Probably the biggest buzz in gaming circles of late is the FromSoftware-driven Elden Ring. Yet all was not positive in these conversations. Most recently, the @ELDENRING Twitter account posted a cryptic message enticing players to join the Elden Ring Discord Server, and almost immediately, responses started pouring in en masse, lamenting matchmaking issues, absent features, and performance glitches.
The tweet, “Do not face the Night alone. In the Roundtable Hold, kindred spirits await your arrival,” was supposed to stir excitement amongst the community. Instead, it was hijacked by disgruntled users wishing to air their grievances. The loudest voices articulated that the matchmaking system itself does not work and is frustrating to use. Some users proclaimed they had been waiting for over an hour to be matched; others had already given up. “Wish matchmaking actually worked. Like ever,” said one guy, JeffJeckert, echoing the demographics of the many.
There were the crashing issues as a secondary one here. The most egregious stutters with frame drops could be observed, and a bounty of reports came in from all sorts of high-end rigs. “The game is full of stuttering and lag, even on the lowest graphics settings,” claimed KDB17TOP, going on to detail that his GPU was a 50 series. Others started joking, including CocoliaSama, who ironically called it a “GPU killer,” but the frustration is half serious.
The other glaring issues relate to the absence of basic features for multiplayer. Voice chat, a must in almost all team-based games, just does not exist in Elden Ring. “Voice chat is a requirement for a team-based game,” MikeMatthewsII argued, citing that in Helldivers, voice chat was very helpful because it allowed quick communication; otherwise an uncoordinated teammate becomes an eminent hazard since they will be splitting up and dying before you even know it.
Cross-play-next omission pointed at continuously with irate fingers. Many, much like jynxcey_, pleaded with the devs to implement it, while others wondered how a modern multiplayer game with such stature was launched without it. The lack of these features only made an already frustrating matchmaking feel even more so.
The other glaring issues relate to the absence of basic features for multiplayer. Voice chat, a must in almost all team-based games, just does not exist in Elden Ring. “Voice chat is a requirement for a team-based game,” MikeMatthewsII argued, citing that in Helldivers voice chat was very helpful because it allowed quick communication; otherwise an uncoordinated teammate becomes an eminent hazard since they will be splitting up and dying before you even know it.
Cross-play-the next pointed omission-was screamed aloud by many, jynxcey_ among them, begging the devs to bring it in, while others were actually dumbfounded why such a modern multiplayer game even launched without it. The absence of these features just made an already frustrating matchmaking far more so.
Some defended the solo side, with a few like Shredded_Steel claiming “fun” but conceding that multiplayer was not so much. Others like braiden were not shy about their disparagement of certain boss fights, referring to one of them as “the most boring drawn-out slow gimmicky fight I have ever done.”
The backlash gained so severe that some began wondering whether Elden Ring should even bear the FromSoftware title, with Hikiari stating, “No way this is a FromSoft title.” Some were even already geared for a refund.
Despite the clamouring, there still were those excited for what the game might hold. MollyStauter said the announcement gave them good vibes, and they would look forward to hanging out with people on Discord. That said, the tide clearly signals that the multiplayer of Elden Ring needs a lot of work.
Creatively, FromSoftware has not yet responded to this wave of complaints; however, given the vocal community, it will not be a long while before the developer either addresses this scourge or finds itself suffering the loss of goodwill. Until then, the Night remains a lonely place for many Tarnished.
