After years of rumors, FromSoftware finally lifted the veil on its latest titleElden Ringat E3 2021. Not only did the E3 trailer show gameplay forElden Ring, but it also gave fans a release date: May 23, 2025. This is just under eight years after one of the most controversial FromSoftware releases,Dark Souls 2. It is an interesting sequel to the firstSoulsgame, as it chooses to eschew a lot of what players loved about that title. Looking at the latest E3 trailer, there are some interesting similarities between the two titles, meaning perhapsElden Ringcould achieve whatDark Souls 2could not quite manage.
WhenDark Souls 2was released back in 2014, many fans weren’t happy with the formula changes established byDark Souls. In spite of this rocky release, appreciation for the game has grown in recent years, and it looks like theElden Ringtrailer incorporates several elements from this controversialSouls game.
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To begin, it is worth acknowledging thatDark Souls 2is not the only influence visible in theElden RingE3trailer. Not only are there obvious notes ofBloodborne’smore gothic design, the generalSoulsobsession with fire,Dark Souls 3’saesthetic splendor, and even the more acrobatic leaps ofSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the trailer seems to take on a very particular life of its own. But despiteDark Souls 2’s reputation among other entries in the series, its unique flavor is also notably present in the trailer.
Elden Ring Might Allow Calm Environments
LikeDS2,Elden Ringseems unafraid to show warmth and tranquility. Several shots from the trailer show a warm, soothing sunlight that washes over an area that looks similar toDark Souls 2’s Majula. The aesthetic similarities between the warm glow of sunlight are very clear overall. Perhaps, likeDark Souls 2, the new title will allow players moments of genuine, calm respite in an otherwise oppressively gloomy world.
The warm color palette seen in the new E3 trailer is not one theSoulsseries uses often, withDark Souls 2’sMajula as a notable exception. In most otherSoulsgames, warmer colors are reserved for the fiery depths of hellish levels, and the gentle amber washes of Majula are rare. Hopefully,Elden Ringwill serve as a great chance to return to those moments of quiet, radiant sunlight. Moments like this could be important to the game, as its world looks a lot more alive and active than other FromSoftware titles. Moreover,Elden Ring’s open-field conceptcould benefit massively from those quieter, more relaxed sections as ways to take in the world.
Lighting Could Be Important in Elden Ring
One of the biggest differences betweenDark Souls 2’sE3 trailer and its later release was its lighting engine. Even to the most ardent fans of the game, the much flatter, slightly over-exposed lighting of the final game was glaringly obvious. The difference was stark, with the E3 trailer showing rich, deep black hues cut by flickering torchlight. In the final game, there are many unlit braziers across the game world, and the torch is an important starting item (being essential for a main quest component later in the game). However, lighting these braziers does not have the immense visual impact promised by the game’s marketing.
Funnily enough, this lackluster lighting was so important toDark Souls 2fans, that one modder undertook a years-long project to restore this promised visual component.Elden Ring’s recent trailer shows many shots of a light source having a massive impact on the surrounding environment, and even shows a torch wielded by a player. Furthermore, the overworld has a huge, unmissable Yggdrasil-like tree of pure light looming over it. Of course, with about half a year between this E3 trailer andElden Ring’srelease date, the lighting seen in the trailer could change. On the other hand, thanks to several generations of new hardware, the impactful lighting thatDark Souls 2promised could finally be possible.
Unlike Dark Souls 2, Elden Ring Might Have A Living World
InDark Souls 2, FromSoftware hinted at Drangleic’s living past through dream sequences. In mostDark Soulsencounters, the players are traversing a broken world and finishing off the sad remnants that still stalk its ruins. This brings with it a kind of melancholy, a deeply tragic pathos of being the one to finally snuff out a lapsing and dying cycle.Elden Ring’sworld, on the other hand, seems to have taken this concept of portraying a proper, living environment by setting the game in a world where events actively happen.
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InElden Ring, there are still elements of a broken world (in a quite literal sense, when the architecture present in the trailer is considered). However, one of the most interesting encounters in the trailer is when the protagonist interrupts what looks like a convoy of giants pulling a carriage. The character races in on horseback (another alien element toFromSoftware games) to attack one of the riders in the convoy.
Although not as dramatic as theElden Ringbosses, this still implies something really interesting - the NPC events and questlines on display might not just sit stationary for the players. This implication is reinforced by the confirmedElden Ringstory details on its website. According to this summary of the game, the world ofElden Ringis one in active turmoil following The Shattering. While elements of previous FromSoftware stories are present, it looks like this time the politics and events of the Lands Between might still be unfurling during the game’s story.
Elden Ring Could Finally Have Epic Dragon Fights
Despite a gargantuan role in the lore of everyDark Soulsgame, dramatic and engaging fights with dragons are few and far between. Interestingly,Dark Souls 2arguably contains both the best and worst fight with a dragon in the entireSoulsseries. The Ancient Dragon is a notorious boss fight. While players do not have to fight the beast, if they do, they can expect a drawn-out war of attrition. As a general rule,Dark Souls 2’s dragon fights were narratively important, visually impressive, but not very mechanically fun to play. In contrast, theElden Ringgameplayat E3 showed an incredibly dynamic confrontation against a huge dragon.
The player character hopped over scorching breath with their horse, and even saw the dragon summon caustic bolts of red energy from the sky like scarlet lightning. It seems likeElden Ringborrowed some of the cinematic elements fromSekiro’sDivine Dragon boss fight, and combined that with more traditionalSouls-like combat. Whatever the case may be, these fights do not look like the HP-chipping, hesitant affairs of older FromSoftware dragon fights.
Elden Ringreleases July 31, 2025, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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