by Dani Cross
We recently learned that Elden Ring has almost surpassed 17 million copies sold – but why is the game so successful?
The newest game from FromSoftware launched in February 2022, and has since sold 16.6 million copies. The figures were revealed in a recent Bandai Namco financial report. Those sales are from launch until the end of June this year – so even more copies have been sold after the end of that period.
These are very impressive numbers, and they make Elden Ring one of the most successful games of the year. But what makes Elden Ring so much more successful than previous FromSoft titles like Dark Souls?
What Makes Elden Ring successful?
While games like Dark Souls and Demon’s Souls pioneered the genre of “soulsborne/souls-likes”, Elden Ring has taken it to the next level. It takes everything these games did – brutal difficulty, memorable boss fights, top-notch level design – and expands on it.
It also offers players an unprecedented level of freedom when it comes to FromSoft titles. With an open world, a trusty steed to travel on and a non-linear story, players can tackle the game in any way they choose.
These factors all lead to the game receiving high review scores, and becoming an instant game of the year contender. But there was a significant amount of hype surrounding this game before release too.
FromSoft’s last dark fantasy title was Dark Souls 3 in 2016. They did release Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice in 2019, but that game was drastically different to what came before. Fans of the Dark Souls aesthetic and gameplay were eagerly awaiting what the company would do next.
There was a lot more building up to this game than previous FromSoft titles, and the marketing was always on-point – never showing too much of the game while giving us enough info to get us excited. It all culminated in one of the biggest game releases in recent years, and these seriously impressive sales numbers.
Fans are now anxiously awaiting a DLC announcement. It’s safe to assume we will get DLC, as most FromSoft games get additional content. Hopefully we don’t have to wait too long!
While you’re here, be sure to check out our video of the week. 10 of the scariest horror games of all time are shown off. What is your favourite horror game?
Featured Image Credit: FromSoftware
Source: PCGamer