I appreciate your response. Maybe I haven't gotten far enough just yet... but still I hope more is said about this world soon. There are so many places that seem interesting but I just have no idea why they are there.

The story delivery in Elden Ring is beyond disappointing. With mostly lifeless, forgettable NPCs (except Alexander and his kin), the inhabitants of this would just make the story feel lifeless. The NPCs act as exposition wells of convoluted information, but generally only repeat the very last thing they say when approached again. I have no idea what's going on in this world because the game makes no effort to tell me. Don't confuse this with hand-holding. I'm talking about storytelling. Give me a reason to care.

Previous Souls games have such remarkably better characters and remind you of your journey by touching on the story beats time and again. Characters have their own personalities, and they serve to add context to their world. Elden Ring, on the other hand, does none of this; a majority of their NPCs spout off about people I have never heard of feuding with other people I have never heard of over politics and heartbreak. Making matters worse, virtually every NPC delivers their lines in the exact same way.

Why was a Sorcerer locked away in ruins filled with plants and trapped by a head-potted boss, but never mentions any of it?
Why are there ghost minotaurs underground but living minotaurs above ground?
Why is there a talking turtle who never addresses the fact he is a talking turtle?

It's not just the fact the world is open that causes this problem. I think that's a scapegoat. The problem is the writing has gotten far worse. I don't know if it's GRRM, or Miyazaki, or whomever -- the storytelling is bad. Maybe there's a great story in there, but the way it is delivered is disappointing.

That being said, I still think Elden Ring is a masterpiece. It just goes to show you how great of a game this is, even when it thoroughly disappoints in one area.

Dark Souls is a devious one. Many times I have died and just wanted to stop for awhile. Howevr, I didn't want to leave my souls down there and forget about them. So I go retrieve them before I stop....

But then, I'm thinking that since I'm already here, I may as well keep going. Much like the cycle of the flame itself, this often repeats.

The only absolute truth Alex has ever spoken was of the Left-Right Paradigm.

Everything he spews beneath that surface level claim is at least 50% bullshit.

Infowars is the place unsuspecting people go to get "woke" but wind up in a deeper state of slumber.

Considering the developers want to make money, this will also come to PC.

...and if they REALLY want to make money, they'll release a Switch port stat.

Dark Age of Camelot, 2001-2002.

The asymmetric, open-world PvP was spectacular. The reason it was the absolute best there was and ever will be (by my assessment) is simple.

There was no such thing as voice chat, gold sellers, cheat engine, micro-transactions, or professional gamers (outside of Starcraft and Lineage). I'm so grateful to have been a part of that brief moment in history.

That itch, by definition, can never be scratched again.

I worked on a game with a friend after I finished college. It was a LOT of work. So much work, in fact, that he got bored of it not being "fun" any more after he drew pixel art a few hours a week for about 3 months. Meanwhile, I coded an entire engine from 8-16 hours a day for about a year.

I still have a great alpha build of a game that is missing about 90% of the desired art and level assets.

Moral of the story: No shit it stops being fun. Don't start if you can't finish. Oh, and I'm no longer friends with that person.

Oh, definitely Yay.

If nothing else, just play Uncharted 2. If you want more, play Uncharted 4 after that. If you still want more, you only think you do. 1 and 3 aren't so great imo.