Being told you have exactly six hours to explore a brand new and expansive build of Elden Ring is both an exciting and a terrifying prospect. You’re immediately thinking about where to go, what to do, how to carefully spend your time to get the most information from the experience – it’s a lot of pressure, but it’s also an exhilarating undertaking that makes you feel like a true adventurer – setting off into unmapped territory with absolutely no idea what you might find around any given corner.
Unlike the Closed Network Test that allowed a number of lucky individuals to trial some early areas of the game back in November 2021 with five pre-selected and pre-buffed builds, this latest – and last – Elden Ring preview allowed us to choose from any of the ten starting builds that will likely be present in the final game. These are: Prisoner, Samurai, Prophet, Astrologer, Bandit, Hero, Warrior, Vagabond, Wretch and Confessor.
Elden Ring previewDeveloper: From SoftwarePublisher: Bandai NamcoPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out 25th February on PC, Xbox One/Series S/X and PlayStation 4/5
The Wretch is your typical naked but for a loincloth avatar, who has a starting skill of 10 in pretty much every stat. The Confessor and Prophet are your high faith builds, while Astrologer is the high intelligence caster of the lot. Vagabond has decent vigor and strength, while the Samurai prioritises higher dexterity, endurance and strength. Hero would seem to be the obvious starting choice for pure melee builds. But do remember, all of these exist solely to give you a small head-start on levelling and equipment – as you progress through the game you can spend runes (Elden Ring’s version of souls) to improve any skill as you see fit and create characters that complement your own playstyle.
I went with Astrologer, but over the course of playing spent a few points in strength as well as intelligence, so that I could switch between a staff or a sword if the occasion called for it. My build ended up resembling the Enchanted Knight class that appeared in the Closed Network test, minus the fancy armour set and a few of their later spells.
Because, be warned if you did partake in the Closed Beta and were hoping to retrace your steps in the main game – things are different here. If you thought Elden Ring was going to be easier based off of that early look, think again – items have been switched around or moved, bosses drop different items, and any armour or weapons or Ashes of War that you grew quite attached to? You can bet you won’t get your hands on those for a while yet. Some NPCs and collectable summons have moved around as well, and some brand new characters have turned up to grant you tidbits of lore or tips along the way. They’re necessary changes that keep things fresh and challenging for these first stages of the game, though that’s not to say it doesn’t take a bit of adjustment.