Elden Ringis becoming rather infamous for the lack of information being available for it being almost inversely proportional to the FromSoftware fandom’s hype for it. There is an enormous amount of excitement for the possibility of concreteElden Ringnews at this year’s E3, and the game itself is poised to make some big waves once it lands by refreshing the almost decade-oldDark Soulsgameplay style, at least in theoy. Bigger areas, more traversal options, and what appears to be a spiritual return to the “grand, sprawling adventure” feel of the firstDark Soulslook to be in the cards, as well as lore written by George R. R. Martin. It seems like a recipe for success, if it ever manages to come out. So, why does it feel so familiar?
As it turns out,Elden Ringisn’t the only big Japanese action title that’s been tightly under wraps for years. Platinum Games’ much-anticipatedBayonetta 3has also apparently been devoid of news for quite a long time, and neither Platinum, Sega, or Nintendo seem keen on showingany more of the Switch gameuntil it has a firm release date.Elden Ringwas first revealed at Microsoft’s 2019 E3 press conference on June 9th, whileBayonetta 3was first shown a year and a half earlier at the 2017 Game Awards. These two Japanese powerhouses have been on fans’ minds for a long time with no end in sight, and that’s not all they have in common.
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The Fabled Follow-Ups
Bayonetta 3andElden Ringare both, in at least a functional sense, sequels to beloved niche action game series.Elden Ringisn’t a direct sequel toDark Souls,Demons’ Souls, or any of FromSoftware’s otherSouls-likes, but it has always felt like it will be. Judging by the leaked trailer that showed a game that looked an awful lot likeDark Soulswith more giant fields, it seems those suspicions were validated.Bayonetta 3, meanwhile, is an almost total unknown in fans' eyes, but chances are very good that Platinum’s tried and tested third-person hack-and-slash gameplay will return once again.
Not many big, 3D, AAA melee action games come out in the modern game climate, and their fans happily look into just about anything they can get their hands on in the meantime. In this case, that means that the 2019 Platinum Games titleAstral Chain, the 2019 Capcom gameDevil May Cry 5, and the 2020indieSouls-likeMortal Shellwere both readily received by their respective communities. Those two games even both came out after bothElden RingandBayonetta 3were announced. As a kicker, Platinum Games has also just released its mobile character action gameWorld of Demonson Apple Arcade, which, likeAstral Chain, was announced and released beforeBayonetta 3had any new information. To say that fans are frustrated about all this is an understatement.
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What They’re Following Up
It’s not just the fact thatElden RingandBayonetta 3are sequels to well-esteemed games from their developers, it’s also the specific games they’re following up and how they do so. ForElden Ring’s predecessor, this should come as no surprise;Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis a very different gamefrom both theSoulstitles that came before it and theTenchuseries that inspired it. While it’s billed as a ninja action game by FromSoftware,Sekirois more likeNinja Gaidenthan it isDark SoulsorTenchu. Combat is the focus, with precise defense and well-timed offense being the name of the game.Sekiroalso didn’t allow for much build variety, somethingElden Ring’s leaked trailer has shown returning in full force.
Bayonetta 2was very well-received at launch, garnering praise for fixing many of the issues with the first game. Unfortunately, as the hardcore community dug into it, they started to realize that this was not theBayonetta 1they had fallen in love with. The pacing and difficulty were all over the place, and both ended up falling flat compared to the first game. A lot of this had to do with the new Umbran Climax, aSin Devil Trigger-like super modethat used the magic meter in place of Torture Attacks and Wicked Weaves. This mode was so strong that other options were rendered obsolete. Throw in the fact that common enemies could break out of combos and that the scoring system was more lenient and based on damage rather than variety, and it’s plain to see why the fanbase wantsBayonetta 3to be a return to form.
Big Changes
Finally, the main talking point aroundBayonetta 3andElden Ringis the new features they will bring to the table.Elden Ring, as previously mentioned, will be a more sprawling“open field” approach to theDark Soulsformula. Horseback-riding will be a major part of getting around the largest world FromSoftware has ever made, supposedly. If the leaked trailer is to be trusted, there will also be slightly bigger emphasis on alternate movement types, like sneaking and jumping. It remains to be seen ifSekiro’s swimming will join in to complete the trifecta, but the resulting game will still have to be designed in a radically different way compared to theSoulsgames that came before it.
Bayonetta 3is also expected to shake up the series formula, but aside from a few vague developer statements and the metaphor-steeped reveal trailer, not much is known about what the game will actually be like. It seems like there may be an attempt to make a muchmore sprawling open field gamein the same vein asElden Ring, which makes sense given the previous twoBayonetta’s penchant for encouraging exploration. Hardcore fans are just hoping that it will walk back some of the decisions made in2’s design. As for what the trailer itself implies, it seems that Bayonetta herself could be split into two different-playing versions of herself by a powerful foe, but that’s just a literal interpretation of what’s in the trailer. With any luck,Bayonetta 3andElden Ringwill both be ready for a burst of new information in the near future.
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