HomeFeaturesElden Ring
Going Torrent-less in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree reminded my why it won’t beat old SoulsNo horsin' around
No horsin' around
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco
I mentioned it briefly in myShadow Of The Erdtreereview, but there’s one area of the DLC where your steed Torrent is so scared they refuse to be summoned. That’s because said area is a woodland that’s been steeped in shadow and chaos for so long, large goats don’t dare clop their hooves. What I hadn’t expected was that relying on my own two trotters would be so… revelatory. It’s made me reconsider exploration inElden Ring’sopen world, and conclude that using Torrent as a taxi service contributes to a feeling of disconnection.
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco
Remember Ash Lake? |Image credit:Bandai Namco/FromSoftware
As much as it was disorienting running around lots of pissing trees, I felt a better sense of connection in this place. Yes, it sometimes felt like I was sprinting through a dark vacuum, but I was still curious, sniffing around, angling my camera to better take in the bleakness (plus there’s a major highlight you’ll definitely want to see in these woods, so grit your teeth and get through it, I say). Elsewhere, on Torrent-back, you do get the cinematic “yah boy!” as the grass sways and you blast into a vista, but once the majestic has become commonplace, he becomes a shortcut, a way of turning the open world’s points of interest into easily sampled rides at the playground.
On Torrent, I rarely feel in danger because of his ability to, well, “yah boy”. On foot, I’m just a little guy in a world full of horrible monsters and I have to channel Happy Feet if I want to avoid even the lowliest lads with their rusted broadswords. I’m someone who has to think about where he’s carving his path and doesn’t have a turbo-charged taxi to fall back on. I mention in my review that Elden Ring and Erdtree likely won’t stick in my memory like Dark Souls andBloodborne, and I think Torrent is a big reason why.
In the past, Souls worlds have been designed with a walk or a sprint in mind. They were built to accommodate awkward boss runs, bonfire oases after a desperate hike, and an interconnected sprawl where shortcuts could slash long area-to-area commutes in half. You were present theentiretime, as if out for a stroll in real life, soaking up the chirp of the birds and the smell of freshly cut grass (just replace these things with scythe-wielding lizards and bog rot). Elden Ring and Erdtree - even if Erdtree gets a bit closer to old Souls - are worlds designed for a shuttle, one which I’m hope is parked for whatever From do next. Next time, I’d like a wander.
