Elden Ring Accessibility First Impressions

I have not been shy about my feelings regarding FromSoftware and its games. The fanbase around games such as Dark Souls and Bloodborne can be (to put it mildly) insufferable. I would also go out on a limb and say that as much as people like to say that Bloodborne is more accessible than Dark Souls, it’s very similar to saying breaking your toe is less painful than breaking your hand. They’re both broken bones y’all.

Now that analogy may not entirely track, but Bloodborne suffers from a lot of the same inaccessibility problems that Dark Souls has. Elden Ring also carries a lot of these issues in its DNA. However, I would say that of the games in the FromSoftware library, my impressions of Elden Ring are much more favorable. Now, this comes with some caveats, and it requires a disclaimer.

I have some reflex problems. My reflexes aren’t as fast as the average person I would suspect. Also, due to a variety of medical problems that I won’t get into here, my wrists and hands begin to hurt after prolonged periods of harsh button mashing. These are two particular issues that I took into account when I started playing Elden Ring on PC. I wanted to see just how accessible this new experience was, and I will say that I was quickly pleasantly surprised.

I should also mention that these are impressions from my first 15 hours of the game. I have been taking my time, exploring, grinding if necessary, so I haven’t seen even a fraction of the mass of The Lands Between. With those things in mind, let’s discuss the good parts first.

Unlike the few times I have dipped into FromSoftware games, I didn’t immediately bounce off Elden Ring out of frustration. In fact, I’ve enjoyed my first 15 hours or so. It is a more cautious sort of game because every new area and every new enemy is an unknown challenge. I find myself making sure to stop at a Site of Grace or going to a shop before I venture into a new cave or area. I do this because I know there is a possibility that I might find something dangerous that I am not ready for.

With that in mind, every new area and every new encounter is exciting. Whether I meet an NPC for the first time or find one I’ve met before in a brand-new area, I’m always eager to see what bits of lore or fun interactions I can have. I have also instituted a rule that I recommend other people try as well. If I get to an area and I die more than four times without making substantial progress, I mark it or make a note, and I come back when I’m a bit more prepared.

There are several improvements to the FromSoft formula that I think make it more accessible. For one, after a recent patch, you can now see where NPCs you have met are if you know their location. This means that if you have encountered an NPC and they have not moved due to their questline, they are marked so you know where they are. There is also the ability to mark multiple places, so you can either mark areas to return to or set a path that you wish to follow.

Another nice change is that clearing out a pack of enemies in the overworld will restore the uses of your healing and FP flasks. This is especially helpful when you’re trying to get to a site of grace, or you’re wanting to grind through a whole area without resetting enemies. The versatility of using items like different bolts/arrows, explosive pots, throwing darts, and throwing knives also gives you a variety of tools at your disposal with which to take on various challenges.

I would also argue that the summoning ashes, which are especially useful for ranged/magic builds, are essential if you want to make things easier on yourself. As far as I am aware, unlike co-op summons or NPC summons, they don’t increase the max health of bosses. They also distract the boss from time to time so you can heal, get extra hits in, etc.

There are some other great things that I would get into, but some of them might be considered spoilers. So instead, let’s talk about where Elden Ring most definitely isn’t accessible. For one, Elden Ring does not respect the player’s time at all. There is no way to track quests for one, though I understand that the quests are interwoven with various other NPCs. However, it would at least be nice to be able to read somewhere that you talked to (for example) Ranni and have a quote of the last thing she said.

I’m no stranger to taking notes in games, I have a whole document right now of Elden Ring notes. Who I’ve talked to, what quests I’ve started, where I need to return to, all of those things are important. I wouldn’t say it is inaccessible, but the lack of options to note things just seems hostile to the player for no real reason.

Another issue I have with Elden Ring is that there is no way to pause the game unless you intentionally go into the help menu. Just opening the menu doesn’t pause things, even if you are playing offline. I personally think this is an oversight, considering being able to pause is vital for a lot of reasons, even just taking a break if your hands are hurting or you need a bathroom break. You can mod this feature on PC though, just for full disclosure.

Then there’s the fact that there are a lot of concepts in the game that just aren’t really explained that well. I did a fair bit of research before I started playing, and I’m glad I did. Things like weapon scaling, the impact of equipment load, and a few other important mechanics just weren’t explained. I understand that these are common knowledge for FromSoftware veterans, but accessibility isn’t just difficulty, it is dealing with things that will provide barriers to enjoyment for people.

Yes, you can look up what those things are, but why? There are all sorts of tutorials in the game for other things, so it somewhat feels intentional. A lot of the more hostile game design elements just feel intentional truth be told. Here’s where we come to the main conclusion I’ve come to in regards to Elden Ring. It isn’t accessible to everyone.

For people who have reflex issues, there are going to be bosses and fights that you are going to have trouble with and may not be able to conquer on your own. You can either grind for a long time and hope you get over that hill or you can (if you’re playing on PC) take advantage of the modding community that has sprung up around the game. There are a lot of people who are going to tell you the “right” way to play Elden Ring too.

The truth is, there is no right way. I know there are likely accessibility issues that I haven’t thought about because I don’t experience those barriers. That’s why I suggest you take advantage of anything you need to. Play Co-Op for bosses, use summoning ashes, or mod the game if you are playing offline and need that extra help. There is no shame in finding your own personal path to enjoying Elden Ring.

My impressions after 15 hours come to a simple idea. Elden Ring has a beautiful world, with interesting characters and rich lore. However, it comes with all the same trappings and frustration that FromSoftware is known for, just with some additions that make it more friendly in some ways. I would say that unless something changes with the mindset of the creators, this may very well be as accessible of a FromSoftware game as we ever get.