Who do you play as in Elden Ring?

Elden Ring is the latest of FromSoftware’s long line of Souls-like titles. However, the biggest departure from its formula is the emphasis on an open world. In fact, it's so open that players will have to traverse the Lands Between on a trusty, double-jumping horse.

While the player’s horse most certainly has a name (Torrent), the player's character does not. Instead, the character has a title: The Tarnished.

This is a long-running theme of FromSoftware’s games. More importantly, it’s never explicitly stated whether past titles are “good” or “evil.” It remains to be seen if the Tarnished will play a similar role.

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Players assume the role of the Tarnished in Elden Ring

Travel the Lands Between on Torrent (Image via FromSoftware)

What is known about the Tarnished is mostly gleaned from the story itself. The Elden Ring is a powerful artifact that is integral to the success of the Lands Between. It’s what gives the Erdtree its strength as well. However, the Elden Ring has been shattered.

With the artifact shattered into pieces, now called Great Runes, life in the Lands Between is bleak. The undead and monstrous creatures roam the countryside. A once golden age has been cast to ruin and never-ending war.

View the Elden Ring PC here.

Other warriors will halt the player's path (Image via FromSoftware)

It's up to the Tarnished to gather the pieces of the Elden Ring. Or rather, the Tarnished has the capacity to, considering that the player is but one Tarnished among several. However, the Great Runes are greedily guarded by demigods, many of which are children of Queen Marika and serve as bosses in the game.

Looking back at FromSoftware’s previous work, it’s likely the return of the ring signals the return to what the Lands Between once were. It’s just as likely that becoming the Elden Lord will come at a great cost to the player.

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When's the release date?

The game is on track to be released on February 25, 2022, a small but necessary push from its initial release date of January 2022. It’s set to launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Series X.

To see Elden Ring Steam, click here.