Summary
As open-world games have become more prevalent, so has the ‘Stepping-out’ moment. These moments are when the player steps out into the game’s open world for the first time, usually coming after a short prologue set in a smaller location. While stepping-moments have often become synonymous with Bethesda’s range of beloved RPGs, they appear frequently acrossthe open-world genre, and that includes games likeElden Ring.
As the first truly open-world FromSoftware game,Elden Ringhad a lot to prove. Though FromSoft had already proven time and time again that it was excellent at making open-ended locations with a distinct style and great level design, translating that to a fully-fledged open-world structure is no easy feat. But against all odds,Elden Ringpulled it off, and its recently released Shadow of the Erdtree expansion continues to build on the base game’s stellar open-world design, delivering a plethora of new, breathtaking stepping-out moments along the way.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s Stepping-Out Moments Go Above and Beyond
The Importance of a FromSoftware Stepping-Out Moment
Stepping-out moments haven’t always been a big talking point for most FromSoftware games, but they’ve been there since the very beginning. ThefirstDark Soulshas quite a few memorable stepping-out moments, from the time players open the Undead Asylum doors and see Lordran for the first time, to the moment they walk down those Anor Londo steps and see the magnificent city below. The same can be said for the rest of theDark Soulsseries, withDark Souls 3’s Irithyll taking the player’s breath away the moment they leave the catacombs.
While theseFromSoftware stepping-out momentsare an immediate showcase of the location’s distinct art style and environmental design, they play a much more subtle role in the player’s experience. Upon seeing these sprawling locations for the first time, the player is likely to be hit with a sense of excitement, knowing that they’ll get to explore every inch of this new location. Over time, it’s been cemented that these locations are filled with interesting new enemy types, epic bosses, and exciting new weapons, spells, and armor pieces, which fuels that initial excitement even further.
For a gigantic open-world game likeElden Ring, these stepping-out moments become even more vital, acting as a constant reminder that there’s always more to explore, and granting the game a truly grandiose sense of scale. Some of the most impressive stepping-out moments inElden Ring’s base game are those related to itsoptional areas, such as the Haligtree and Siofra River. These stepping-out moments feel even more rewarding as it feels as though the player has discovered something few others have.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Has Some of the Biggest and Best Stepping-Out Moments
Essentially a condensed version of the fullElden Ringopen-world experience,Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLCis filled with stepping-out moments, some of which are even more impressive than those in the base game. With a much more vertical map,Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeis able to hide far more of its stepping-out moments, making each one feel like a significant discovery on the player’s part. Of course, Shadow of the Erdtree’s stepping-out moments also feature some stellar environmental and visual design as well as some expert framing that reinforces the impressive scale and size of the DLC.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
