I'm brand new to the soulsborne genre, and only thought I'd give it a go due to the hype surrounding the game as well as the extremely positive reviews listed shortly prior to release.

Don't get me wrong, the game is beautiful. Graphically this game just wows and the atmosphere, characters and other characteristics that make up the game are entirely on point.

But, as a newcomer to the genre, I've learnt very quickly that the soulsborne genre as a whole is a genre I can only compare to being an acquired taste.

The gameplay of this type of game are brutal, and leave very little room for error. If that's your thing, then awesome. But as a dad of 3, working two jobs, with very limited time to game, this simply is not a game compatible with my gaming needs.

Perhaps I'd have taken a very different view in my teens, where I'd have more time to learn the patterns of combat, and patience to explore aimlessly. But when you only have an hour or so, once or twice a week, you don't tend to make a lot of progress which isn't a lot of fun. Especially when you have a backlog the length of a scroll.

My advice to anyone pondering the jump into this genre for the first time, don't rely on the reviews alone. Watch some gameplay videos, and check out some previous soulsborne games, whether that be reviews, gameplay videos, or a cheap second hand copy. I think this will go a long way in determining whether Elden Ring is for you, rather than paying full price for am experience you simply won't enjoy.

I'm likely I'm the minority, but thought I'd share my views!