Bandai Namco released the official launch trailer for Elden Ring, FromSoftware's highly-anticipated open-world roleplaying game.
The epic video sets up the Lands Between, Elden Ring's grim fantasy kingdom. The cryptic narration lays out the path of The Tarnished, the nameless character players will embody on their journey to restore the titular artifact. Beyond the sweeping vistas, which comprise a variety of diverse biomes, the trailer highlights some of the game's more fearsome foes. These include a gigantic lobster with knife-like pincers and several imposing dragons, some of whom may be friendly to the quest of The Tarnished.
"Though shattered, it shall guide thee. Though fractured, it yet calls. Enact thy will. Become Lord. Seek the Elden Ring," reads the description of the video. While little is known about the plot of FromSoftware's latest project, players can look forward to a world concocted by beloved fantasy author George. R.R. Martin. While the A Song of Ice and Fire author crafted many of Elden Ring's characters and locations, game director Hidetaka Miyazaki said that Martin may be shocked by how they're depicted in the game. "That was our job to take these grand heroes and sort of misshape them and distort them into something they were not," said Miyazaki. "And I think if we get a chance to show Martin and if he gets a chance to see the game and see these characters, I think he might be a bit shocked."
Elden Ring is one of 2022's most anticipated games, largely due to the lineage of its developer. FromSoftware is largely known for creating the iconic Dark Souls series, a franchise that is widely considered to be one of the most important modern video games ever made. Categorized by its intricate level design and punishing difficulty, the Souls games have redefined how developers approach third-person action RPGs.
Beyond the similarities to Dark Souls, Miyazaki recently opened up about the various other inspirations that helped shape Elden Ring's world. "The Lord Of The Rings, The Eternal Champion series of novels by Michael Moorcock, aspects of tabletop RPGs such as RuneQuest, etc. There are a lot of motifs and themes that I was able to pick from these various works that had an effect on the development of Elden Ring," explained the director.
Elden Ring finally launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on Feb. 25.
Source: YouTube