I like Elden Ring but second half is awful

SantaC

SantaC

Member
Second half feels rushed and not very focused. I am loving the legacy dungeons but as soon you enter the forbidden lands it turns to shit. The snow area is big and vast with too much traverse. There is barely and coop action here. It is downright boring imo. I have made countless builds but i always lose focus when i get to mountaintops of giants.

Also, i liked the catacombs the first time i played them but i have not revisted them because the rewards are 90% summon spirit ashes. Meh.

Stomveil castle is fucking fantastic though.
 
It is easily the most bloated of HM's work so far. Hands down. I will be forever stunned at how little critique this game gets in terms of design approach. Maybe once we're a few years outside of the game.

. . .and for what its worth, I came to this opinion at the exact same point in the game you did. I legit blurted out at one point "Oh god. . .more of this?"
 
Mountaintops of the Giants and Consecrated Snowfield are pretty bad areas that feel rushed and really wore me down on the whole experience, but ironically has one of the best optional areas with arguably the best boss fight in the whole game hidden within.

After that comes Farum Azula which is just absolutely dreadful and really feels like padding. Farum Azula is the moment I stopped enjoying the game.
 
SJRB said:
Mountaintops of the Giants and Consecrated Snowfield are pretty bad areas that feel rushed and really wore me down on the whole experience, but ironically has one of the best optional areas with arguably the best boss fight in the whole game hidden within.

After that comes Farum Azula which is just absolutely dreadful and really feels like padding. Farum Azula is the moment I stopped enjoying the game.
Click to expand...

Morgan Freeman Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
 
I also like it but I'm annoyed that can't ask questions. What the fuck are the factions and NPCs do? Do I help Melina and burn that fucking tree or not? Why will there be chaos then? Why does Ranni want to destroy the fingers? Why do I want to become Elden Lord and why do some people help?

So many questionable motives and I can't ask an NPC a single question in this game.

I'm utterly clueless at what I'm doing. Just killing things.
 
Touch fuzZy. get BizZay said:
Awful is too strong a word, but it's much weaker than the amazing first half
Click to expand...

For me it just feels like the game is working towards a climax once you reach the end of Leyndell but then it slaps you over the head with another HUGE area to traverse and explore, and when you finally reach the end you think you made it and the game's like "SIKE".

Really takes the wind out of the sails.
 
The only area in the 2nd half that wasn't as good is the mountain tops of giants. Lyndell is arguable frond best designed area ever and is the focal point of the 2nd half so id disagree.
 
SJRB said:
For me it just feels like the game is working towards a climax once you reach the end of Leyndell but then it slaps you over the head with another HUGE area to traverse and explore, and when you finally reach the end you think you made it and the game's like "SIKE".

Really takes the wind out of the sails.
Click to expand...
I'd agree that everything up until after Leyndell is on point, and then things become more of mixed bag. I didn't really want the game to end, I was always happy to find out there were more areas to explore. But those late game areas were just not as well designed as the early and midgame ones, generally.
 
If I had to rank my top 3 favorite areas in the game:
1. Haligtree + Elephael
2. Nokstella, Eternal City
3. Liurnia

If I had to rank my top 3 least favorite areas in the game:
1. Lake of Rot
2. Farum Azula
3. Leyndell, Ashen Capital

Mountaintop of the Giants and Consecrated Snowfield feel like they are par for the course and I love the aesthetic. I tend to skip Stormveil Castle on most playthroughs.

P.S. Also, Caelid is pretty nasty looking, but it is filled with interesting locations. Would definitely mod that out if I could.
 
Game is fantastic all the way through but Mountaintop of the Giants is the Weakest area and Limgrave was the best area and is in the beginning of the game so some of these feelings make sense.
 
When you realise how average FromSofts' transition into an "open world" really was and how asset flipped it really is then it really becomes a bore.

I totally believe Miyazaki when he said "I don't know why this was so popular"
 
NeverYouMind said:
If I had to rank my top 3 favorite areas in the game:
1. Haligtree + Elephael
2. Nokstella, Eternal City
3. Liurnia

If I had to rank my top 3 least favorite areas in the game:
1. Lake of Rot
2. Farum Azula
3. Leyndell, Ashen Capital

Mountaintop of the Giants and Consecrated Snowfield feel like they are par for the course and I love the aesthetic. I tend to skip Stormveil Castle on most playthroughs.

