Starting My First Elden Ring Conquest Playing As A Prisoner
Haven't been able to buy games, but thanks to a close friend in New York, I finally got to play Elden Ring from my Steam account. Downloading it took 5hrs, but once it was complete, I started the game like no tomorrow, and chose the first one I was comfortable with. Though, I spent most of my time making my character look good, and just fast-track the class and keepsake choices.
One of the weirdest things noticeable about my prisoner is that I have a sword, but can switch between my shield and staff. I didn't tweak my reflex well enough to parry, dodge, and maneuver enemies yet, so I used the staff for quick damages. For some reason, the staff is more OP than the sword, despite costing me FP.
It's nice to see a post-launch game having so much online presence, that the messages I get across are filled with so many helpful tips. Why, there were some that told me there were hidden passages on the wall. I couldn't find them or any way to unveil them. Then I found one message saying "liar ahead". So I googled about this, and turns out there were players gaslighting newcomers into doing stuff similar and so on.
So I picked a prisoner class, with stats allowing me to play both a swordsman and a mage. I didn't think about which one I should only stick to, because I wanted to understand the fundamentals before deciding on what class type I'd stick to.
As I kept playing, it was less fighting enemies and more like trying to be tentatively curious. Based on my prior experience from Dark Souls, I'd never know if I could get killed or not if I wasn't being careful. But it was because of how alluring the game seemed the first half
And the baits also kept coming, playing in the Stranded Graveyard is just for the tutorial. The game teaching me the basics, and already I've been imposed by the messages here and there that there's something to uncover. Something to jump for, cross, look into, a lot of trolls were having fun.
Least there was something to appreciate about the Gothic interiors, inside the cave. A shining tree, a ghostly apparition staring down something he can't reach, and me jumping on top as if I've triumphed something. I didn't die from the boss battle I had in there, that guy was too easy, and I wasn't even in focus.
And as I got out, I met this guy named Varré, who sort of told me to follow the light that goes to Lost Graces, he also made jokes about how I'll get pummeled because of how broken the world is thanks to the Elden Ring. I took that as a dare, and tried beating the horse knight walking about. BIG MISTAKE, he had me one stroke, less than 30 seconds in the fight.
I sneakily gathered the runes left by my prior death, and walked past into the decrepit remains of a church, where a merchant is nesting. No amount of kills gave me the runes to buy any items from him, so I moved to the Grace nearby and continuing inside the forest. Using my training to take down guards roaming inside. On the next grace, a maiden visits me and grants me the option to level up finally. As well as giving me a steed. Score easy kills with that by poking enemies while running around them.
Then I took a bit detour, retraced back to the church I crossed and found Stormfront Catacombs. This is where the real boss battle was, he was pretty mean and aggressive. Really kept pushing me around. My summoned Jellyfish helped, and just poking him when he was distracted was enough to finish him off. But without that summon, I'd be toast. I didn't fully get in sync with the game yet.
Learning more about spellcastings, and 1v1 fights with my sword, all this to farm and progress to places in the game that fills me with dread. Man, Elden Ring has such a gorgeous world, even from the first 3hrs of playing. The tutorial levels felt easy and vacant, getting out led me outside where I could spend less fighting and just being immersed into the sights. I met a sad craven girl named Roderika even, and was compelled to do her quest of finding a Chrysalid.
Following the light, took me into a castle, right after fighting guards with a ballista bomb that was shooting at me. Got into the tunnel, saved to Grace, then a fog before me stands. All messages paint grim pictures, but I didn't let that faze me. His combat style was more ruthless, he was big too, and ah, I also realized my swords and staff weren't doing much damage as I wanted them to.
Second try, found a mage summon message, and I've decided to use both my summoned mage and the wolf summon to keep him distracted. While I cast spells, that only worked so far as to deplete his health to 30%. But he had a second stage where he brings out his hammer, and ah, man, this reminds me of Dark Souls all over again where sh!t got real.
I've tried 20 times with this tactic, but it wouldn't do because he'd kill me in the end. Resting at the Grace, my maiden confesses something, and then takes me to a round table full of tarnished like me. Smithy there enhanced my sword, and right after some dialogue with the friendly inhabitants, I returned to my battle once more.
Tried again with same tactic, and the guy this time would push me off the edge of the bridge at times. Falling to my death, no point because if I can't kill him quick, he can easily destroy me.
So ah, I called it quits, my wanderlust and perseverance hit this brick wall, and so I went back to the round table. Found this other maiden and just hugged her with all the internalized pain of losing. Woe is me.
I want to really thank my friend for gifting me the game I've heard so much about. The experience is largely different now because of major updates months after its release, refining the game overall. So am glad to have played this, looking forward to completing before next year.