Elden Ring absolutely dominated the news this year, so much so that I ended up writing 100 articles on it alone.
Well, 99 actually. So writing one more to celebrate the best Elden Ring stories of the year seemed like a fitting way to hit that hundred.
And so below is my ranked list of the top 20 favorites. Before that, a big thank you also to the rest of the team for their excellent media coverage. guidevideos and The essence of Aoife’s opinion.
20. Elden Ring will feature poison swamps because Miyazaki loves creating them
Prior to the game’s release, there was a lot of speculation about what types of areas Elden Ring would include. Poison Swamps seemed like an obvious choice, and it turns out Miyazaki likes them. They are in all soul games. But then, in the final version, he pushed us further and gave us Caelid.
19. Elden Ring has a tutorial problem
For all its glory, Elden Ring (and its predecessors) has been rightly criticized for its lack of accessibility options, despite being more open than before. Like many players, I completely missed the game’s tutorial – it’s hidden in a hole of all places – and players debated whether it was good or bad. Then FromSoft went and patched anyway.
18. Boundary-Breaking Video Hints At Possible Elden Ring DLC
Well, it was prophetic. Just over a week after its release, dataminers broke into the game’s inaccessible coliseums and found clues to a possible upcoming multiplayer mode. Nine months later, and that’s exactly what we got in the DLC.
17. Elden Ring modder cuts Erdtree to improve frame rate
Elden Ring had some performance issues at launch, especially on pc. Various updates have since brought improvements, but a modder took matters into their own hands when, in an effort to increase the frame rate, the Erdtree was removed entirely. You know, the iconic big glowing tree that dominates every panorama? What was lost in art was gained in playability.
16. Elden Ring speedrunner complete without dying in just 2.5 hours
It was history that blew the floodgates. Shortly after its release, one player managed to speed up the game in just two and a half hours. The next day someone else did it in less than an hour. Then it was half an hour, twenty minutes, 10 minutes… it became impossible to follow. According to speedrun.comthe record for an Any% Unrestricted run is now just 3:56.
15. Elden Ring fake wall fixed in latest patch
Elden Ring is full of mysteries and secrets, but one in particular has the community fooled: the illusory wall of Volcano Manor. After 50 hits, he would finally give way to reveal absolutely nothing useful. From Soft then fixed it a few months later, proving that it was just a problem all along.
14. More Elden Ring cut content discovered, this time Vyke’s questline
Data miners have discovered tons of in-game cut content, from collection of dreams to merchant quests, but this one really took the piss. Sekiro Dubi discovered a cut quest for a guy called Vyke. Who is he? It’s only the guy on the cover! That’s right, FromSoft had the audacity to put a guy on the cover and then remove his quest altogether.
13. The internet is way too exciting for Blaidd, the wolf-man of Elden Ring
Of all the characters in the game, who knew a sexy wolfman would attract the thirstiest? Even Blaidd’s voice actor was surprised, noting “he made a lot of noise in the furry world.” And how did that make him feel? “Warm. Excited. Cozy. And much loved.”
1 2. An Elden Ring player meets Jesus for a sacred duel
Before the Colosseum DLC, Elden Ring players flocked for a multiplayer fix. One player ended up being invaded by Jesus and Satan – two players who had a lot of fun with the character creator. Of course, all hell broke loose.
11. Twitch streamer completes Elden Ring, Sekiro and Soulsborne games in a single no-hitter run
Completing Elden Ring alone is hard enough. But what about finishing it without getting hit? What about doing this after finishing all the other Soulsborne games released? Twitch streamer dinoscindgeil wasn’t the first to complete God Run 3, as is well known, but it’s an incredibly impressive feat.
ten. A player in the Elden Ring comes across an unknown invisible boss
Mods are dangerous. YouTuber MythyMoo found this out the hard way while playing Elden Ring with a random item and boss. Things took a turn when an unknown invisible boss appeared, somewhat unfairly increasing the game’s considerable challenge but likely the result of a glitch. Still, the streamer spent hours dissecting the game and strategizing to ultimately win anyway.
Following the release of The Elden Ring, fans speculated about the extent of Game of Thrones author George RR Martin’s involvement in the game beyond a quick fact sheet on names and names. traditions. Then, in October, it turned out he hadn’t even played the game. Apparently he’s too busy being an author and writing a highly sought-after book or whatever.
8. Elden Ring players discover underwear cut from last game
More cut content, this time stylish underwear. The Deathbed Smalls were impossible to obtain in-game without cheating, although some lucky players got their hands on these pearly pants, which eventually led to a update to prevent cheating. Big shout out to Tom for the strap on this one: “A thong of ice and fire” is awesome.
seven. What would Elden Ring look like as a CRPG?
Elden Ring has inspired a lot of art over the past year, but I particularly like this CRPG recreation. YouTuber Flurdeh used camera tools to change the perspective of the game, turning the dark world of Miyazaki into miniature dioramas. It’s lovely.
6. What if Elden Ring was a SNES game?
Alright, one more. I have a thing for old JRPGs from the SNES era and this 64-Bit Elden Ring recreation really hit the nerve of nostalgia. A beautiful pixelated Erdtree, Mode 7 world map, and screen-filling bosses. I need this to be a reality.
5. An Elden Ring player hides in a bush for three hours to thwart a Runic Farmer
Some pesky trolls spent time farming runes by hiding in inaccessible areas until the invaders got bored and left, instead of just playing the game normally. One player, however, had had enough and dragged the troll by – what else? hid in a bush for three hours.
4. Let Me Solo Her Receives a Congratulatory Sword from Editor Elden Ring
Elden Ring, like all Soulsborne games, is known for its high difficulty. But one player has become a mainstay in the community for his services to Tarnished around the world. After single-handedly killing Malenia – the game’s most infamous boss – a thousand times on behalf of other struggling players, Bandai Namco gifted them a sword as a thank you. Absolutely deserved.
3. Elden Ring boss beaten with a real banana
A dance mat. A harp. A Fisher Price Controller. Elden Ring fans have come up with a host of creative ways to control the game. But the prize for the weirdest controller surely goes to Super Louis 64 who snagged a real bunch of bananas to play the game and managed to beat the first major boss without skidding.
2. Elden Ring’s Pacifist Turtle Pope Wins Altered Battle Royal
Who would win in an Elden Ring boss battle royale? That’s what YouTuber BjornTheBear set out to find out, modding every creature in the game in one epic battle. And the winner? The pacifist Turtle Pope of course, who stood still and won by default without lifting a limb. Praise the dog!
1. I bought Elden Ring runes on eBay so you don’t have to
Runes are the primary currency in the Elden Ring, allowing players to upgrade skills, purchase items, and more. Runic farming then became a big deal, as players searched for shortcuts to glory. The biggest shortcut of all, however, was buying races on eBay from other players with real money. I went undercover and that’s exactly what I did, buying 2 million runes on the black market. It was like meeting a drug dealer. I felt dirty. I quickly deleted my save file. Was it worth it? No, except to bring you this whole investigative report.
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