5 games to play that are similar to Elden Ring

Elden Ring is an open-world action RPG game developed by FromSoftware, the same developer that made other Soulsborne games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne. Unlike most games in the Souls series which are semi-open world, Elden Ring is set in a world where players are free to roam and explore any part of the map.

Elden Ring was first announced back at E3 in 2019 and after much anticipation, it was finally released in February 2022. It took the world by storm and sold about 16.6 million copies by the end of June, making it the fastest-selling Bandai Namco game of all time.

Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of Elden Ring, intended to make the game a mechanical evolution of Dark Souls. George R. R. Martin, a fantasy novel author, provided world building for the game. Despite Miyazaki being the lead writer, Martin was given the creative freedom to write about events that happened before the game's main narrative took place.

Soulsborne games like Elden Ring are notoriously famous for being difficult. The list given below is based on games that are mostly RPGs and very difficult for players to complete.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's views.

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5 games that Elden Ring's fans should try out

1) Code Vein

Code Vein was published by Bandai Namco as well, and is often called the "anime version" of Elden Ring. Even though Code Vein is heavily inspired by Souls games, it is certainly different in many aspects.

In the game, players can team up with an AI partner or play with a friend in the co-op multiplayer, and venture out together into a post-apocalyptic version of the world. The wide variety of enemies always keep players on edge, and among them, The Revanents are the most common enemies - human corpses that turned into monsters.

Even though the game has stale scenery and the bosses will kind of feel tiresome after a while, this game can still amuse players as a substitute for Elden Ring.

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2) Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

Finally bored of knights and castles from Elden Ring? Hands itching for something new and barbaric? Assassin's Creed: Valhalla will quench the thirst of that Viking Spirit inside.

In this 2020 RPG from Ubisoft, play as Eivor, a fearless Viking in the 9th century Norway leading his clan to a new home and earning his place in Valhalla, the Viking heavan.

Despite almost all Assassin's Creed games being open-world RPGs, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla brings customization to a whole new level.They can customize Eivor’s beard, clothing, war paint, and more. The combat in this game has also changed, players can find and choose any weapon they want to wield and every collectable item the player acquires will be unique.

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3) The Surge

This action RPG was developed by Deck13 Interactive and was released back in 2017. The game itself is really challenging, being inspired by the Dark Souls series, however it takes place in a dystopian future where mankind has exhausted the earth's resources. Gameplay consists of players wearing exoskeletons to battle enemies and the exoskeletons can be customized using upgrades.

The game tells the story of a grim world where the environment and humanity are suffering because of the evolution of technology. The rapid increase in robots and drones has brought mass unemployment to humans, with humans resorting to augumantations and rigs to survive.

Despite not having a strong story, The Surge still keeps its players entertained with its fun combat system and wide variety of customizations. After investing a lot of time in grinding and making your character powerful, it feels like it's all worth it in the end.

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4) Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition is the third major game in the Dragon Age franchise developed by Bioware. The game was released back in November 2014 and similar to its predecessors, this fast-paced action RPG is still an all-time favorite for many gamers.

The game follows a semi-open world structure where the world is divided into several divisions where players can freely explore and complete quests. They can choose from different races at the beginning of the game and can customize their character at will. They can choose between three classes, each with different abilities, perks, and weaknesses.

Even though the game is a semi-open world, it gives the players enough freedom to do whatever they want and however they want. From solving puzzles to collecting magical shards, this game kills time pretty quickly and without making things boring.

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5) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

This open-world RPG is the sequel to the 2011 game Witcher 2: Assassins of kings and is the third game from the Witcher series, developed by CD Projekt Red. It is based on fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski

The game is about Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer also known as the Witcher who is in search of his adopted daughter Ciri. Geralt could only walk, run, dodge and roll in the previous games; swimming, climbing and jumping has been newly added to this iteration for a more immersive experience.

The game takes place in a fantasy world known as The Continent, where players are free to use weapons or magic to defeat their enemies and complete quests. Doing so rewards the player with XP points and gold, which can be used to buy equipment and upgrade Geralt's abilities.