Elden Ring – FromSoftware’s epic fantasy RPG – was named Game of the Year at the 2022 Game Awards today, beating out serious competition from Santa Monica Studio’s extravagant action-adventure God of War Ragnarök. There were some eye-catching titles like Horizon Forbidden West, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Stray and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in the battle for this year’s top gaming honor, but it really came down to PlayStation exclusivity and , well, Elden Ring on . 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 actually felt God of War Ragnarok – the most nominated title at the Game Awards 2022 – would win the awards. Before the main course came, Ragnarök had already won six categories, including Best Storytelling and Best Performance. And as with all award shows, the recency bias is always at play. (There’s a reason we have this Oscar season.) Ragnarok was released last month while Elden ring appeared in February. And despite its enduring brilliance, memory can play tricks on you. Finally, FromSoftware took home the two biggest awards of the night – Game of the Year and Best Game Direction – 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 territory. The open-world genre has been heavily vilified in recent years – Elden Ring took it apart and then remade it in his own image. It rejected the peculiarities of the genre and completely dispensed with objective markers, endless map symbols, meaningless map activities and side quests and really blew up the open world. There are games that have already done this, notably 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 roams in. They are just a checklist. All they’re communicating is, “Go here, do that.” Now this way, do that again.” But the Elden Ring map encourages, nay, demands, players to look at it. Look closely at the rock formation to the north of your location or the ruins to the west of your location. There are no symbols telling the player what they will find there, but they have a feeling that it will be something good.
The Elden Ring map invites players to take a closer look.
That rarely happens in video games. Very 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 nominees for Game of the Year: Horizon Forbidden West, an open-world adventure in constant fear of relinquishing control to the player. The myriad of card symbols will aid you in every outing and lessen the appeal of an otherwise good game. (I don’t want to be misled – but while Ragnarok doesn’t have a fully open world, it does have a map. However, I never really needed it throughout my playthrough and it 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 Storyline at The game prizes, indeed tells a compelling story that is personal and haunting. It tackles complex themes of fatherhood and coming of age, explores prophecy and destiny, and delivers a Hollywood blockbuster-style ending to the Norse saga. It’s a good story. But it’s also traditional.
Ragnarök boasts some of the best video games all year round, but its narrative isn’t too dissimilar to a film or novel. It takes players on a journey, but never lets them take the reins. Therein lies the true power of video game storytelling. Player agency distinguishes the medium from other art forms. Elden Ring excels here. With it you can write your own story. Of course, there is an intended narrative in the game, told through mysterious item descriptions and scattered lore. And curious minds can always check out what they missed on YouTube. But the stories you make up as you roam the lands in between are the ones that stick in your mind.
Game of the Year nominee A Plague Tale: Requiem is driven by its narrative.
Photo credit: Focus Entertainment
That’s not to say traditional storytelling always pales in comparison. Just watch narrative games like The last of usor A plague story: Requiem, the latter another nominee for Game of the Year. These games tell unforgettable stories – but games that offer players a blank page to fill in whatever they want 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 the dangerous landscape, or an elegant renegade conquering beasts and beauties. Or, if you’re really good, you could just be a naked guy with a huge club and running around beating the game’s deadly bosses on the head. It’s your decision.
Elden Ring vs God of War Ragnarök: the true game of the year
To be fair, that’s partly the nature of RPGs like Elden Ring. I don’t mind that God of War Ragnarök isn’t an RPG. Like I said, it’s a different game. It offers a curated experience that combines intuitive gameplay with emotional depth. And within the confines of its impressive combat sandbox, it’s surprisingly flexible. But Elden Ring takes the road less traveled – allowing players to find their own treasure. While Ragnarök shines through bombastic moments, Elden Ring exercises restraint almost like a game mechanic and is considered a true advocate of the medium.
