Even during the review period, the Elden Ring Erdtree DLC player messages were on point

Man, I forgot how good it can feel to go into a From Software game completely blind. One of my first “feet to the fire” FromSoft moments was playing through King’s Field; and eventually, Eternal Ring on PS2 without any context whatsoever. It’s arguably the best way to go into a FromSoft experience.

Potentially more than ever before, the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Edtree early access experience was a blast. And it’ll only get better from here.

People were extremely helpful with Edtree messages

For the uninitiated, one of the key elements of a Seki–Souls–Borne game is the ability for players to leave messages for others on the ground. Through the use of an initially rudimentary (and now semi-complex) system of layering words together, you can warn/trick/help people to your heart’s content.

Here are two classic message types:

• “Hit the wall” (to expose a hidden passage)
• “Nothing around the corner” (when there’s absolutely something there)

It’s all part of the experience of playing a Souls game online, even if you never partake in invading (PVP) or co-op (PVE).

Amazingly, the community was extremely active even before the launch of the game. During the review period, there were messages everywhere, running the gamut of all of the cheeky fun described above. Even the mere presence of a message might make me think twice about what’s around the next corner, or if a fake wall is right in front of my face.

Some messages were as light as “you did it!” carefully placed after a boss room following a particularly arduous fight. It’s the little things that really make these games special, and I appreciate everything the community did to even make the early access period fun.

Elden Ring will be relevant for years to come, in part due to the community

The Elden Ring community has been one of the most helpful to date, going back to my experience with Demon’s Souls pre-launch. The amount of resources, streamers, and folks willing to partner up with new players is practically unparalleled in this space (though Dark Souls 3‘s multiple factions really led to some fun multiplayer shenanigans).

Through initiatives like the player-driven “Return to Yharnam” events in Bloodborne, From Software games live on for many years past their expiration date. Elden Ring might outlive them all.