Elden Ring is out now: Everything to know about Miyazaki’s new souls-like

FromSoftware’s latest entry into their beloved souls-like catalogue, Elden Ring has finally launched. Regarded as the most-anticipated video game of 2022, the game is out now on consoles in New Zealand, and will gradually head into other regions and platforms in time.
What is Elden Ring?
From the minds of Hidetaka Miyazaki and George RR Martin, Elden Ring is an action-adventure RPG (role-playing game) set in the bleak, dark fantasy world of the Lands Between. Ruled great heroes inheriting the blood of Queen Marika the Eternal, the realm plays host to several hostile entities. Same as previous souls-like titles from the developer, players can expect to find punishingly difficult bosses, a fragmented narrative shrouded in mystery, and tenacious mobs at every corner.
You play as a descendant of the Tarnished, a group of heroes once banished from the lands. The plot is centred around the titular Elden Ring, a powerful artefact that got shattered and sent into different areas in the world. Our objective is to find the shards, restore the ring to its original state, and ultimately become the Elden Lord. At the middle of it all stands the Erdtree, a giant luminous tree, with branches resembling neural connections, that bestows the lands with divine grace.

Elden Ring mechanics and features
FromSoftware is introducing an open-world system this time, letting players explore the land at heart’s will, and slowly progress towards their goal. There is a map as well, using which, players can mark interesting locations using beacons or fast travel to discovered checkpoints. Previously, this could only be done lighting bonfires or idols in select locations in the world.
For faster traversal, we have Torrent, our spectral steed, who can be summoned and rode upon anytime and anywhere, except for dungeon areas. The horse allows for fluid movement during fights and lets you drop from great heights without having to worry about dying – provided you hit the jump button at the right time to break the fall.

Same as previous souls-likes, the player character can be fully customised, from appearance to armour and weapons. There is a variety of preset classes to choose from, such as warriors and casters – or you could master a little bit of everything to build your character in a way that suits your playstyle.
Other additions include weapon crafting and the ability to summon Spirits to aid you in outnumbered battles. Not to mention, the co-op multiplayer feature makes your journeys easier, letting a friend join you on your pursuit and help you take down treacherous foes.
When does Elden Ring release in your country?
Unlike other games in the market, FromSoftware is launching Elden Ring in a dributed format, resulting in uneven timezones and dates. The game is already out in New Zealand at the time of writing, with players already getting their first taste of the Lands Between.
A few days ago, the official Elden Ring Twitter handle released an infographic world map, ling the game’s global release timings. Console players will be able to access Elden Ring at sharp 12:00 am-midnight, depending on their local times – with the United States being an exception.
In the US, Elden Ring unlocks on Steam on February 24 at 3 pm (PST), while console players can start playing later that night at 9 pm (PST). The rest of the world, including India, can begin their Elden Ring journey on console at sharp 12 am-midnight local time, i.e., February 25, 2022. PC players in India can start playing later in the day, at 11:30 am .
PC players in Central Europe (Denmark, France, Germany, etc) can begin playing at 12 am (CET), while those in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland start on February 24, at 11 pm (GMT). All the other time zones and launch details have been led here.

Elden Ring price, platforms, and editions
Initially, developer FromSoftware had only one edition available for purchase, but now, there are several. The standard edition, which contains the base game is priced at $59.99 across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC via Steam. In India, these prices would translate to Rs 3,999 on console and Rs 2,499 on Steam.
Next comes the Deluxe Edition, which comes packaged with a digital artbook and the original soundtrack. Across all platforms, Playstation, Xbox, and Steam, this is priced at $79.99. For Indian gamers, this would amount to Rs 3,999 – which is way cheaper, thanks to regional pricing. Additionally, if you pre-order Elden Ring, you get a Digital Adventure Guide and a bonus Gesture – ‘The Ring’ emote.
Elden Ring Premium Collector’s Edition can only be purchased from the official Bandai Namco website for 9.99. (Image credit: Bandai Namco)
The Elden Ring Collector’s Edition is the next one in the pack, and can only be purchased from the official Bandai Namco website, select Amazon regions and brick and mortar stores around you. It comes with a 9-inch statue of Malenia, an exclusive steelbook cover for your CD, a 40-page hardcover artbook, digital soundtrack, and all the aforementioned bonuses. This is led at a price of $189.99 (about Rs 14,380).
And finally, there is a Premium collection, which includes everything mentioned above, and adds to it a 1:1 scale replica of Malenia’s helmet. This can only be purchased from the official Bandai Namco online storefront and is priced at $259.99 (about Rs 19,675).