FromSoftware’s next game is proving to be one of their biggest and most ambitious projects to date. Thanks to the closed network test we were given a glimpse into the Lands Between, this network test surpassed many peoples’ expectations as it consisted of a large area of the map packed with content.
However, there’s still a large portion of content that we have no idea about, below I’ll be going through what I consider to be the biggest questions still left unanswered. Here’s what we don’t know about Elden Ring ahead of release.
What we don’t know about Elden Ring Lore
Who shattered the Elden Ring and why did they do it?
It happened an age ago, the rune of death was stolen, but by who and for what purpose? We know that the Elden ring is made up of runes, that act similar to laws, but once the rune of death was stolen and the Elden ring was shattered the golden order and its fundamentalist came to an end, with the rune of death stolen life in death is possible and you can see this affect the entirety of the Lands Between, yet even now, an age after the rune was stolen the perpetrator has never been unmasked and his motives never made clear.
What other runes make up the Elden Ring?
We know there is a rune of death which is considered as a greater rune and we know there are minor runes that we use as currency, but what other runes exist? What other laws were commanded by the golden order? Speculation aside, we currently do not know of any other runes, we do however know where these greater runes are, the demi-gods have claimed them and it’s safe to say we will have to battle to claim back the greater runes. Perhaps the demi-gods even use the runes they have taken to grant them more power.
What was the Raya Lucarian resurgence?
Raya Lucaria is an academy dedicated to the study of Glintstone, and for some unknown reason, they had a great jump in power and knowledge which caused the resurgence and peaked interest from the royal family. We know that Glintstone is the study of the stars and the sorcerers gain their power from “starry amber”, but what gave them this resurgence, was there a cosmic event that boosted their knowledge? Did they uncover the secret of the stars? Whatever caused the resurgence also had its effects on the students as its suggested that they forgot their vows of virtue and austerity.
Who is the Storyteller?
With the new story trailer came a new face (or two). The storyteller, a pale, shattered, four-armed entity, as it stands we know very little about her or her role in Elden ring. Her name suggests that she knows what has happened in the Lands Between and now wishes to share this story with the Tarnished. Looking at her body it is clear she is shattered and perhaps this is due to the shattering of the Elden ring. Maybe she’s connected somehow. You can also see she has a marking under her right eye and a blue spiritual face emerging from it, our maiden has a somewhat similar marking under her left eye leading many to believe the two are connected.
What we don’t know about Elden Ring Gameplay
If you weren’t lucky enough to get invited to the closed network test then there is plenty of content online that you can watch about Elden Ring and discover how it differs from previous Fromsoftware games. One of the immediate changes was the ability to jump, yes this was included in Sekiro, however, we have not seen it in a Souls game. With all the new changes to gameplay and the new mechanics its easy to overlook the things that aren’t there. Similar to the lore section, I’ll discuss what I deem to be the most important unknown gameplay aspects.
What will all the Classes be?
For the network test, we were given 5 playable classes, each class vastly different from the last allowing a real diversity with playthroughs. However, we know there will be 10 classes in the full release. It is worth noting that the 5 classes shown may not be in the full release as some of the armor and gear you start with is rather powerful, but even if they do stay, what will the other 5 be? Maybe we’ll see a dedicated sorcerer class, we had the Prophet class that focused on faith and the Champion class who mixed faith with strength, yet we only had the Enchanted Knight who is a mix of strength and intelligence. I’m sure we are also to see a Depraved-type class that starts with base-level stats and a simple weapon.
What Covenants/Factions will be included?
In the test we didn’t see any covenants, we know PVP is a thing in the game but are we going to see a return of different covenants that grant you different rewards or require you to kill certain players? It’s fair to say they will be in the game and we may already know of two. Yura is one of many NPC’s you could meet in the network and he assists you when you are invaded by Nerijus the bloody finger. Yura himself is a titled Bloody Finger Hunter, so it is possible we will see Bloody Fingers and Bloody Finger Hunters as two opposing factions. We may also see a Golden order Fundamentalist faction as they are mentioned throughout the lore.
Will you be able to Upgrade Torrent?
One of the major new additions to Elden Ring is your spectral mount torrent. Using him you can easily traverse the Lands Between and reach new areas. Torrent can die during combat and we may see upgrades such as higher HP or reduced fall damage in the full releases, maybe even speed.
Will we see the return of the Moonlight Greatsword?
Okay, so this isn’t a major question but it deserves its place here, this weapon has been included in Dark Souls 1,2,3, and Bloodborne but we did not see its return in Sekiro. Could Elden Ring be the game that brings this staple weapon back to us? We know the cosmos are very present in this game and so it’s not too farfetched to believe we will see this shimmering blade return.
What achievements will there be in Elden ring?
I’m sure this question is on any completionist mind as we draw nearer to release. We know the standard achievements will return (all spells, gestures etc.) but with a new expansive world will we see new types of achievements closer to those of an RPG game? Will we have to complete multiple endings? And will there be PVP achievements? Either way, I know I’ll be aiming for the 100%.
What I’ve gone over here is my take on what I am most interested to discover in Elden ring, I would love to hear your opinions on what I’ve discussed and what you’re waiting to find out about Elden Ring.