Gaming

Elden Ring review: Should you play the hardest game of 2022?

Is the difficulty worth it?

Published

March 3, 2022

Luigi Leonardo

In 2015, I set myself up for failure. I faced the self-imposed, Sisyphean task of convincing everyone that Bloodborne was the best game of the year. I was like a preacher, doomed from the very start.

At the time, FromSoft, the game’s developer, was only slowly growing out of its cult following of gamers hunting for extremely difficult games. Before Bloodborne, the studio was more notorious for birthing the iconic Dark Souls franchise, a series that casual gamers traipsed evasively. With a controversial history, peddling the developer’s new, equally difficult game was more than a challenge.

Difficult as it is, I managed to convince one person to try it out: my gym instructor. After some cajoling, he bought the game to see how long he would last. Spoiler: he didn’t. After just a week, he sold his copy. He said the game was garbage because it was too hard.

Today, it’s a funny anecdote I tell my friends. Unbeknownst to me at the time, however, it foreshadowed a moment in 2022: when FromSoft and its hardcore fans managed to convince thousands and thousands of unassuming gamers to play its next difficult challenge, Elden Ring.

Though a lot of the initial hype has died down, you might be hearing the same conflicting opinions as I had in 2015 about Bloodborne. While some are glorifying Elden Ring as the best game of 2022, a good number are decrying how misleading the hype was. Fooled into comparisons with Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, or Skyrim, the latter group quickly found out that Elden Ring wasn’t easy.

It was, in fact, torture. Elden Ring is, at its core, a Dark Souls game. Now, with two opposing sides pulling the game apart, it’s time to ask that one question probably lingering in your mind. Should you play Elden Ring?

Image source: FromSoft

Let’s discover together

When the first Dark Souls came out, the meager few who played the game didn’t have a wealth of guides to ease them through the challenging experience. Since social media wasn’t as prominent as it is now, a lot were even communicating through email. I wasn’t part of that lucky group, but I can imagine how surreal it was to discover an unknown world together with nary an idea of what awaits just around the corner.

Now, Elden Ring is in the middle of a similar moment. It’s a fresh canvas for explorers. Plus, being FromSoft’s first open-world game, the map is filled with tantalizing uncertainty. Less than a week since the game’s launch, players are consistently finding new discoveries about the game including ultra-rare loot, bosses that only come out at night, and obscure questlines.

A lot of gamers today aren’t used to this approach. Most open-world games consistently hold the player’s hand throughout the experience. Their maps are giant collect-a-thons filled with objectives. Of course, there is a natural joy in checking off objectives one-by-one, similar to popping bubble wrap or filling in a coloring book.

Then again, there is also an intense awe with discovery, especially since it is an open world. More than 40 hours into the game, I was still finding new enemy types, bosses, and environs to gawk at. FromSoft was never a developer to hold your hand throughout a game. Yet, I never felt lost. Every corner held something new.

Image source: FromSoft

An interactive fantasy book

If all you’ve heard about Elden Ring is its difficulty, then you might have missed the other big name attached to the title: George R. R. Martin. Though it’s still unclear which parts he worked on, the Game of Thrones author had a hand at creating the rich lore for the game.

As expected, Elden Ring plays like an interactive dark fantasy book. Instead of just fighting for victory screens, each boss fight is a clamber for more story. It’s a compelling one, too.

Because it’s a FromSoft game, Elden Ring has similar plot lines to the Dark Souls series. Namely, a higher god-like power (the eponymous Elden Ring) breaks down into smaller pieces taken by a smattering of demigods and lords. You, a lowly human, travels across different worlds to collect these pieces and usurp the throne as the next higher power.

Traditionally, FromSoft hides its more obscure plot elements, refusing to spell out the entire story to the player. Though the overarching story is relatively concise, more detailed elements — who the demigods are, who you are — are hidden behind item descriptions and enigmatic storytelling. As a result, the games have a sub-community dedicated to deciphering its labyrinthine lore.

The near-undecipherable story is a draw for some, for sure. Elden Ring is different. From the get-go, your goal is clear: beat the demigods and become the Elden Lord. For casual gamers, that’s enough. For those who prefer more lore, the game still has that. It’s a best-of-both-worlds approach that won’t alienate one group from the other.

Image source: FromSoft

You died

With that, let’s address the elephant in the room: death, death, and more death. The one thing that’s preventing casual gamers from finishing the game is its immense difficulty. Since the Dark Souls series, FromSoft has prided itself with enemies and hazards that show gamers no mercy. Mistime your attacks? You die. Not looking where you’re going? You die.

It’s unforgiving. Naturally, a lot of people find that unsatisfying. With only 24 hours in a day, who can blame them for ditching Elden Ring for an easier game?

However, the game’s perception as an unforgiving game does little to underline the flip side: Elden Ring’s fairness. Elden Ring isn’t hard for the sake of being hard. Most of the time, a seemingly unbeatable boss wants to teach you something. For example, if spamming the attack button is ineffective against a boss, the game is likely teaching you to balance attacks with rolling and evading. Great game design hinges on learning.

