Possibly the best game I've ever played to date.

Going into the game as my first FromSoft and Soulsborne game, I didn't really have any high expectations of what was to come. With most games I play, I usually play for 3-4 hours in one session and call it quits for the day - but with Elden Ring? I'm spending upwards to 10 hours a day playing it. It's just that good.

While yes, I do have over 80 hours played at the time of writing this review, I'm still not entirely finished with the game. I'm currently at the endgame of the base game and still have tons to explore and do (not to mention the DLC I have started a few hours ago).

Now for the game itself: Yes, it's good. The art direction, voice acting and lore are unlike any other I've seen before. Sure, the graphics don't look too "realistic" either, but the great art direction and style make up for it - giving it a rich world surrounded by some colorful and great looking regions in the world itself.

If this is your first FromSoft (or Soulsborne) game like it was mine, don't go into it expecting it to be easy from the get-go. It was hard. General enemy types used to kill me left and right at the start of the game, but with enough patience and progressing through the story, I've managed to overcome even the strongest of foes the game had to offer.

Should you buy it? Absolutely.

Had it recommended to me by a bunch of friends. Was very skeptical at first, thinking that I would either ragequit or feel crushed by frustrating fights. Ironically, I found myself bearing the mentality of "Just one more go" everytime I retry a boss. The dopamine spike that you get from killing a boss you've spent a lot of time on is unmatched.

The game is big, insanely big, giving you a lot of places to explore and always come back to something that you might've initially missed. The weapon variety give you a lot of options and allows for a lot of replayability.
Other than that, I truly believe that the game also helps you learn to concentrate a lot in crucial moments, which doesn't necessarily have to pertain to videogames.

For my first souls game, I'm really impressed and wish to discover some of the previous iterations later down the line.
If you've got it wishlisted or heard from friends but you still remained uncertain as I was, I highly recommend that you give it a go.

Every time you sit in my place,I do wanna say：
This world out of time.
Old time out of mind.
I’m down to your drain.
Oh, don’t leave me behind,
without you I would cry.
Cause only you my babe,
only you can conquer time.
——by a Tarnished which one is Melina’s puppy.

Derived from a song named My Jinji