Elden Ring

Elden Ring on PC is a third-person dark-fantasy action RPG from FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment. The Steam listing remains named ELDEN RING; it has not been rebranded as Tarnished Edition on PC. Instead, PC players can buy the base game, the Shadow of the Erdtree Edition bundles, and the newer Tarnished Pack separately.

The Tarnished Edition name currently belongs to the all-in-one Nintendo Switch 2 package. On PC, the equivalent additional content is distributed as the paid Tarnished Pack, while Shadow of the Erdtree remains a separate expansion or part of the official bundle editions.

A vast open world built around discovery

Elden Ring places you in the Lands Between, a seamless fantasy continent shaped by the shattered Elden Ring and the war known as the Shattering. You play as a customizable Tarnished, following Sites of Grace, investigating ruined kingdoms, and choosing whether to pursue the main path or disappear into unexplored territory.

Its defining structure is open-ended exploration. Roads, caves, catacombs, legacy dungeons, underground regions, castles, swamps, and remote plateaus connect into a world that rarely tells you exactly what to do. A landmark on the horizon can lead to a boss, a shortcut, a questline, or a completely different route through the map.

Travel is supported by Torrent, the player’s spectral steed. Mounted exploration changes how you approach large enemies, open fields, cliffs, and groups of opponents. You can fight on horseback, bypass threats, search for hidden entrances, or return later with a stronger build and better understanding of the area.

Combat, builds, and the death-and-learning loop

Combat is deliberate, timing-focused, and built around reading enemy animations. Attacks consume stamina, positioning matters, and a mistimed dodge, parry, jump, or spell can turn a winning encounter into a defeat. The game rewards players who learn enemy patterns rather than relying on repetitive button presses.

Your character can specialize in heavy weapons, fast blades, bows, shields, sorceries, incantations, stealth, status effects, or hybrid setups. Character creation provides a starting direction, but later equipment, attributes, spells, and abilities let you reshape the build around your preferred approach.

Ashes of War add another layer to weapon customization by providing skills and, in many cases, selectable affinities. This lets the same weapon behave differently depending on your build. You can also use spirit summons to create openings, distract enemies, or support a strategy that would be difficult to execute alone.

Death is part of the progression loop, not a conventional game-over state. Defeated enemies can teach you attack ranges and recovery windows, while lost runes create a risk-and-recovery decision on the next attempt. When a boss feels impossible, you can explore elsewhere, improve your equipment, change your tactics, or summon help.

Bosses, legacy dungeons, and flexible progression

The major legacy dungeons provide more concentrated challenges than the open fields. They combine branching routes, elevators, shortcuts, hidden rooms, environmental hazards, elite enemies, and memorable boss encounters. Their layouts reward observation, while the wider world gives you room to prepare before committing to the next major area.

Boss fights are designed around distinct attack rhythms and weaknesses. Some reward patience and shield use; others demand aggressive pressure, jumping attacks, ranged damage, or careful management of status buildup. There is no single universal build that trivializes every encounter, which is why experimentation remains useful throughout a playthrough.

The story is intentionally indirect. The history of Queen Marika, the demigods, the Greater Will, Miquella, and the Shattering is spread across NPC dialogue, item descriptions, environmental details, and quest outcomes. Players who enjoy reconstructing lore will find a dense setting, while those who prefer direct exposition may need to accept a more fragmented narrative style.

For another PC action RPG centered on demanding encounters and equipment experimentation, connected dark-fantasy soulslike combat such as Dark Souls Remastered offers a more compact world structure, while Elden Ring expands the same broad design philosophy into open-world exploration.

What the current PC editions include

The standard PC purchase contains the complete base game. The Shadow of the Erdtree Edition adds the major expansion, and the Deluxe Edition combines the base game and expansion with digital artbooks and original soundtracks.