It’s not just about learning, though. While most bosses focus on teaching, all of them, as a whole, have one specific lesson in mind: patience. Dying and loss are important to the game. In fact, the game’s very first enemy, an almost unbeatable behemoth, will force most players into their first deaths already.

The key is not giving up even if you spend hours or days on a single boss. Just like real life.

Though it’s just a game, Elden Ring (and others like it) can teach gamers something critical about life in general. You can spend your time bashing your head on the wall, smashing controllers, or reselling the game, sure, but the true measure of progress is maintaining your composure and tackling the problem head-on.

It’s not an easy lesson to learn. Experience is the harshest teacher. It took me months just to finish Bloodborne. However, I wouldn’t trade those months for an easier game. It taught me that losing is a normal part of life.

I have already died dozens and dozens of times in Elden Ring. Still, I push on. Why? Because the battle is never futile. Nothing compares to the ecstasy of winning after a difficult fight.

Though it might not seem like it, FromSoft wants you to win. That’s what separates Elden Ring from both easy-peasy and hard-for-the-sake-of-being-hard games. The game is difficult but almost always has a fair solution. And the reward? Sweet victory and the irreplaceable virtue of patience.

Image source: FromSoft

Should you play Elden Ring?

Thousands of gamers today are realizing the same truths through Elden Ring. Many are discovering their limits and tolerances. Some have given up. So, should you go through the same experience and play Elden Ring?

Honestly, only you can answer that. As a reviewer, I can definitely say that Elden Ring is one of the best games this year, full stop. Although, as a gamer, I can’t force others into an arduous journey of painful self-discovery. There will be people who don’t have the luxury of time to pore over difficult boss fights, and that’s fine.

However, if you do find yourself in the Lands Between, I have one tip: give it a good try. I promise, it’ll be worth it.

Related Topics:Elden Ring featured FromSoftware

Gaming

Silksong is getting its first major expansion next year

The expansion is called Sea of Sorrow.

Published

December 16, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

I still can’t believe that Hollow Knight: Silksong came out this year. After years of just waiting for the mythical title, it’s surreal to have it in my library. Now, barely waiting to catch their breath, Team Cherry is already working hard towards the next content drop, starting with Silksong DLC.

Just like the original Hollow Knight, Silksong is getting free DLCs to expand its story. The upcoming Sea of Sorrow DLC will be the game’s “first big expansion.”

The expansion’s trailer barely shows anything about the new content, besides vague allusions to what’s coming. At the very least, Team Cherry has confirmed, both via the announcement and the accompanying poster, that Sea of Sorrow will be nautical-themed.

It will feature new locations, new tools, and new enemies. By itself, Silksong is already a huge game. Adding more content then is a massive undertaking. Plus, Team Cherry says that this is just the first expansion, hinting at more coming in the future.

Sea of Sorrow will launch in 2026.

Besides the new expansion, the studio is also working on a Nintendo Switch 2 update for the original Hollow Knight. It will add higher framerates, resolutions, and more graphical effects. PC players will also get some upgrades to support larger screens.

The Switch 2 update, which will be free for those who already own the original game, will also launch next year.

Gaming

The Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro made me believe in wireless mice

Published

December 16, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

I used to turn my nose up at ultra-light wireless mice. I preferred the heft of a traditional mouse. The tactile sensation of pushing a heavier mouse makes me feel that my efforts are mechanically moving the cursor on the screen. In contrast, a lighter mouse eradicates that connection, making itself invisible. You no longer feel connected to your PC via a mouse; your hand itself becomes the cursor. I needed that connection.

It wasn’t until the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro that I realized how silly it is to keep that extra weight.

As if nothing was there

The Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro is built for pro gamers. It’s extremely lightweight and impressively fast through its wireless connection.

To be more accurate, the mouse itself, minus the wire and the dongle, weighs only 56 grams. Coming from a chunkier mouse, my hand just flies through my desk mat. It’s like taking off ankle weights and suddenly feeling the weightlessness of a run.

Despite the reduced resistance, I never felt disconnected from the cursor on the screen. The mouse has a maximum polling rate of 8,000Hz. Personally, I didn’t go beyond the default 1,000Hz much. It’s more than enough for casual to slightly more competitive gaming. And in any case, the higher settings are just there for those rare times I want to dabble in more intense games.

Immediately, the DeathAdder V4 Pro’s weight and polling rate were enough to melt my worries over ultra-light and wireless mice.

A simple, no-frills layout

As a competitive mouse, the DeathAdder V4 Pro sheds off any extemporaneous buttons that some gaming mice have.

For input, the mouse has the two traditional left-and-right mouse buttons, a scroll wheel and middle mouse button, and two extra buttons near the thumb. For non-gaming purposes, the two extra buttons can act as the back and next buttons.

