Choosing a type of game is like having a preferred style of music, genre of film or favourite type of cuisine. There are too many to choose from and so much depends on mood, purpose and time available.
Sometimes you want the fast food, pop song, fluffy comedy of an instant fix.
Sometimes, however, you want a feast, a symphony or a masterpiece.
That’s where Elden Ring falls. A visual delight and an ambitious fantasy epic that needs long, eye-straining sessions in front of a screen to explore a gorgeously rendered world.
Magic, dragons, swords, tunics, giant bloodthirsty lobsters as big as a cruise ship – this is what fantasy gaming should be about. As much as we all love the realism of sports and flight simulators, if you want a bit of magic with your gaming then Elden Ring ticks all the right boxes.
After all, it has serious fantasy pedigree. Its director is Hidetaka Miyazaki, best known as the man behind the wildly influential Dark Souls trilogy. The game’s world-building, back story and history was created by George RR Martin and the Game of Thrones creator’s influence might explain all the dragons.
Epic in every sense of the word Elden Ring has received near complete acclaim across the board from critics and is a game for hearty appetites and detailed exploration.
Not forgetting all the giant bloodthirsty lobsters to battle.
Sharpen your axe and jump right in.
Elden Ring is out now on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series S/Series X.
Five more to try
When you’re done touring the Lands Between there are many other realms and worlds to explore, with these new launches in 2022.
Hogwarts Legacy
Set a couple of hundred years before the Harry Potter saga but within the same magical world this multi-platform RPG looks like the most ambitious game based on the wizarding world to date. Get ready to explore Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forrest as well as come face to face with more fantastic beasts than you could shove in a magical suitcase.
PC, PLAYSTATION, XBOX. TBA in 2022.
Starfield
As pitches go “Skyrim in space” is as brief and as appetising as it gets. It’s enough to have us anticipating what could be one of the year’s most important releases. It comes from the games publisher Bathesda (the company behind the Elder Scrolls, Doom and Fallout series) and is set in a planet-hopping future 300 years from our time.
PC, XBOX. November.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
The enduring appeal of Pokemon has spanned several generations already and like the critters themselves is constantly evolving. This new RPG adventure on Nintendo’s Switch, however, feels like a giant step forward. High on charm and packed full of familiar and new-look creatures it is already a smash-hit for pokephiles.
SWITCH. Out now.
Horizon Forbidden West
Between sword and sorcery fantasy and futuristic sci-fi genres lies the subset of postapocalyptic dramas that this PlayStation exclusive inhabits. As you explore the Western United States you will do battle with other survivors and robotic beasts in a sequel to much-loved Horizon Zero Dawn.
PLAYSTATION. Out now.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
The Zelda series is oft-cited as the pinnacle of RPG gaming and when the Switch launched with Breath of The Wild it was a gigantic leap forward for the long-running saga. So, anticipation for the as yet unnamed official sequel couldn’t be hotter. With a truly epic scope this could be an all-time great.
SWITCH. TBA in 2022.
