Elden Ring – FromSoftware’s epic fantasy RPG – was named Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022 today, fending off serious competition from Santa Monica Studio’s action-adventure spectacle God of War Ragnarök. There were some flashy titles like Horizon Forbidden West, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Stray and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 competing for gaming’s highest honor this year, but it really came down to the PlayStation exclusive and, well, the Elden Ring. To my delight, the latter won, and rightly so. The two games, both incredible in their own right, represent the very best that modern video games have to offer. But only one of them truly embodies the essence of the medium.
There was a hot minute where it felt God of War Ragnarok – the most nominated title at The Game Awards 2022 – would scoop the awards. Before the main course process ended, Ragnarök had already triumphed in six categories, including Best Narrative and Best Performance. And as with all award ceremonies, timeliness is always a factor. (There’s a reason we have a thing called The Oscar season.) Ragnarok was released last month while elden ring came out in February. And despite its enduring brilliance, memory can play tricks on you. Finally, BySoftware took home the two biggest awards of the night – Game of the Year and Best GM, capping a remarkable year for Japanese developers.
Elden Ring vs. God of War Ragnarok: Open World Approach
Between Ragnarök and Elden Ring, the latter is the one that pushes games into new territories. The open-world genre has often been maligned in recent years – Elden Ring took it apart and then remade it in his own image. It rejected the trappings of the genre and completely dispensed with objective markers, endless map icons, meaningless map activities and side quests, and really blew up the open world. There are games that have already done this, especially Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but Elden Ring builds on that. Where Breath of the Wild rewarded exploration, exploration is the reward in Elden Ring.
Take the Elden Ring map for example. In most open-world games, maps aren’t really a cartographic representation of the lands that the player wanders in. They are just a checklist. All they communicate is, “Go here, do that. Now this way, do that again.” But the Elden Ring map encourages, no, urges players to look at it. Really look at the rock formation north of your location or the ruins to the west. There are no symbols telling the player what they will find there, but there is a feeling that it will be something good.
The Elden Ring map invites players to take a closer look.
That’s rare in video games. Few games are bold enough to invite you on your very own adventure without feeling the need to become your guide. Just look at the other Game of the Year nominees, Horizon forbidden west, an open-world adventure that’s constantly afraid of handing over control to the player. Its myriad of card symbols will keep you hooked on every outing and lessen the wonder of an otherwise good game. (Not to be misled – but Ragnarök, while not a fully open world, also has a map. That said, throughout my playthrough I never really needed it and it just felt purely aesthetic.)
Elden Ring vs God of War Ragnarök: Storytelling
Elden Ring and Ragnarok are at opposite ends of the storytelling spectrum in video games, too. Ragnarök, winner of Best Story at The game prizes, tells a compelling story indeed, one that is personal and instinctive. Tackling complex themes of fatherhood and coming of age, it grapples with prophecy and destiny to deliver a Hollywood blockbuster-style ending to its Norse saga. It’s a good story. But it’s also traditional.
Ragnarok boasts some of the best writing in video games all year round, but its narrative isn’t too dissimilar to a movie or a novel. It takes players on a journey, but never gives them dominion. Therein lies the true power of video game storytelling. Player Agency differentiates the medium from other art forms. Elden Ring excels there. With it you can write your own story. There is, of course, an intended narrative in the game, told through arcane item descriptions and scattered lore. And curious people can always head to YouTube to find what they missed. But the stories you make up as you scour the Lands Between are the ones that stick with you.
Nominated for Game of the Year, A Plague Tale: Requiem is driven by its narrative.
Photo credit: Focus Entertainment
That’s not to say that traditional storytelling always pales in comparison. Just look at narrative games, such as The last of usor A Plague Tale: Requiem, the latter another nominee for Game of the Year. These games tell unforgettable stories — but games that present a blank page for players to fill in as they please represent the medium’s true potential as a wholly unique art form that films and books cannot replicate.
Live out the fantasy of the wasteland mercenary Fallout: New Vegas and mythologizing my actions and decisions in the mass effect Trilogy is one of my favorite gaming memories. In Elden Ring, you could be a gallant knight helping damsels through his perilous landscape, or a laid-back renegade conquering beasts and beauties. Or, if you’re really good, you could just be a naked guy with a gigantic club and go around bashing the game’s deadly bosses in the head. It’s your decision.
Elden Ring vs. God of War Ragnarok: the true game of the year
To be fair, that’s partly the nature of RPGs like Elden Ring. I don’t blame God of War Ragnarök for not being an RPG. Like I said, it’s a different game. It offers a curated experience that blends visceral gameplay with emotional depth. And within the confines of its impressive combat sandbox, it’s surprisingly flexible. But Elden Ring is walking the road less traveled – and allowing players to find their own treasure. Where Ragnarök shines in bombastic moments, Elden Ring exercises restraint, almost as a game mechanic, and stands as the true champion of the medium.
