Elden Ring takes place in the Lands Between, a realm once blessed by the Elden Ring and the Erdtree. Following the ring's shattering, the land is plagued by war and undeath. The player takes on the role of a 'Tarnished'—an exile beckoned back by grace—to collect the Great Runes, restore the Elden Ring, and become the new Elden Lord.

The Tarnished are individuals who lost the grace of the Erdtree and were banished from the Lands Between long ago. The player character is one such Tarnished, recalled to the lands after the Shattering to fulfill the prophecy and claim the title of Elden Lord.

George R.R. Martin, author of 'A Song of Ice and Fire', collaborated with director Hidetaka Miyazaki to write the game's backstory and mythos. He created the history of the world, the demigods, and the political intrigue that occurred before the game's events, which FromSoftware then used as the foundation for the game's present-day lore.

No, Elden Ring is a completely new intellectual property with its own universe and lore. However, it is considered a 'Soulsborne' game, sharing gameplay DNA (combat mechanics, difficulty, UI, multiplayer systems) with FromSoftware's Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and Demon's Souls.

Like other FromSoftware titles, Elden Ring is challenging and does not have difficulty settings. However, its open-world nature allows players to leave difficult areas, explore elsewhere to level up and find better gear, and return later. Features like Spirit Ashes (summons) and cooperative multiplayer also help mitigate difficulty.

Yes, Elden Ring features both cooperative and competitive multiplayer. You can summon other players (or NPCs) to help with bosses and exploration, or you can invade other players' worlds to fight them. The 'Seamless Co-op' mod on PC is also popular, though unofficial.

There are 10 starting classes: Vagabond, Warrior, Hero, Bandit, Astrologer, Prophet, Samurai, Prisoner, Confessor, and Wretch. Your class determines your starting stats and equipment, but you can level up any stat and use any weapon later, allowing for complete build freedom.

A typical playthrough can take anywhere from 60 to 100+ hours depending on how much you explore. Completionists seeking to find every boss, dungeon, and secret can easily spend over 150 hours in a single playthrough.

Shadow of the Erdtree is the major expansion for Elden Ring, released in June 2024. It introduces a massive new region called the 'Land of Shadow', new bosses, weapons, and story content centered around Miquella, one of the most mysterious demigods from the base game.

Yes, unlike previous Souls games which were interconnected levels, Elden Ring features a vast, seamless open world. Players can ride their spectral steed, Torrent, to traverse large distances, discover hidden dungeons, and approach objectives in almost any order.