FromSoftware video games have a knack for telling tales that appear imprecise on the floor however conceal a mountain of depth. Cutscenes are few and much between, and a whole lot of the understanding comes from studying merchandise descriptions, parsing environmental clues, and watching lore consultants like VaatiVidya. With Elden Ring, FromSoftware has not solely made one of the crucial celebrated open-world RPGs in a protracted whereas, but additionally the studio’s most approachable story so far.
A part of the explanation for that approachability comes from the advertising for Elden Ring. The trailers main as much as the sport’s launch constructed intrigue, expanded upon occasions which might be solely briefly proven within the last sport, and even confirmed main spoilers that might make no sense with out the correct context. That is how the advertising of Elden Ring helped gamers perceive the lore.
Elden Ring spoilers to observe.
The advertising expands on the lore of Elden Ring
When gamers first boot up Elden Ring, they’ll be offered with a quick however efficient introduction that units up the world and a few key characters. However, not like previous FromSoftware video games that use CG cinematics, this intro is simply informed by nonetheless photos. In consequence, there’s a lot left to the creativeness concerning particulars like how Malenia the Severed managed to defeat Starscourge Radahn, or how Ranni the Witch was concerned within the Night time of the Black Knives. The prolonged nature of the sport signifies that it’s all too straightforward to neglect the lore arrange by the introduction. However, whenever you rewatch the introduction on New Sport+ in addition to the trailers that broaden upon it, every part begins to click on.
The story trailer for Elden Ring fleshes out lots of the occasions proven within the introduction. Malenia impales Radahn to instantly infect him with Scarlet Rot. She then whispers one thing to him earlier than her Scarlet Aeonia assault creates a large flower that bursts and sure covers Caelid with Rot.
Each the introduction and trailers depict the loss of life of Godwyn the Golden by the hands of the Black Knives. Nonetheless, the trailers additionally present the assassins making their journey in the direction of Godwyn by a dense forest. It isn’t a lot, but it surely’s sufficient to get gamers questioning about the place they had been touring from, and what that suggests for characters like Ranni or Maliketh the Black Blade.
Trailers are virtually at all times used to construct hype and intrigue earlier than a sport comes out. Nonetheless, it’s uncommon to see trailers that may present further worth and context for gamers who’ve already crushed the sport. Past being retroactively helpful, these trailers additionally primed gamers to maintain sure scenes and questions in thoughts earlier than beginning the sport.
Elden Ring’s advertising offered necessary questions and teased the solutions
Constructing pleasure was an necessary perform for Elden Ring’s advertising, however so was directing the eye of gamers to particular mysteries. Elden Ring’s trailers offered questions gamers stored in thoughts earlier than beginning their journeys within the Lands Between. Within the story trailer, Ranni asks a number of essential questions akin to: who shattered the Elden Ring, and why? These are main beats within the lore of Elden Ring. By introducing them to gamers earlier than the sport got here out, the advertising was hinting at which environmental clues and merchandise descriptions gamers needs to be listening to.
Past teasing these mysteries, Elden Ring’s advertising additionally left hints to the solutions proper below our noses. Ranni questions what occurred to the Elden Ring, however she doesn’t query something in regards to the Rune of Dying being stolen. As Elden Ring gamers know, that’s as a result of she stole the Rune herself. She had no must tell us that earlier than the sport was out. After all, gamers be taught these particulars by enjoying the sport. However, any would-be detectives who picked up on these delicate hints could have been capable of make the lore connections a lot quicker.
One other scene the trailers present is Morgott, The Omen King, inserting down a crown on the Elden Throne. Out of context, this second appears insignificant. But, gamers who keep in mind this scene whereas enjoying Elden Ring would have realized that their victory towards Margit, the Fell Omen, was just the start of his story and future return later within the sport. Put merely, it was a spoiler. But, with out the context of enjoying the sport first, gamers wouldn’t have recognized. And it was removed from the one time the trailers did this.
Main spoilers had been proven with out context
For those who’re something like me, you rewatched the Elden Ring trailers a number of instances to glean something new. That turned out to be worthwhile by the point the credit roll on the sport. Among the greatest secrets and techniques in Elden Ring’s lore had been revealed within the very first trailer, and it creates a satisfying “aha” second by the point the ultimate boss battle begins.
The largest spoiler that the teaser trailer flat out reveals is Queen Marika the Everlasting shifting between female and male varieties. The reveal that Marika and Radagon of the Golden Order are the identical being is a revelatory second in Elden Ring, and the advertising didn’t cover it. Moreover, lore consultants theorize that Marika shattered the Elden Ring, whereas Radagon tried to restore it.
That is on full show within the first teaser trailer, too. When gamers finally attain Radagon of the Golden Order on the finish of the sport, it could daybreak on them that the advertising was hinting at this conclusion from the very starting.
Some spoken strains of dialogue all through the trailers additionally handle to trace at potential spoilers. One such line is, “I doubt you can even think about it, that which commanded the celebs, giving life its fullest brilliance.” One potential interpretation of that is that it’s hinting on the existence of the Outer Gods, together with the Better Will.
All of those potential spoilers would have made no sense to gamers with out the context gained by enjoying the sport. With that in thoughts, it’s clear that the Elden Ring advertising was designed to assist gamers’ understanding of the lore each earlier than and after experiencing the sport.
