Delving into the Lands Between: How Big is Elden Ring in Real Life?
The Lands Between, the vast and treacherous world of Elden Ring, beckons players with its breathtaking vistas, crumbling castles, and formidable foes. But beyond the thrill of exploration and the challenge of combat, a fundamental question often arises: just how big is this virtual world in real-world terms? The answer, surprisingly quantifiable, is that Elden Ring’s overworld map is approximately 79 square kilometers (30.5 square miles).
While numbers provide a concrete comparison, the perceived size of Elden Ring is often far greater. This is due to the game’s intricate design, verticality, and meticulously placed points of interest. Every corner of the map seems to hold a secret, a hidden dungeon, or a challenging boss encounter, making exploration feel incredibly rewarding. The density of content truly elevates the experience, distinguishing Elden Ring from open-world games that might boast larger maps but lack the same level of detail and engagement.
Understanding Elden Ring’s Scale: More Than Just Square Mileage
It’s crucial to understand that raw square mileage doesn’t tell the whole story. Elden Ring leverages its space exceptionally well, creating an environment that feels simultaneously sprawling and intimate.
Verticality and Interconnectedness
The game’s world isn’t just a flat plane. Towering cliffs, sprawling underground complexes, and multi-tiered dungeons add significant depth to the exploration. Think of Stormveil Castle, for instance, a massive structure with multiple levels, winding pathways, and hidden shortcuts. These features make the game’s total traversable area significantly larger than simply measuring its surface area would suggest. The interconnectedness also means areas often loop back on themselves, encouraging thorough exploration.
Density of Points of Interest
Elden Ring is densely packed with things to do and discover. Unlike some open-world games where vast stretches of empty land separate key locations, the Lands Between are brimming with content. From small enemy camps and resource gathering spots to challenging mini-bosses and elaborate dungeons, there is always something to engage with. This density keeps players invested and makes the world feel truly alive.
Comparison to Other Games
To truly appreciate Elden Ring’s size and density, it’s helpful to compare it to other popular open-world games:
- Skyrim: Elden Ring is considerably larger than Skyrim’s map. Skyrim offers roughly 15 square miles, making Elden Ring more than twice as expansive.
- Grand Theft Auto V: Elden Ring’s 30.5 square miles surpass GTA V’s map size, providing a significantly larger area to explore.
- The Witcher 3: While The Witcher 3 has a large map with distinct regions, the overall traversable landmass is comparable to Elden Ring, with both games boasting high densities of content.
- Minecraft: Games like Minecraft are theoretically infinite in size thanks to procedural generation; however, it lacks manually designed locations, while Elden Ring delivers a meticulously handcrafted world.
The Impact of World Design on Gameplay
Elden Ring’s unique world design fundamentally shapes the gameplay experience.
Encouraging Exploration
The sheer size and density of the world actively encourage players to explore every nook and cranny. The promise of discovering powerful new weapons, armor, spells, or lore secrets keeps players motivated to venture off the beaten path.
Fostering a Sense of Discovery
The game is full of hidden locations and optional challenges that are not immediately apparent. Players are rewarded for their curiosity with unique experiences and valuable items. This sense of discovery is a key element of Elden Ring’s appeal.
Promoting Player Agency
The open-world structure of Elden Ring allows players to tackle the game’s challenges in any order they choose. There is no single “right” way to progress, and players are free to explore the world and develop their characters as they see fit.
Exploring the vast game worlds and understanding player engagement is a field of interest at the Games Learning Society. You can learn more about their work at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Elden Ring: A Masterclass in Open-World Design
Elden Ring’s 79 square kilometers isn’t just a number; it’s a testament to the game’s meticulous design and commitment to player engagement. The density of content, verticality, and interconnectedness of the world create an experience that feels both vast and intimate, encouraging exploration and rewarding curiosity. By striking a balance between size and substance, Elden Ring has set a new standard for open-world game design.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Elden Ring’s Size
1. How accurate is the 79 square kilometers figure for Elden Ring’s map size?
While there is no official confirmation from FromSoftware themselves, independent analysis conducted by players, using in-game measurements and map tools, consistently yields a result around 79 square kilometers (30.5 square miles). It is a well-supported estimate, but slight variations may exist depending on measurement methods.
2. Does the 79 square kilometers include underground areas and dungeons?
The 79 square kilometers figure primarily represents the overworld map, the surface area of the Lands Between. Many underground areas, dungeons, and legacy dungeons exist and would significantly increase the traversable area, though that additional space is hard to quantify.
3. Is Elden Ring bigger than Breath of the Wild?
Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule is estimated to be around 71-75 square kilometers. Therefore, Elden Ring is slightly larger in terms of pure surface area.
4. How much storage space does Elden Ring require?
Elden Ring requires approximately 60 GB of available storage space on your PC or console.
5. What mythology inspired Elden Ring’s world and lore?
Elden Ring draws inspiration from various mythologies, including Norse, Celtic, and Arthurian legends, as well as the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. However, it’s not based specifically on any single mythology. George R.R. Martin helped create the world’s backstory and lore.
6. How many bosses are there in Elden Ring?
Elden Ring features a staggering 238 boss encounters, ranging from smaller mini-bosses to formidable main bosses.
7. What makes Elden Ring challenging?
Elden Ring is known for its challenging combat, intricate level design, and demanding boss encounters. Enemies are unforgiving, and players must master the game’s mechanics and carefully plan their strategies to succeed.
8. Is Elden Ring’s difficulty comparable to other FromSoftware games?
Elden Ring’s difficulty is comparable to other FromSoftware titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, though the open-world structure offers players more freedom to explore and level up before tackling difficult challenges.
9. What is the best way to explore Elden Ring’s open world?
The best way to explore Elden Ring’s open world is to be curious and adventurous. Don’t be afraid to venture off the beaten path, explore hidden areas, and experiment with different weapons, armor, and spells. Use the map markers to note interesting locations.
10. Does Elden Ring have multiplayer features?
Yes, Elden Ring features online multiplayer, allowing players to summon allies for co-op play or engage in player-versus-player (PvP) combat.
11. What are the different endings in Elden Ring?
Elden Ring has multiple endings, each determined by the player’s choices and actions throughout the game. These endings provide different perspectives on the lore and characters.
12. What are some essential tips for new Elden Ring players?
Some essential tips for new players include: explore thoroughly, upgrade your weapons, learn enemy attack patterns, don’t be afraid to ask for help online, and be patient.
13. Is there a “right” way to play Elden Ring?
No, there is no single “right” way to play Elden Ring. The open-world structure allows players to tackle the game’s challenges in any order they choose, and there are many different character builds and playstyles to experiment with.
14. What is the lore behind the Elden Ring?
The Elden Ring is a mysterious artifact that shatters and scatters its shards throughout the Lands Between. The game’s story revolves around the player character, the Tarnished, who must embark on a quest to collect the Great Runes, restore the Elden Ring, and become the Elden Lord.
15. Is Hogwarts Legacy bigger than Elden Ring?
No, Hogwarts Legacy does not have a single open world map that can be directly compared to Elden Ring. Hogwarts Legacy features several different locations, including Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and the surrounding Highlands. When all locations are combined, Elden Ring has a bigger traversable area than Hogwarts Legacy.