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!

EDIT: Thanks for the awards!

It makes me laugh that replies are saying "well gaming just isn't for you". I've been gaming for about 25 years now. Gaming is for me. But what I'm looking for in a game has clearly changed. And I've probably been gaming longer than some users have been alive :').

I'm not saying that there isn't a market for these games. There clearly is. My point is that reviews tend not to clearly set out the time investment here. Yes, they say if you find it hard, go explore and come back. But this isn't optional. This is a necessity to get further in the game.

I'm fully aware that soulsborne games are hard. It's common knowledge. But until you get hands on with one, you never really understand just HOW HARD these games are, which means you need such a big time investment.

Anyway, thanks for the responses. I've posted this in a few subs and the response has varied across these which is really interesting!