Watch the Elden Ring gameplay trailer, complete with laughing NPC
One despairing chuckle is all I ask
I hope you've packed your marshmallows folks, as From Software and Bandai Namco have greenlit a 15-minute Elden Ring gameplay stream, due to go live at 2pm GMT/7am PDT. Personally, I feel alive, and a little woozy. What's going to be shown off? Swords, dragons, pots-that-are-boys, who knows. If you're as excited as I am, though, you best bookmark the stream below.
The stream is happening over on Bandai Namco's YouTube channel and they will also stream it on Twitch.
The last we heard of Elden Ring was, err, mixed news. Bandai Namco delayed its launch by a month and some potato-quality gameplay clip leaked at the same time. Otherwise, we've fed on crumbs of information from interviews and short trailers, the last of which landed four months ago.
So what am I hoping to see from this Elden Ring gameplay bonanza? Honestly, I'm easy to please. If it's a tarnished fella slow-walking through some swaying grass for 15-minutes, that's fine by me. A look at how mounted combat works would be nice, or even the day/night cycle and how it affects exploration. A chinwag with a pot boy would be phenomenal.
In fact, I really hope that if we do see any NPC chatter, that they chuckle despairingly after every sentence. This is something that's crucial for me in a Souls game. A slow "ha ha ha" reaffirms lots of things, like the sadness of these worlds and those stuck within it. But most importantly, they lighten the mood a bit. They're a nod to each game's comedic value, with their infuriating enemy placement you can't help but snort at, or invasions from other players that often descend into pure silliness.
Update: It delivered.
Anyway, it's not long until we hopefully find out if one, or more, NPCs laugh in Elden Ring. And if they don't show any NPCs at all, maybe the 'closed network test' Bamco are running this month will provide answers. Although that's only on Xboxes and PlayStations, *shakes fist*.
Stay tuned for more thoughts on the Elden Ring gameplay footage once it drops. I'm primed and ready to react with frightening levels of gusto.