Elden Ring

I went into Elden Ring expecting Dark Souls with a bigger map. What I got was one of the most densely realised open worlds I have ever explored, wrapped around the most satisfying combat FromSoftware has ever designed.

The Lands Between is genuinely awe-inspiring. Every cliff edge hides a dungeon. Every fog gate hides a memory. The sense of discovery never dims across 80+ hours of play, which is an extraordinary achievement for any game let alone one this mechanically demanding.

Combat is where Elden Ring earns its legacy. The addition of jumping attacks, Spirit Ashes, and the sheer variety of viable builds makes this the most accessible FromSouls game without ever feeling dumbed down. Margit, Godrick, Rennala — each boss is a masterclass in design that teaches you the game's language before ramping the stakes impossibly high.

My only genuine gripe is the mid-to-late game dungeon repetition. By the time you've cleared your fourth Erdtree Burial Ground with identical layout and enemy placement, the novelty wears thin. The endgame bosses also lean too hard on hyper-aggression, which can feel cheap rather than challenging.

On PS5 the experience is polished to a near mirror shine. Load times are instant, the DualSense haptics add genuine texture to weapon impacts, and the 60fps performance mode is rock solid throughout the base game.