Kitao also stated that it's not necessarily intended for players to complete the entirety of the game in one sitting and that "technically it's impossible to reach 100 percent" in one playthrough. Branching storylines and endings have been a motif of FromSoftware games, so players would either need to start a fresh save or continue with New Game Plus to see everything the game has to offer.
"Like our other titles, the game features replayability features," Kitao continued. "After clearing the game the first time, you can carry across your character data and play the game again, against powered-up enemies." He further noted players will take equipment with them back to the start of the game in New Game Plus.
In past FromSoftware titles, players had to complete multiple game cycles to obtain certain items. In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it was impossible to collect every piece of Lapis Lazuli, a rare upgrade material, without playing through New Game Plus. Players were required to accomplish this to max out every Prosthetic Tool and complete the related achievement.
Elden Ring is one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2022, alongside titles such as God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West. Various pieces of information are starting to filter through about the game, with one leak revealing the character creation system for Elden Ring.
Elden Ring was announced in 2019 and takes place in the fictional realm of the Lands Between, where players will take control of one of The Tarnished. Game director and FromSoftware veteran Hidetaka Miyazaki asked A Song of Ice and Fire author George R. R. Martin to create the general backstory and lore for the game. While Elden Ring is heavily inspired by Norse mythology, Miyazaki also cites The Lord of the Rings and The Eternal Champion series as major influences.
Elden Ring releases on Feb. 25 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Source: YouTube