P.S. Also, Caelid is pretty nasty looking, but it is filled with interesting locations. Would definitely mod that out if I could.
Click to expand...
What? Caelid rocks, it's hands down one of the best areas in the game.
Traversing feels like exploring an alien world.
begotten said:
When you realise how average FromSofts' transition into an "open world" really was and how asset flipped it really is then it really becomes a bore.

I totally believe Miyazaki when he said "I don't know why this was so popular"
Click to expand...
People who cry about reused content In Elden Ring are biased.
Ask yourself how much new content did they make for any ''flipped'' asset; just look at the fucking skeletons, there's like 2 old ones and more than 10 new ones.
 
begotten said:
When you realise how average FromSofts' transition into an "open world" really was and how asset flipped it really is then it really becomes a bore.

I totally believe Miyazaki when he said "I don't know why this was so popular"
Click to expand...
For me it was the horse mechanics. I even acquired the mod to make Torrent available in the whole game (but sadly it does not work in smaller castles). Everything else is just okay.

The Cartographer said:
What? Caelid rocks, it's hands down one of the best areas in the game.
Traversing feels like exploring an alien world.
Click to expand...
It is disgusting. Like food supplies consumed by fungus and contaminated air.
 
Last edited:
ANDS said:
It is easily the most bloated of HM's work so far. Hands down. I will be forever stunned at how little critique this game gets in terms of design approach. Maybe once we're a few years outside of the game.

. . .and for what its worth, I came to this opinion at the exact same point in the game you did. I legit blurted out at one point "Oh god. . .more of this?"
Click to expand...
There's little critique because.......most of them didn't get that far.
 
The Cartographer said:
People who cry about reused content In Elden Ring are biased.
Ask yourself how much new content did they make for any ''flipped'' asset; just look at the fucking skeletons, there's like 2 old ones and more than 10 new ones.
Click to expand...

The game is Dark Souls 3 tries going open world. Including a horse.
 
Dark Souls 3 sucks ass and is linear as hell. Elden Ring doesn't and is mostly free-form.

P.S. I would enjoy Caelid more if it was overtaken by the growth of crystals instead. Otherwise, I would love to burn it all to hell.
 
Last edited:
I disagree, people say Second Half but they mostly mean The mountain of the giants, because Farum Azula and Elaphael are pretty good imo.
And that is far from second "half" its barely a quarter lol.
 
The Cartographer said:
Now that's an awful way to try do diminish Elden Ring's accomplishments.
Click to expand...

This is I think why this game is going to crash hard in retrospectives: people can't accept that you can both view ER as not being iterative in ANY arena other than iterating on FS own design and still view it as a "Good game."
 
SJRB said:
Farum Azula is the moment I stopped enjoying the game.
Click to expand...
Same. I got to the final boss (the one that everyone hates), but never beat it. As far as I'm concerned, I finished the game.

To be fair, by the time you get that far, you'll feel as though you've played the same game 3 times over, due to the sheer amount of repeated enemies and bosses :|
 
The Cartographer said:
Now that's an awful way to try do diminish Elden Ring's accomplishments.
Click to expand...

Wasn't my personal GOTY but it did deserve it. Doesn't mean it's not an overrated "open world" game that had literally everything going for it.

Only 30 reviews on MC around launch inflating it's score, which feeds into a PC and Xbox fan base starved of good AAA content. Topped with every Twitch Streamer playing it.

You're just part of a large % of people who for some reason constantly need validation over this.

If you really think this was some monumental game, then come back in 5-10 years when FromSoft develop for next generation hardware and tell me then how good your Mimic Tear Simulator really was.
 
Duchess said:
Same. I got to the final boss (the one that everyone hates), but never beat it. As far as I'm concerned, I finished the game.

To be fair, by the time you get that far, you'll feel as though you've played the same game 3 times over, due to the sheer amount of repeated enemies and bosses :|
Click to expand...

Farum Azula reminded me of Demon Ruins and Lost Izalith where the game just dunks a ton of enemies on you for no apparent reason.

