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I played Elden Ring wrong for two years
A gaming journalist documents their experience launching Elden Ring in 2022 as their first FromSoftware title, only to realise years later that misconceptions and self-imposed psychological barriers fundamentally undermined their approach to the game. Over two hundred hours of play, various assumptions about difficulty and mechanics shaped their strategy ineffectively.
The piece examines how player expectations and internal hesitations created a suboptimal experience that remains incomplete. The narrative illustrates how mindset and preconceived notions about game design can substantially diminish engagement with complex interactive experiences, serving as a retrospective on the gap between playing a game and playing it well.
In short
- Polygon writer recounts playing Elden Ring from 2022 launch for 200+ hours whilst misunderstanding game mechanics and design
- Personal anxieties and flawed assumptions prevented optimal gameplay despite extensive time investment
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The framing of "playing wrong" dismisses the validity of diverse playstyles and player autonomy. If the journalist enjoyed their experience over two hundred hours, that enjoyment was legitimate regardless of mechanical optimisation. Emphasising correct play risks gatekeeping gaming and devaluing how different players derive satisfaction from discovery, struggle, or inefficiency.
The case against
Games are deliberately designed systems where understanding mechanics and developer intent enriches engagement measurably. Learning to play properly isn't elitism but respecting the designer's craft; overcoming challenges through competent play feels meaningfully more rewarding than struggling due to misconceptions. Acknowledging suboptimal play demonstrates growth and deepens the overall experience.
Explained simply
Elden Ring is an open-world action role-playing game released in 2022 by FromSoftware, a Japanese studio known for challenging games such as Dark Souls. Players explore a large fantasy world, fight enemies and bosses, and develop a character using weapons, magic and other abilities.
The game offers many routes and ways to approach combat, but gives players limited direct instruction. Its difficulty and unfamiliar systems can lead newcomers to make assumptions about what they should do or avoid. How players interpret those choices can shape their experience as much as the game’s rules themselves.
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