As little as has been revealed aboutElden Ring, fans are expecting a game like no other in terms of narrative and lore. This is because the team in charge of developing the game is filled with creative minds including that of George R. R. Martin. The creator ofA Song of Ice and Fire,which was later translated into theGame of Thronesseries, is known for creating compelling lore. It is one of many reasonsElden Ringhas become one of the most anticipated games.
Even though there are basically no details about what the narrative of the game will be like, it appears thatGeorge R. R. Martin will bring dark fantasy elements toElden Ring.Game of Thronesfeatured many of these elements which helped the story feel more complex, both in the books and in the series. Even though George R. R. Martin is not in charge of creating the whole story forElden Ring, his input on lore will likely have an impact on the story, andGame of Thronesis perfect to help set that backdrop.
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Horror Elements of Elden Ring/Game of Thrones
Asides from the politics that were clearly prominent inGame of Thrones,George R. R. Martin’s narrativehad plenty of horror elements. The iconic phrase that Melisandre repeated throughout the series “for the night is dark and full of terrors” further emphasizes this. Melisandre is the Red Priestess of the religion R’hllor (the Lord of Light) which believes that the end of times is coming and that the Lord of Light will save them.
Melisandre’s saying seems to reference the Night King which is one of the biggest threats Westeros faces. The constant threat of the undead taking over the living and the gods' forces have that Lovecraftian terror feeling to it. Those elements could be incorporated intoElden Ring’s mythos as well, as including horror elements does not have to mean using ghosts or zombies necessarily. Even the atmosphere could just give that creepy vibe. Nonetheless, it would be interesting if an ominous cult or deitysimilar to that ofGame of Throneswas presented inElden Ring.
There could also be some sort of relation with death that brings the horror element toElden Ring. There arescenes inGame of Throneslike the one where Melisandre brings Jon Snow back from the dead that portray death in an eerie way. There could also be more mundane, yet scary ways to approach this. For instance, the sacrifice of Shireen Baratheon is not otherworldly, but it is definitely horrific. The same can be said of pretty much every action Ramsay Bolton takes, especially the way he tortured Theon Greyjoy.
The Supernatural of Elden Ring/Game of Thrones
The last season ofGame of Throneswas heavily criticizedfor many reasons, one of them being how some of the supernatural elements were cast aside without further explanation. George R. R. Martin had included many unexplainable and mystical elements to the narrative ofGame of Throneswhich added a fantastical aspect to the story. Some of the most intriguing supernatural narratives include the existence of the White Walkers, the Faceless Men of the cult of the Many-Faced God, the witchcraft of Melisandre, and of course, the Three-Eyed Raven and the Children of the Forest.
All of these elements appear to be considerably different from one another, but still, these are all supernatural and unexplainable parts of the story inGame of Thrones. Aside from being interesting and adding an occult vibe to the story, a narrative with supernatural features can add depth to the lore. By including otherworldly phenomena,George R. R. Martin made the narrativeofGame of Thronesmore complex. This could also be translated toElden Ringand it will likely benefit the game in terms of narrative and engagement.
Supernatural elements are the most likely to be included inElden Ring. However, it is the more dark type of unexplainable situations that George R. R. Martin could incorporate that could potentially bringElden Ringto the next level. Furthermore, these elements could be deeply intertwined with the rest of the lore ofElden Ringto add more complexity and dimension to both the world andcharacters as the ones presented inGame of Thrones.
Uncontrollable Forces That Could Be Found in Elden Ring
One of the keydark fantasy elements that will hopefully be inElden Ringis the uncontrollable nature of the world. These could actually be related to the horror elements, or the supernatural characteristics of the narrative, though it is not necessary. Natural events could also be an important part of the role that could play a part in the story. InGame of Thrones, George R. R. Martin not only presents an army of undead but ties it with the winter and the snow. By doing so, the impact of the White Walker’s arrival is much more severe to the people of Westeros.
The reason why adding some sort of uncontrollable source toa story likeElden Ring’sis beneficial is that it puts human’s actions in perspective. Of course, supernatural and horror elements can make the story more interesting, but making them something out of the human’s power makes the narrative much less biased in favor of humanity.Game of Thronespresented the arrival of the White Walkers as something almost inevitable which made it even more frightening. Not only were the kingdoms facing the revenant, but it seemed as though nothing in their power could impede their advent.
Hopefully, George R. R. Martin’s lore and From Software’s storytelling will incorporate this out-of-humans-reach feeling intoElden Ring’s narrative. By doing so, the game could feel less artificial as not everything would be created to revolve around the humankind, but there could be other bigger forces acting at all moments. Most likely, this will be intertwined with the rest of the mythos ofElden Ringto make the narrative more cohesive.
Elden Ringis currently in development.
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