I feel like this has become a somewhat contentious topic as of recent. Upon release, ER was heralded as a grand new direction for soulslikes, praised for its seamless open world, amazing bosses and freedom of choice. It's regarded as one of the best open world games, being put in the same conversations as games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
However, not everyone seems to resonate with the game equally: repetive mini bosses and dungeons, rather empty open stretches in the overworld, leading to the feeling of just being funneled from one boss to another (at least on repeat playthroughs). Its lack of tight linearity compared to "classic" soulslikes is also brought up as a negative sometimes, with people wishing for more tight and honed experiences.
What's your guys' thoughts on this? I feel like Elden Ring is owed a huge deal since it's the de facto soulslike that's brought in millions of players who would never have touched a soulslike ever. It's debatable whether it's the best entry point, but its impact is undeniable.
I vibe with tighter experiences personally but still like Elden Ring and am coming around to it more and more playing the DLC. I think I might have spoiled the fun out of the game by watching entire playthroughs on YouTube before playing, thus already knowing most of what's in the game.
These can be true statements from players with different engagement levels.
If you only do the content you stumble across toward the end, it may well feel boundless.
But if you cleared every annoying catacomb, every gaol, etc then you start to see the seams and artifice.
I guess the boss funneling is accurate, because the entry toward the Morgott bottleneck is technically a funnel.
In fairness I adore the bosses because they made me level up as a player and now Consort Radahn is my absolute favorite boss to spank.
The real universal praise should be for the jump button ๐