Everything that makes the Dark Souls games great is being ramped up for Elden Ring and its large open world, including multiplayer support.
According to the latest Play magazine issue, developer FromSoftware has made several improvements to its matchmaking system to encourage players to actually find the right (skilled) online companions for the right job.
The improvements however are “consciously” being made by the developer to potentially reduce the challenge players might face during combat when alone.
Elden Ring, for example, will feature social spaces where players can spend time interacting and making new connections. These social spaces will apply for online cooperative gameplay, as well as player-versus-player elements in the form of invasions in apparently a dedicated one-on-one arena mode.
“Any barrier to entry [multiplayer] is being very consciously dismantled by the team. There’s less emphasis on spending currency to interact with players online; you can now group up with specific players, prioritizing finding messages left by your friends or summoning signs from – say – the pals you play Destiny 2 with.”
Elden Ring sees Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki collaborating with A Song Of Ice And Fire author George R. R. Martin. FromSoftware previously confirmed that Martin has helped build the world of the game. The latest Play magazine issue provides more insight by noting that Martin not only built the world and its lore but also its characters including all of the ghoulish demigods and their sanctuaries such as the nameless demigod with multiple limbs from the trailer.
Elden Ring has been described by Miyazaki as a Dark Souls game with an open world, and just like any open-world game, players will not have to follow a singular route for progression. If they find themselves stuck on a particular boss, they can keep exploring to level up before returning. That or use the new matchmaking social elements to find highly skilled players.
Elden Ring will release for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and PC on January 28, 2022.
