Elden Ringlooks to be one of FromSoftware’s most ambitious titles yet. Elements of all the previousSoulsgames seem to be present inElden Ring’s trailer, marking it as a kind of blend of the studio’s previous efforts. Truly, it looks like a sublimation of theSoulsborneformula for the next generation. Of course, this is not an easy task. Developing the franchise past the main series conclusion ofDark Souls 3, and formula remix ofBloodborne, is certainly a tall order. Many games have tried to reimagine entire franchises for new generations before. Unfortunately forElden Ring,some of the precedent set by these undoubtedly ambitious titles is not entirely positive.
A fantastic example of this type of reimagining gone wrong isMetroid: Other M.AlthoughElden Ringlooked great in its trailer, the same could have been said ofOther Mbefore it launched.Metroid:Other Mwas advertised as an entirely new take on the series for the Nintendo Wii, building on the massive success of theMetroid Primeseries. In doing so, the game married 2D action platformer elements of the classic games with the updated graphics and first person components ofPrime. However, it made some massive mistakes in doing so — andElden Ringshould pay attention to exactly what went wrong.
RELATED:Metroid Dread Could Be Setting Up the Best Years of the Franchise
Metroid: Other M’s Many Missteps
Ambition can be the core component of many great games. Some creators, like theAtrio: The Dark Wilddevelopers, iterated on a gap in the market in a really exciting way. Others, likeDark Soulscreator Hidetaka Miyazaki, wanted to recreate the feeling of mystery imparted by fantasy storybooks in an unknown language. For Yoshio Sakamoto, the director/producer/writer ofOther M(and designer on the originalMetroidgames), it was about really shaking up theMetroidformula.
Ina GameSpot interview at the time, Sakamoto stated that he and Team Ninja (ofNinja Gaidenfame) were confident thatOther Mwas “going to present something new to the audience.” He wasn’t wrong.
In order to make the game as accessible to a wide demographic as possible, the team made the bizarre decision to map the entire control scheme onto theiconic WiiMote, without using the nunchuck at all. This was fine for the 2.5D platformer sections of the game, however, the game also incorporated FPS elements and first person point-and-click sections. This marrying of classicMetroidandPrimewas cool in in theory, but unfortunately, the constant switching of the WiiMote’s position made it feel immensely clunky.
Sakamoto’s biggest concern with the game was “over theMetroidfanshaving their own understanding of the characteristics and nature of Samus Aran.” While the mechanics ofOther Mwere certainly clunky, it was its controversial story that really upset fans. The game finally gave Samus a voice, and expanded backstory. It also incorporated a cast of characters that had appeared throughout the series' lore, with each of them having voice actors. It did not help the game that the story itself was incredibly complex and lacking in nuance.
FromSoftware Has Made Mistakes Before
TheDark Soulsseries' trajectory is certainly distinct fromMetroid’s. However, FromSoftware has certainly made the occasional misstep before with its central franchises. Despite the swathes offans returning toDark Souls 2every year, it still stood as one of the more unpopularSoulstitles. This was largely due to the game making some huge changes in the formula established in the original game, both mechanically and narratively, and not entirely pulling them off.
For example,Dark Souls 2’s lighting systemappeared a lot in the game’s marketing. When it released in 2014, it looked incredibly different from the 2013 E3 trailers featuring this lighting system. Rather than the sharp contrasts and encroaching darkness of the trailers, the game’s visuals were much muddier. This left a lot to be desired for fans, alongside some other unpopular mechanical shifts. It is a chief example of FromSoftware getting a touch too ambitious, and it backfired quite a lot for the game.
Elden Ring’s Potential Problems
Several factors that impactedMetroid: Other M’s reception at launch could affectElden Ringas well if FromSoftware is not careful. In theElden RingE3 trailer, a huge variety of gameplay options were on display. Players could adopt theSouls-style combat tradition if they wanted. Alternatively, the game seems to offerBloodborneorSekiro-esque agility, hinting at the build diversity ofDark Souls 2.That’s without even mentioning the potential for horse combat ofElden Ring, or the massive horse leaps possible in-game. While this was impressive, if FromSoftware do not establish a focus in the game, it risks becoming mechanically confused likeOther M.
How Elden Ring Could Learn From Metroid: Other M
There are a fair few lessons to learn fromOther M.Firstly,Elden Ring’s mechanicsneed to be consistent. WhileOther Mcertainly innovated with its use of the Wii Remote, it also proved that innovation is not necessarily positive.Elden Ringmight want to advance theSoulsborneformula dramatically, and that could be fantastic, but it needs to make sure it does not alienate its fanbase in how it switches up its mechanics.
Secondly, if the game adds a more direct story than previousSoulsgames, it needs to be done carefully. Thestory inDark Soulsis purposefully obscure, and ifElden Ringwants to make it more explicit, then it needs to be balanced carefully. A more involved story could certainly onboard more players. However, like withOther M, it could also put off masses of fans if done poorly. Ultimately,Elden Ringcarries a lot of prestige with it thanks to its developers. If it wants to succeed, it cannot throw that away purely for innovation’s sake.
Elden Ringwill release on 26 May 2025 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S.
