Elden Ring

The Elden Ring has shattered, the demigods who hold its shards have gone to war and rot, and you are a Tarnished called back to claim the throne. As always with FromSoftware, the story is told in fragments: item descriptions, ruined architecture and NPCs who speak in riddles. The world-building, with contributions from George R. R. Martin, is the most layered the studio has produced.

Elden Ring key art

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Deliberate, stamina-based combat with a wider toolbox than earlier Souls games: jumping attacks, guard counters, Ashes of War that change weapon skills, and spirit summons that can turn a fight. Bosses are spectacular and often brutal, especially in the late game.

Hundreds of weapons, sorceries and incantations across strength, dexterity, faith, intelligence and arcane builds, each viable to the end. Respeccing becomes available once you reach a certain NPC, which encourages trying something new.

Hard, but the open world is a difficulty slider in disguise: if a boss walls you, explore elsewhere, level up and come back. Summons and co-op make almost everything beatable with patience.

Locked at 60 fps on PC, with traversal stutter that patches have reduced but not removed. Valve rates it Verified on Steam Deck, where it runs at a steady 30 with sensible settings.