In fairness I have this "late game fatigue" with every FROM game, except maybe Bloodborne. Something just happens that makes me go "yeah I'm done" and I just never bother to actually finish the run.
 
begotten said:
Wasn't my personal GOTY but it did deserve it. Doesn't mean it's not an overrated "open world" game that had literally everything going for it.

Only 30 reviews on MC around launch inflating it's score, which feeds into a PC and Xbox fan base starved of good AAA content. Topped with every Twitch Streamer playing it.

You're just part of a large % of people who for some reason constantly need validation over this.

If you really think this was some monumental game, then come back in 5-10 years when FromSoft develop for next generation hardware and tell me then how good your Mimic Tear Simulator really was.
Click to expand...
Kindly piss off with your whole ''you don't even you actually dislike it yet'' and immature projections.
If this how you want to argument shit then just give it a rest.
ANDS said:
This is I think why this game is going to crash hard in retrospectives: people can't accept that you can both view ER as not being iterative in ANY arena other than iterating on FS own design and still view it as a "Good game."
Click to expand...
Are you talking about me dismissing his claim that Elden Ring is just Dark Souls 3 trying to go open world with a horse? If you can't see at least some of the brilliance in Elden Ring's open world design then I don't know what to tell you.
 
Last edited:
The best location in the game is Limgrave, Stormveil and layndell.
The underground stuff is nice too.

But if I had to pick one, it would be limgrave
 
The Cartographer said:
Kindly piss off with your whole ''you don't even you actually dislike it yet'' and immature projections.
If this how you want to argument shit then just give it a rest.
Click to expand...

Immature projections? Do you know what that means? I think your sensitivity over your precious DLC suggests you're the one who doesn't know how to continue this discussion.
 
SJRB said:
Mountaintops of the Giants and Consecrated Snowfield are pretty bad areas that feel rushed and really wore me down on the whole experience, but ironically has one of the best optional areas with arguably the best boss fight in the whole game hidden within.

After that comes Farum Azula which is just absolutely dreadful and really feels like padding. Farum Azula is the moment I stopped enjoying the game.
Click to expand...
saved me having to post. thanks...
 
I wouldn't say awful, but you ain't wrong, the first areas towers above the rest. Farum Azula is particularly weak.
 
The Cartographer said:
Kindly piss off with your whole ''you don't even you actually dislike it yet'' and immature projections.
If this how you want to argument shit then just give it a rest.

Are you talking about me dismissing his claim that Elden Ring is just Dark Souls 3 trying to go open world with a horse? If you can't see at least some of the brilliance in Elden Ring's open world design then I don't know what to tell you.
Click to expand...

Hooboy.

. . .but yes, I was referencing that interaction. There is nothing that ER does that hasn't already been done in open world games before it, and what it did do with the open world begins to wear thin very quickly. Again, that doesn't mean it's a bad game (I bought it twice, once on PC and then on PS5 after 70 hours, because I wanted to enjoy the game on the platform that had the best performance) - just the superlatives surrounding its design are far too numerous.
 
rofif said:
The best location in the game is Limgrave, Stormveil and layndell.
The underground stuff is nice too.

But if I had to pick one, it would be limgrave
Click to expand...

Leyndell & Stormveil were standout locations because they had the blueprint of traditional FromSoft dungeon design within a shallow open world. Parts of Liurnia too.
 
SJRB said:
In fairness I have this "late game fatigue" with every FROM game, except maybe Bloodborne. Something just happens that makes me go "yeah I'm done" and I just never bother to actually finish the run.
Click to expand...
I also have this. There is something about the constant trial and error of these games combined with the length and a complete lack of story goals that drag it too thin, my enthusiasm always dries up halfway through. I usually finish the games, but it takes months of nip-and-tuck gaming.
 
begotten said:
Immature projections? Do you know what that means? I think your sensitivity over your precious DLC suggests you're the one who doesn't know how to continue this discussion.
Click to expand...
Do you? Aren't you the one who said I'm an immature person in constant need of validation?
You're the one who said that Elden Ring is nothing more than Dark Souls 3 going open world, a laughworthy statement.
I'm not even going to bother with you calling it a DLC.
ANDS said:
Hooboy.