Right near the bottom’s optical sensor, you can find a button that doubles for turning the mouse off and changing the sensitivity. I adore this layout. My previous mouse had its DPI button near my grip, leading to a lot of accidental presses. Now, I understand that the layout might favor some types of games, but it just wasn’t it for me. The DeathAdder V4 Pro keeps it out of sight and out of mind.

A remarkably useful app

Initially, I bristled at needing another seemingly unnecessary for a new peripheral. However, the Razer Synapse app is surprisingly useful.

It’s remarkably good with fine-tuning. In the traditional DPI settings, you can adjust all the way down to the last digit. It’s all about making the experience as tailored to your tastes as is possible.

Besides the sensitivity, the app also has settings for mouse mat surface calibration for when you lift the mouse off the mat. It also has dynamic sensitivity and rotation calibration to tailor mouse movement based on what angle you hold the mouse with.

Even the dongle is useful

Traditionally, a mouse dongle is just to ensure that the mouse is well connected to the PC. The DeathAdder V4 Pro’s dongle is more useful. For one, it uses the same USB-A to USB-C wire to charge the mouse, so you don’t need to take off the wire every single time.

Secondly, it has three LED lights for three customizable displays. By default, it shows connection quality, battery level, and polling rate. You can rearrange these three, take out one to add DPI stage, or turn them off altogether. To me, these displays are very useful. They even use multiple colors and shades, so it’s not just red, orange, and green to show the battery, for example.

Most importantly, it’s small enough to keep out of the way. Since the wire is long, you can just hide the entire thing.

Optional grip tape

This is such a small thing to add, but I love it so much. The box includes grip tape for the left-and-right mouse buttons and both sides.

Besides adding grip, the tape also keeps the main body clean from the dirt on your hands over time.

The best part is that it’s replaceable. Some mice have the rubber built in. So, in those other mice, when your finger inevitably rub them smooth, you’re stuck with a slippery rubber piece until you replace the entire mouse. The replaceable grip tape is such a godsend against this problem.

Battery for weeks

The DeathAdder V4 Pro lasts an absurdly long time. It took me two weeks before the dongle showed a color that hovered perilously closer to red. Even then, it still had juice to keep going on. For reference, I usually keep my PC on the entire day for five to six days a week. I also don’t turn the mouse off with the PC because it has a low-power state that preserves battery life.

If you keep the mouse at the default 1,000Hz, Razer promises that a full charge can last 150 hours. If you’re more diligent in turning the mouse off after every use, you can probably squeeze out a bit more, too. Alternatively, the lifespan at the maximum 8,000Hz is reportedly 22 hours, which isn’t too bad if you need the mode for long competitive sessions.

Regardless, it’s not too much of a big deal to charge the mouse. It can still work perfectly when connected to the included cable.

Is the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro your GadgetMatch?

The Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro made me eat humble pie. After years of snobbery towards ultra-light wireless mice, Razer’s latest peripheral mended my ways and convinced me to drop the weightier mouse.

But that’s just me. If you’re already a fan of wireless mice, the DeathAdder V4 Pro is a no-frills gaming mouse that brilliantly prioritizes function over form. It’s simple, fast, and reliable as a plug-and-play peripheral. But when it needs to be better, it can tailor your entire experience to give you a competitive edge.

The only aspect that might make you think twice is its price. At US$ 169.99, the DeathAdder V4 Pro asks you to pay for a bit more than other alternatives. It’s still within the range of its contemporaries, but the price tag is a heavy ask.

It’s still a Super Swipe for me, though. Price aside, it’s a perfect mouse for all occasions.

Accessories

Genshin Impact DualSense controller coming in January

Sony, HoYoverse partner for better PlayStation 5 experience

Published

December 14, 2025

GadgetMatch

Sony and HoYoverse have partnered for the Genshin Impact Limited Edition DualSense Wireless Controller.

The timing couldn’t have been better as Genshin Impact Version Luna III approaches PlayStation 5. There is a new 5-Star Pyro character in Durin, and a new story chapter set to take place in Nod-Krai.

The specially-designed controller features the popular open world RPG’s classic elements. It has an ethereal white, gold, and green palette.

It is also adorned with arcane glyphs of a fantasy realm, including emblems of Traveler Twins Aether and Lumine. Trusted companion guide, Paimon, is also present in the peripheral.

The controller will be available in these markets, with preorders now available in select retailers:

Singapore: SG$ 119
Malaysia: MYR 419
Philippines: PhP 4,890
Indonesia: IDR 1,549,000

Naturally, players can expect an immersive experience with the PlayStation 5 and DualSene controller combo.

There’s haptic feedback, support for 4K visuals, and lightning-fast load times, allowing players to continue exploring Teyvat and uncover its secrets.

For Sony, the collaboration is the latest in a long list of partnerships that more recently include the Ghost of Yōtei PS5 bundle, as well as the God of War, Death Stranding, and Fortnite edition controllers.

Meanwhile, for Genshin Impact, the controller succeeds recent tie-ups with Duolingo and UGREEN.