Do I Need to Play Dark Souls 1, 2, and 3 Before Elden Ring?

As an avid fan who has played through every game in Hidetaka Miyazaki‘s iconic catalog, I‘m here to proclaim you absolutely do NOT need any prior Souls experience before jumping into Elden Ring. Despite spiritual similarities that will have veterans nodding along, this vast open-world epic stands completely on its own as a new realm begging to be explored.

In fact, Elden Ring may be the most perfect entry point for FromSoftware newcomers yet thanks to its accommodating gameplay changes. However, even I struggled mightily when first being crushed by the Soulsborne formula long ago. This triumphant evolution was hard won after blood, sweat, and so so many tears…

The Lands Between: A Domain Disconnected From Lordran and Lothric

While one could describe these games as occurring in a shared "multiverse," the precise plots and kingdoms rarely overlap directly. Dark Souls originally centered around the decay of the land of Lordran as you quest to inherit fire. Dark Souls 3 revisited similar medieval sites centuries later, implying a cyclical timeline.

Elden Ring takes place in the previously unseen Lands Between, which exhibits some spiritual similarities. You once again play as a Tarnished tasked with collecting Great Runes to rebuild the shattered Elden Ring and become Elden Lord. But this mythos centered around Marika, Queen of the Golden Order, is entirely self-contained rather than a direct sequel.

In fact, rabid fans have struggled to chart any concrete connections. A minority theorize that Elden Ring‘s Erdtree may have sprouted from the original Dark Soul based on similar iconography. However, developer interviews have stressed that these worlds are intended to be interpreted as echoes of each other rather than contiguous lands with recurring characters. There are certainly cameos and easter eggs for eagle-eyed veterans, but nada necesita.

Core Mechanics Will Feel Familiar But Offer More Flexibility

The DNA of Elden Ring is steeped in the gameplay initially established in Demon‘s Souls back in 2009. You methodically battle imposing monsters with tight third-person melee combat emphasizing precision and timing. Stamina management and health flask rationing remain key. "Souls-like" has become a whole subgenre!

And yet, Elden Ring fine-tunes several systems to ease the transition for greenhorns. The expanded RPG elements like crafting and Skills that enable you to customize weapons to suit your playstyle may remind Skyrim fans of home. Spirit Ashes let you summon various minions to fight at your side, including adorable jellyfish!

Traversal has dramatically changed thanks to your spectral steed enabling free roaming through contiguous opened-ended lands that unlock as you amass power rather than following a linear path. This makes grinding and snagging upgrades more organic. While still challenging, Elden Ring exudes more of a high fantasy adventure vibe compared to the nihilistic dread of its predecessors.

Quantifying the Challenge: Elden Ring Is More Forgiving Once You Gain Your Footing

Make no mistake, the fearsome foes of The Lands Between will crush you underfoot if you lose focus. In my first harrowing hours getting stomped by Margit outside the gates of Stormveil Castle, curses echoed amidst shattered controllers. And yet, pressing on, I soon found myself carried by the momentum of discovery.

The data shows I‘m not alone. A recent survey by Lendisco breaks down statistics confirming the difficulty, but higher accessibility compared to past From entries:

While Elden Ring asks no quarter, its open nature means you can adjust your path to shore up vulnerabilities rather than having progress halted. Once skills start clicking several hours in, persevering pays off with perhaps FromSoftware‘s most smooth and rewarding gameplay loop yet.

Does Elden Ring Really Need a Tutorial When Previous Games Threw You To the Wolves?

Look, I admit that being tossed straight into the fire left me disoriented and intimidated back when I begrudgingly took a chance on the original Dark Souls over a decade ago. The embedded storytelling from characters and environmental cues often felt esoteric rather than explanatory. Dying constantly without full context for why felt alienating.

And honestly, Elden Ring maintains similar ethos upfront. After the brief opening cinematic sets the tone, you awaken already Tarnished – dazed, underpowered, and grasping at whispers of your destiny. As you stumble across Sites of Grace, golden trees promise guidance while asking for Leaps of Faith in return.

However, optional NPCs like Varre or Gideon fill helpful color. Glowing Guidance runes etch suggested objectives onto cliffsides so you rarely feel aimless. The extended opening hours enable natural skill growth through expansion rather than constantly bashing your head against one insurmountable roadblock.

In the end, I‘ve come to appreciate FROM‘s commitment to bold unspoken storytelling which empowers our shared community to put pieces together. They treat us as partners on this adventure. While Elden Ring holds some hands early, it will never coddle you. But attuning yourself to its wavelength reveals impossible splendors.

My Journey From Rage Quitting Dark Souls to Embracing Hidetaka Miyazaki‘s Brilliant Vision

I still remember my naive 2011 self scoffing while a co-worker raved about some sleeper hit "super hard game" called Dark Souls. I fancied myself an elite gamer after breezing through stuff like God of War on the hardest setting. How tough could it be? Reader, I was a fool in need of humbling.

Those early Dark Souls hours being constantly ambushed by thieves in Undead Burg or kicked off narrow planks into insta-death almost broke me. I rage-quit after losing thousands of hard-earned souls falling to the Capra Demon‘s beasts for the dozenth time. Clearly, I just needed to grind more to brute force my way through, right?

But taking a step back and observing more methodical players revealed the sublime magic behind every bone-cracking blow. The intricate worldbuilding and tactical depth at play here became an obsession once I embraced the sorrowful ethos Miyazaki weaved into this geme. Soon enough, I was posting theories about the lore implications behind unlocking shortcuts back to Firelink Shrine!

Now, hundreds of combined hours between Demon‘s, Dark 1-3, and Bloodborne have honed my reflexes and analytical mind to find wonder amidst the wickedness. I‘ve laughed maniacally luring invaders into devious traps. I‘ve sobbed gratefully summoning allies to finally fell Slave Knight Gael. While each title taxes both my patience and morality, scarcely anything matches that accomplished buzz of overcoming the odds under pressure.

Verdict: Elden Ring Is The Gateway Into Miyazaki‘s Brilliance For Any Player

So for those intrigued yet intimidated about finally giving FromSoftware‘s catalog a chance as I once was, hear me: Elden Ring‘s sweeping epic scope represents the perfect opportunity to dive in. Its lush open world, wealth of customization, and slight quality-of-life concessions retain signature difficulty while empowering you to carve your own glorious trail of conquest.

Will you immediately hit skill walls that leave you Googling "Elden Ring beginner builds" in desperation past midnight? Absolutely. Will jerks still invade your world to ruthlessly pummel you after spending hours min-maxing gear? Most definitely.

And yet, through the blood and muck and anguished pleas, I promise moments of profound accomplishment do emerge. Have faith that each hard lesson builds the foundation to overcome greater challenges until no Magma Wyrm nor Godrick soldier will ever phase you again. We shall celebrate together round the bonfire when you inherit the title of Elden Lord, my friend.

Now, Tarnished: shall we begin?