. . .but yes, I was referencing that interaction. There is nothing that ER does that hasn't already been done in open world games before it, and what it did do with the open world begins to wear thin very quickly. Again, that doesn't mean it's a bad game (I bought it twice, once on PC and then on PS5 after 70 hours, because I wanted to enjoy the game on the platform that had the best performance) - just the superlatives surrounding its design are far too numerous.
Click to expand...
I personally can't think of any open world games that operate in the same way as Elden Ring.
Can you? Please name them.
 
The Cartographer said:
I personally can't think of any open world games that operate in the same way as Elden Ring.
Can you? Please name them.
Click to expand...

Well clearly I think most open world games "operate in the same way" as ER given that I don't think it has done much of anything in the way of evolving the genre; I think the more productive questions is what do you think ER does, that open world games didn't do before (or perhaps easier, didn't do well)?
 
I liked the aesthetics. I don't agree that it was awful. Maybe they used some similar enemies, but Farum Azula reckoned back to Dark Souls 2 and the Dragon Aerie. The mountain tops had the hands, which we had already encountered, trolls, big birds, and etc. I can say those weren't any different, but came from other areas. That doesn't mean the optional area or the bosses were bad. Aesthetically everything looked good to me.
 
ANDS said:
Well clearly I think most open world games "operate in the same way" as ER given that I don't think it has done much of anything in the way of evolving the genre; I think the more productive questions is what do you think ER does, that open world games didn't do before (or perhaps easier, didn't do well)?
Click to expand...
It's mainly two things.
Most open world games have worlds with a definite sense of progression, but Elden Ring brilliantly throws that away or mostly sideline it in a way that doesn't make the player suffer at all.
The world traversal and landmark placement operate in tandem on a bigger scale than any other titles previously released.
And just to be clear, I never claimed that Elden Ring ''evolved'' open field games, just that FROM accomplished some great things in it.
 
Last edited:
Filben said:
I also like it but I'm annoyed that can't ask questions. What the fuck are the factions and NPCs do? Do I help Melina and burn that fucking tree or not? Why will there be chaos then? Why does Ranni want to destroy the fingers? Why do I want to become Elden Lord and why do some people help?

So many questionable motives and I can't ask an NPC a single question in this game.

I'm utterly clueless at what I'm doing. Just killing things.
Click to expand...
Yeah ..

As much as I love FROM games this game convinced me the way they tell stories is utter shit.

Reading item descriptions has got to be most bollocks, unnatural way to tell a story in a video game.

I would take cutscenes any day of the week which is ironic because the few cutscenes in elden ring are actually good.
 
The Cartographer said:
It's mainly two things.
Most open world games have worlds with a definite sense of progression, but Elden Ring brilliantly throws that away or mostly sideline it in a way that doesn't make the player suffer at all.
Click to expand...

Nope. One of the most mocked examples of so-called "open world bloat" - Assassin's Creed Valhalla - does this. Gear is largely static throughout the world, with progression coming from the "presumed" power of a persons. . .Power. Much like ER (and all Soulslikes) have an "estimated level" for dungeons and encounters, ACV does the exact same thing. Previous AC's definitely have this issue, but it is something ACV developers set out to "fix" and add more freedom in the game.

The Cartographer said:
The world traversal and landmark placement operate in tandem on a bigger scale than any other titles previously released.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what this means. Traveling around on Torrent was fun, and I definitely liked the verticality of the game, but getting around in the world didn't feel particularly "novel." The layout of the world for sure is nice and does bring a bit of the "wrap around" level design from previous FS games; that's just good level design though.

The Cartographer said:
And just to be clear, I never claimed that Elden Ring ''evolved'' open field games, just that FROM accomplished some great things in it.
Click to expand...

Typically when someone talks about a games "accomplishments" (referring to the open world design of ER here) we're usually talking about something novel or unique about a games approach.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

LTTP: Elden Ring
2 3
118
5K
vodka-bull replied
Elden Ring Nightreign - Reviews Thread
2 3 4
194
3K
Azure Crystal Gaming replied
Alex Garland is on his 7th playthrough of Elden Ring
2
95
973
FoxMcChief replied
Son lost 700h+ elden ring save
2 3 4
183
2K
DeepEnigma replied
Elden Ring: Nightreign Official Launch Trailer
19
645
Schmendrick replied
Top Bottom