10 Best Open-World Video Games Of 2022
2. Elden Ring
One of the most anticipated games in recent memory, there was a lot of goodwill riding on Elden Ring to be a success. Taking the FromSoftware formula into a more expansive direction could’ve diluted the precision of previous games or, in fact, overwhelmed new players.
Elden Ring is not a survival horror game by any measure but it does elicit the same feelings of “I love this but I also don’t want to be here”. The Lands Between are a gorgeous place with a prevailing atmosphere of oppression and danger that persists throughout. Every new area summons feelings of intrigue as well as a fear of the unknown, as your doom could be lurking around any corner.
The most important thing the game does however is to do away with some expected parts of the open world blueprint. A lack of a quest log sounds worrisome at first but instead helps players to craft their own Elden Ring journey. Without a checklist of quests to do, exploration takes a more prominent seat - which is great, because the Lands Between is huge and crammed with secrets.
Moreover, it allows the player to determine what’s important to their own adventure. Once they stop dying to the Fire Giant that is… what a bastard.