Rowan’s notes
Elden Ring isn’t a “dragon game” the way Skyrim is, but it has some of the best dragon encounters I have ever played. You’re riding across an open field, minding your own business, and something the size of a church comes down out of the sky.
This gameplay reveal was the first proper look at the Lands Between — the spectral steed, the golden tree glowing on the horizon, the ruined castles. FromSoftware built the world and George R. R. Martin contributed to its mythology, and you can feel both hands in it.
I’m cataloguing the reveal rather than the launch trailer because it was the moment I understood the world wouldn’t be a corridor of set pieces. The big creatures are simply part of the landscape, and that is terrifying in the best way.
Stills from the reveal
What to watch for
- The golden tree glowing over everything — it’s the compass of the whole game.
- Horseback combat. Torrent can double-jump, which still makes me laugh.
- The scale of the open fields — this is where the dragons live.
