7 Games To Play Now That You're The Elden Lord
So, you've done it. You've crushed the Elden Beast, and you've made your way to the very top to preside over The Lands Between with pride. The biggest game of the year is finally under your belt, and you can wear it like a badge of honour. And though there's still much to explore, we can't blame you for getting bored.
If there's nothing left in Elden Ring for you now that you've toppled its biggest baddies, then fear not - because there are an awful lot of games that regardless of genre, reflect the brutality and spirit of adventure that FromSoftware was able to conjure with the game.
Death's Door
Click to enlargeThough it might seem that the top-down adventure title doesn't immediately have much to do with Elden Ring, don't be so quick to judge - because the gothic indie has just enough grim goodies hidden under its surface.
With a dark sense of humour and with more greyscale beauty than you could ever need, Death's Door is a game about treading back death and taking complete control of your own fate, whether that's a good thing or not. The game's combat is tough, simple, but hugely rewarding, and the atmosphere offers unrelenting bleakness that's broken up by giggles and an admittedly adorable protagonist. If it's the moodiness of FromSoftware's works that drew you to Elden Ring, there are few better places to head afterwards.
Tunic
Click to enlargeSimilarly to Death's Door but with a much more cutesy approach, Tunic combines the explorative wonderment of classic The Legend of Zelda games and slaps some brutal Elden Ring bosses on top.
The squeaky clean world is only delightful on the surface, and as you trek further and further into its throes, you'll uncover horrors you hadn't thought imaginable with such a wonderful art style. Balancing stamina and health, combat is snappy and exciting, and if you're playing Elden Ring for the joy of exploration combined with the brutality of a hostile world, Tunic is for you.
Bloodborne
Click to enlargeOkay, this is the obvious one.
Though Dark Souls might be the natural port of call post-Elden Ring for the uninitiated with FromSoftware, Bloodborne has proven itself an absolute fan-favourite, and for good reason.
The game is dripping with atmosphere, set in a Victorian England-inspired Yharnam that's as dingy as it is truly inhospitable.
The combat, movement and gameplay are largely the same as that of Elden Ring albeit in a more restricting world - but that doesn't mean that it isn't brimming with life like The Lands Between. A gruelling and dusty experience that'll leave you desperate for more, Bloodborne may have been FromSoftware's greatest achievement before the arrival of the Tarnished. It'll kick your ass, but you'll sure as hell want to get back up again.
Dead Cells
Click to enlargeA roguelike Metroidvania that lets you kick baddies from the top of castles? Sold.
Dead Cells is a game that comes with the stench of the dungeon and rust, in a fantasy world that's rendered all the more fascinating by its intricate colour and compelling art style.
The combat feels right, and cycling through brand-new weapons sometimes multiple times per stage keeps the game constantly fresh, and with its rebirth mechanic, every death is recontextualised. It can be savage, but you'll want to keep diving in anyway and see if you can get that little bit further.
Hollow Knight
Click to enlargeA total cult favourite for good reason, Hollow Knight is perhaps one of the most immaculately designed games of the last decade.
The Metroidvania is dingy yet sweet, with combat that's easy to learn and difficult to master. It'll spring surprises on you for the length of its gameplay, changing things in areas you thought you knew like the back of your hand and introducing new mechanics that give you access to new locations and satisfying secrets you couldn't have known were there beforehand.
Its bosses are tough, the world is rich and teeming with life, and you'll be obsessed with its style from the very first moment. Sound familiar?
Ghost of Tsushima
Click to enlargeWhen it comes to beautiful worlds to explore on horseback, they don't come much finer than Tsushima.
Ghost of Tsushima quickly became a Samurai classic, and with its Director's Cut bringing the experience to the PS5, it got even better. So, there's no better time to make that trek - and it's perfect for Elden Ring fans.
Though a little easier to learn, the game's swordplay system is compelling and satisfying, making you feel like the ultimate combatant slicing through foes, and with so many baddies to chop to bits, you're not likely to run out of things to do any time soon. Ghost of Tsushima is sprawling and gorgeous, and well worth a spin if exploration was what brought you to The Lands Between.
Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order
Click to enlargeJedi: Fallen Order may have had a bumpy launch, but after ironing itself out, it has become one of the best original Star Wars experiences you can have on console, and with its combat style, it may be more akin to Elden Ring than you'd have thought.
Though the gameplay can be relatively linear, the fighting the game offers puts to use slick parries and blocks that are tough as all hell to nail - and it makes each of your encounters, whether it be with Stormtroopers or the Second Sister, hugely rewarding. Plus, it's got lightsabers, and if that isn't enough to sell you on a game, I don't know what to tell you.