world setting received acclaim, with reviewers praising the exploration mechanics. Tamoor Hussain of GameSpot praised the Lands Between as the most expansive of FromSoftware's settings, calling exploration and discovery the main appeal of the game. Mitchell Saltzman of IGN lauded the game for rewarding exploration on every part of the map. Simon Parkin of The Guardian called the game's environments "intriguing and inventive." Some reviewers liked that the open landscape provided opportunities to discover and try multiple challenges. Exploration drew many favorable comparisons to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The environments of the game were also praised for their artistic designs, with reviewers positively rating their execution in an open setting, while also appreciating the designs of linear dungeons. Similarly to FromSoftware's earlier Dark Souls games, Elden Ring difficulty provoked much commentary, with reviewers both praising and criticizing its lack of easier modes. Other reviewers considered Elden Ring the most accessible Souls game, saying that the player could choose to avoid difficult threats and return with more experience. The combat of Elden Ring was praised for offering options towards fighting enemies, while keeping the game challenging. Torrent and fast travel were well-received features, with reviewers citing them as large improvements towards making the game easier to explore. The placing of checkpoints was also praised as helpful towards making the game more approachable. Some reviewers criticized a number of the menu and accessibility systems. Reviewers also complained about the poor performance of the game on PC, with frame rate issues being commonly mentioned. Just after launch, the Steam version temporarily received primarily mixed reviews due to performance issues. The story of Elden Ring was noted by reviewers for lacking Martin's writing style. Kyle Orland of Ars Technica said that Elden Ring storytelling was "characteristically sparse and cryptic,” and unlike what fans of Martin would expect. Chris Carter of Destructoid called the story "low key", but said it was better told than in previous FromSoftware games. Aoife Wilson of Eurogamer said that George R. R. Martin's heavy inclusion in the marketing was "baffling" when his contributions to the overall narrative were unclear. Mitchell Saltzman did not mind the lack of Martin's style, saying the side stories, rather than any grand overarching plot, kept him "enthralled". A crowdfunding campaign for a board game based on Elden Ring was launched on Kickstarter by Steamforged Games in November 2022. Sales Elden Ring