I am by no means a Souls expert.
So specific I can almost remember the physical sensation of it.
Which, granted, it sometimes did.
But nowElden Ringis here and I am giving it another go.
And it’s made me remember that I only did the no-neck thingmostof the time in Dark Souls.
Real talk: when I properly take on Elden Ring I will hit the guides.
The rituals and intricacies.
I will learn where to put my points and all that jazz.
And yet that is to come.
When I kicked off Elden Ring at the weekend I was just eager to see a bit of it.
I told myself that this first sortie did not count - it was played in anticipation of a do-over.
And this bit is very important.
Okay, this is probably heresy.
But hear me out.
I play Fortnite in a way that’s counter to how I play almost every other game.
And that’s because the storm is always at my back.
I have to think: Only Forward.
Fortnite: only forward.
So I set off in Elden Ring.
Very much a come-over-here vibe to the whole place.
But how to get there?
I picked my way towards the tower and then found that I was on the coast.
Well, I suppose I could drop down these ledges.
Maybe I could travel along by the water’s edge.
JESUS what are those things on the water itself?
Better skirt around them!
I was beneath the place I wanted to get to, but I had run out of options.
Long story short: I found a cave.
Branching paths in most games make me hyperventilate - I don’t want to miss anything!
Where should I go first?
How will I remember to come back and try the other path?
Should I have brought a pen and paper?
And when that branched I picked another.
Two things: firstly, I found wonderful stuff down there.
Secondly, this is how I played the best bits of Dark Souls - the non-no-neck stuff.
You get beyond a tricky bit of combat, and you find a bonfire.
All good, so why not just be a bitspeculativefor a few minutes?
Why not just explore and see what’s around.
You give yourself a few deaths to just speculate and explore.
A holiday from your traditional way of playing.
Pick a direction and just prepare for a one-off adventure that no doubt ends in your death.
It’s how I play Fortnite.
It’s how I wish I played more of Dark Souls.
And as for Elden Ring?
Well, let’s see.
