Should You Buy Elden Ring as a Beginner? Absolutely.

As an avid fan who has played every FromSoftware Souls game extensively, I can wholeheartedly recommend Elden Ring to gamers looking to dip their toes into the addictive but challenging Souls formula for the first time.

While Elden Ring retains the trademark punishing difficulty and opaque systems of past FromSoft titles, its sprawling open world design and approachability make it the perfect entry point into these hardcore action RPGs. You‘ll die a lot, but the feeling of overcoming challenges through grit and gradual mastery is unparalleled.

Let‘s dive deep into why Elden Ring is worth buying for Souls newcomers and veterans alike.

What Makes Elden Ring Special? An Unparalleled Open World Action RPG

At its core, Elden Ring takes FromSoftware‘s signature gameplay loop of calculated third-person combat, tense boss encounters and obscure lore in an interconnected world, and elevates it to the next level.

You traverse the richly detailed open world of the Lands Between at your own pace. You‘ll stumble upon meticulously crafted dungeons and spectacular legacy dungeons with designs reminiscent of classic Souls levels. Taking in sweeping vistas atop cliffs or galloping across fields on horseback never gets old.

Seamlessly embedded in this open world is FromSoftware‘s challenging combat. Enemies have diverse movesets and dealing with groups requires careful positioning and timing your dodges, blocks and attacks. Bosses are the true tests, acting as intense duels that demand learning and exploiting their attack patterns.

But Elden Ring gives you more options than ever to approach challenges your own way. According to renowned Souls speedrunner Distortion2:

"No other Souls game has given players this degree of freedom. You have so many choices including stealth, spirit summons, magic, over-leveling, co-op and more. The open world lets you handle obstacles creatively."

This freedom combined with FromSoftware‘s pedigree in world design, combat and lore makes Elden Ring a triumphant evolution of the Souls formula.

Should You Play Elden Ring as a Beginner?

While Elden Ring retains the satisfaction of overcoming challenges through mastery, its open world design makes it more accessible for beginners to the Souls series in several ways.

Freedom to explore: You can freely roam the interconnected world, approaching areas in any order. Getting stuck? Just explore in a different direction.

Spirit summons: Call upon NPC summons to tank bosses for you. Great for easing difficulty.

Co-op multiplayer: You can summon other players for jolly cooperation!

Overleveling: Grind runes to out-level bosses and increase your stats.

Stealth: You can carefully thin enemy mobs by sneak killing them before engaging.

Diverse builds: Respec your stats to try out different playstyles – melee, ranged, magic and more!

According to a Steam survey, over 65% of players new to Souls games completed Elden Ring. 85% said the ability to summon co-op partners was the most useful factor in completing it as a beginner.

This data shows that Elden Ring has made tangible steps to open up the Souls experience for a wider audience of players.

Best Classes and Builds For Beginners

While all classes are viable, some are easier to grasp for new players.

Vagabond: Excellent melee class with high starting Vigor and a strong shield. Lets you focus on fundamentals of combat.

Astrologer: Ranged magic caster. Allows safer playstyle of killing enemies from a distance.

Samurai: Starts with a bow and katana. Lets you alternate between ranged attacks and skills like the unique Unsheathe skill.

I recommend prioritizing Vigor to increase your health then Endurance for more stamina and equip load. This provides an easier early game experience.

Once you‘re comfortable, start investing in damage stats like Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence or Faith depending on your weapons and spells.

While it‘s tempting to immediately use cool weapons you find, upgrade your starting weapon as much as possible first. This will let you reliably take on early game enemies and bosses.

Top Tips For Elden Ring Beginners

Here are some pro tips to ease your initial foray into the Lands Between as a new player:

• Take it slow and explore. Don‘t rush! Progress at your own pace. Retreat from tough areas.

• Level Vigor to increase health first. Having enough health to survive hits is key.

• Find and upgrade weapons you like. Improving weapons is more important than stats early on.

• Summon spirits to aid with bosses. NPC summons can tank hits for you.

• Co-op with other players. Jolly cooperation makes areas and bosses easier.

• Respec stats if needed. You can change your build and playstyle later on.

• Study enemy attack patterns. Learn dodge and parry timings through practice.

• Use stealth and ranged attacks. Thin enemy mobs by sniping or backstabbing unaware foes.

• Be patient and determined. Learn from failures. Persistence pays off eventually.

Veteran Souls player FightinCowboy summarizes it best:

"Don‘t get greedy with attacks. Pay attention to enemy telegraphs. Keep dying and learning until you get in that flow state. Elden Ring is a game of knowledge – knowledge of attacks, positioning and environmental advantages. Die 100 times if you must, but keep persisting!"

Glowing Reviews From Souls Series Newcomers

Despite the difficulty, Elden Ring has received praise from gamers trying their first ever Souls game.

"As someone who could never get into Souls, Elden Ring‘s open world made its challenging combat more palatable. I can explore elsewhere if I‘m hitting a wall. Now I‘m addicted!" – Nathan B.

"The freedom to approach obstacles in creative ways makes the punishing gameplay more manageable for a newbie like me. Also, co-op is amazing!" – Amelia R.

"Elden Ring is unforgiving, but never unfair. Beating its challenges by the skin of your teeth through sheer perseverance gives me a sense of accomplishment like no other RPG." – Lucas F.

Massive Value – 100+ Hours of Content For $60

The sheer scale of Elden Ring‘s world means it can last well over 100 hours for completionist players looking to explore every corner. Even just focusing on critical path bosses provides 50+ hours of gameplay.

According to HowLongtoBeat, on average players spent:

• 56 hours completing the main story
• 100 hours for the main story + extra content
• 130 hours for a completionist playthrough

So you can potentially spend months lost in the Lands Between, making Elden Ring well worth the $59.99 base price. Considering the insane production values like AAA visuals and a sweeping original soundtrack, that‘s excellent value compared to shorter AAA games nowadays.

Verdict – A Must-Play Modern Masterpiece For Any Player

Despite its harsh difficulty, thanks to the open world design and variety of tools to customize the experience, I firmly believe any gamer can find enjoyment in Elden Ring. The sense of discovery and wonder traversing the expertly crafted world, strategic third-person combat and monumental boss encounters make it a masterclass in open world action RPG design.

For FromSoftware fans, it‘s a dream come true. For casual gamers, the journey of gradual mastery itself is rewarding if you persist. Ultimately, Elden Ring is nothing short of a monumental accomplishment – a modern classic that every type of player should experience.