Elden Ring is a masterpiece of despair, a game that not only challenges your skills but also your very will to keep going. From the moment I set foot in the Lands Between, I knew this wasn't just a game—it was an existential crisis waiting to happen.
The world of Elden Ring is vast, oppressive, and utterly indifferent to your struggles. You fight, you die, you fight again. The enemies don’t care about your pain, and the game’s cryptic story offers no solace, only more mysteries. As I lost myself in its unforgiving world, I felt a creeping sense of nihilism. What’s the point of it all? Why fight? Why keep going?
The difficulty and sheer hopelessness of some bosses sent me spiraling, and soon I found myself reaching for a drink more often than my controller. The game didn't cause my alcoholism, but it certainly didn't help. Each death, each failure became another reason to pour another drink. It’s as if the bleakness of the game mirrored my own growing sense of meaninglessness.
Visually, Elden Ring is stunning—its landscapes evoke a sense of both wonder and dread. But even the beauty feels cold, distant, and unwelcoming. Every inch of this world is designed to remind you how small and insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things. It’s art, but it’s art that stares back into your soul, and what it shows you isn’t always pretty.
In terms of gameplay, it's a finely tuned Soulsborne experience, combining FromSoftware’s signature brutal combat with an open-world exploration that feels both exhilarating and terrifying. However, the further I progressed, the more I found myself questioning why I was still playing. What was I really accomplishing? With every new challenge came more frustration, more self-doubt, and, in my case, more alcohol.
Elden Ring is a masterpiece, but it’s a dark one. It has a way of pulling you in and making you question everything—not just in the game but in life. For me, it became a personal descent into nihilism and worsened my battle with alcohol. It’s a game that’s brilliant, yet brutal, and it left me wondering if the journey was worth the cost.
If you’re looking for a game that will test your limits and break you down both mentally and emotionally, then Elden Ring will deliver. Just be prepared for what it might reveal about yourself along the way.

Rating: 9/10
Personal Cost: Higher than I expected.

Elden Ring is a masterpiece of despair, a game that not only challenges your skills but also your very will to keep going. From the moment I set foot in the Lands Between, I knew this wasn't just a game—it was an existential crisis waiting to happen. The world of Elden Ring is vast, oppressive, and utterly indifferent to your struggles. You fight, you die, you fight again. The enemies don’t care about your pain, and the game’s cryptic story offers no solace, only more mysteries. As I lost myself in its unforgiving world, I felt a creeping sense of nihilism. What’s the point of it all? Why fight? Why keep going? The difficulty and sheer hopelessness of some bosses sent me spiraling, and soon I found myself reaching for a drink more often than my controller. The game didn't cause my alcoholism, but it certainly didn't help. Each death, each failure became another reason to pour another drink. It’s as if the bleakness of the game mirrored my own growing sense of meaninglessness. Visually, Elden Ring is stunning—its landscapes evoke a sense of both wonder and dread. But even the beauty feels cold, distant, and unwelcoming. Every inch of this world is designed to remind you how small and insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things. It’s art, but it’s art that stares back into your soul, and what it shows you isn’t always pretty. In terms of gameplay, it's a finely tuned Soulsborne experience, combining FromSoftware’s signature brutal combat with an open-world exploration that feels both exhilarating and terrifying. However, the further I progressed, the more I found myself questioning why I was still playing. What was I really accomplishing? With every new challenge came more frustration, more self-doubt, and, in my case, more alcohol. Elden Ring is a masterpiece, but it’s a dark one. It has a way of pulling you in and making you question everything—not just in the game but in life. For me, it became a personal descent into nihilism and worsened my battle with alcohol. It’s a game that’s brilliant, yet brutal, and it left me wondering if the journey was worth the cost. If you’re looking for a game that will test your limits and break you down both mentally and emotionally, then Elden Ring will deliver. Just be prepared for what it might reveal about yourself along the way. Rating: 9/10 Personal Cost: Higher than I expected.