Shadow of the Erdtree takes the Tarnished into the Realm of Shadow, a separate region with its own story, enemies, bosses, weapons, quests, and progression considerations. It is not a small bonus area; it is a substantial expansion intended for players who already have access to the base game and are ready for another high-level adventure.

The current PC storefront also lists the Tarnished Pack as paid additional content. It adds two starting classes, new equipment, four armor sets, and customization options for Torrent. The new classes do not lock existing players out of the content, because their equipment can also be obtained through merchants or exploration.

There is no free-to-play transition. Elden Ring is a premium game, with Shadow of the Erdtree and the Tarnished Pack handled as optional paid additions. The separate Nightreign release is a standalone Elden Ring universe game and should not be confused with the base game, its expansion, or the Tarnished Pack.

Who should play Elden Ring on PC?

Elden Ring suits players who want challenging melee combat, open-ended exploration, character-building freedom, hidden quests, and boss fights that demand practice. It is especially strong for players who enjoy discovering systems without constant objective markers or scripted guidance.

It is also a good choice for players who normally avoid older soulslikes because they feel too linear. The open world gives you more ways to respond to difficulty: change your route, find stronger tools, upgrade a different weapon, use spirit ashes, or bring other players into the fight.

Players who want a tightly directed story, a low-pressure combat system, or a purely cooperative campaign should be more cautious. Multiplayer is useful, but the game remains structured around individual exploration, and summoned allies do not remove the need to understand its encounters.

Those seeking another open-world fantasy RPG with climbing, party-like support characters, and large monster encounters can compare it with open-world action RPG adventures such as Dragon's Dogma 2. Dragon's Dogma 2 emphasizes Pawns and physical interaction with large creatures, while Elden Ring puts more weight on buildcraft, secrets, and boss mastery.

PC features, controls, and online play

The PC version uses a third-person camera and supports keyboard and mouse input alongside full controller support. A gamepad is a natural fit for movement, camera control, dodging, parrying, mounted combat, and quick access to consumables, but mouse and keyboard remain viable for players who prefer traditional PC controls.

Steam features include achievements, trading cards, cloud support, and family sharing. The game requires agreement to a third-party EULA and uses Easy Anti-Cheat for its online ecosystem. Online play also depends on keeping the PC version updated when multiplayer compatibility requires it.

Co-op supports the host plus two other Tarnished. You can summon allies through multiplayer pools or use a shared password to play with specific friends. PvP includes invasions, duels, and organized battles through the three Colosseums, so the online layer supports both cooperation and competition.

Steam lists interface and subtitle support for English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Latin American Spanish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, and Arabic. Full audio support is listed for English, while the other languages are presented primarily as text and interface localizations.

Elden Ring FAQ

Is Elden Ring now called Tarnished Edition on PC?

No. The PC Steam listing remains ELDEN RING. Tarnished Edition is the all-in-one Nintendo Switch 2 package, while PC players receive the related extra content through the paid Tarnished Pack.

What is included in the Shadow of the Erdtree Edition?

The Shadow of the Erdtree Edition includes the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. The Deluxe Edition adds digital artbooks and original soundtracks for the base game and expansion.

Is the Tarnished Pack the same as Shadow of the Erdtree?

No. Shadow of the Erdtree is the large narrative expansion set in the Realm of Shadow. The Tarnished Pack is a separate content add-on focused on starting classes, armor, weapons, and Torrent customization.

Does Elden Ring have online co-op on PC?

Yes. The host can play with up to two other Tarnished in online co-op. Multiplayer is integrated with exploration and boss progression, but summoned players do not turn the game into a persistent shared-world campaign.

Does Elden Ring support PvP?

Yes. PC players can participate in invasions, duels, and Colosseum battles. PvP is separate from the main solo progression loop but uses the same weapons, attributes, spells, and build decisions.

What is the real gameplay structure?

The core structure is exploration, route discovery, character development, equipment experimentation, difficult encounters, and boss mastery. There is no single required route through the Lands Between, so the game is better understood as a collection of interconnected challenges than as a strictly linear campaign.