STORY
FRAGMENTS
5
Get in the
habit of
reading the
descriptions of
everything you pick
up. Not only is this
one of the key ways
of piecing together
the storyof
FromSoft’sgames,
they may also give
you important
boss-battling clues.RISK VS REWARD
3
You’ll drop your currency on
death, andit’ll disappear forever
if you die again before reclaiming it.
If you have a lot, use it to level up or
buy items. There’s noshamein
running pastenemies to recover
your points, either.NEED TO KNOW
DIFFICULTY
Hard
TIME
Tenhours
VITAL LINKS
Guide hub:
bit.ly/ 3 tZdd 01
Missable NPCs:
bit.ly/ 35 XBU 4 U
Best items:
bit.ly/3JfN43w
SOULS SERIES
Trying your first FromSoft adventure? Here’s how tosurvive. By Harry Shepherd
GET STARTED WITH THE
LESSON LEARNED
2
Dying isn’t a punishment in
Soulsgames, butan
opportunity for youto improve.
The harsh world and brutal bosses of
Elden Ringare a puzzle to be solved
and, with eachdeath,you’ll be closer
to a solution.PREPARE TO DIE
1
If Elden Ringis thefirst
‘Soulsborne’game you’re trying
(named for Dark Soulsand Bloodborne),
know that you’re in for adifficult, special,
and fascinating adventure.Tocatch you
up, we’ve got some general tips that
might not be soclearto beginners.JUST CHATTING
4
When you comeacrossNPCs in
the world, trigger their dialogue
until they stopsayingsomething new:
sometimes you’ll get extra detail or
even gear.Also, don’t trust anyof
them, especially if they go by the
name of Patches.
BOX OF
TRICKS
6
Elden Ringwill
have funwith
you, so watch out for
trick chests with
surprising
consequences. As
with the player-
eating Mimicsfrom
Dark Souls, prepare
to findmore than
just some gearand
items inside an
appealing chest.ODD JOBS
7
Soulsgames have quests, but
not in the traditional sense. You’ll
follow thewhims of NPCs and make
choices, but you’llhave noobvious
objectivesor quest log, and it won’t be
obvious if you’ve failed one. Pay attention
and tread carefully.