Elden Ring is an excellent, excellent video game. It’s got that smashy FromSoftware combat, a couple hundred boss fights that are all (mostly) unique and fun, character build customization for miles, a gorgeous and massive open world that’s a treat to explore, an intriguing story and hidden secrets, and a robust DLC that could be a game all its own. There’s a reason (well, many reasons!) why it’s almost universally critically acclaimed and still beloved by fans a few years after launch, too.
I love Elden Ring! But when Ethan asked me to take on the review of the Tarnished Edition on Nintendo Switch 2, I wasn’t, like, stoked about it. I beat Elden Ring back when it first came out, easily dumping over 100 hours into the main game and probably another solid 40 or more into the DLC. And I played the Tarnished Edition at a preview event earlier this year for about 20 minutes, after which time I told everyone I spoke with about the experience that yup, that was Elden Ring all right! Elden Ring on a Switch 2! Game’s great, but I don’t necessarily need to play it again. What else is there to say?
It turns out, after playing for review, I do have one additional thing to say: Elden Ring is, apparently, pretty fun to play in public. Ideally at a cozy coffee shop with squoshy chairs where you can purchase hot London fogs to drink while you play.
Elden Ring was technically playable on the go before the Tarnished Edition, for folks with a Steam Deck. I have one of those, but the device, unlike the Switch 2, is not fun to take out in public. It’s heavy to hold, does not have a convenient kickstand, and you have to hold it in your hands to play if you don’t want to drag a controller around too. With the Switch 2, I could set the console on the table with the kickstand out, take the Joy-Cons off, lean back in my chair, and play Elden Ring while soothing cafe music played in the background. Every time I die (which is often), I get a nice sip of tea. I do not rage. I do not tense up. Helpfully, the cat (who is not here in the cafe with me) does not butt her head against the triggers and cause me to swing my sword randomly. Life is good.
In basically every other respect, I stick to my guns from the preview: this is Elden Ring! It’s on the Switch 2 now! There were concerns after the first round of early previews that it ran poorly, but those were fixed by the time I previewed it earlier this year and remain fixed now. It runs fine. There are still occasional little framerate drops and yeah, it doesn’t look quite as nice as it will on your PS5 or Xbox Series, but who cares? It still plays great. The minor technical compromises didn’t interfere with combat in any way that was meaningful to me. It still looks good. It’s still lovely to stand on a cliff’s edge and look out in the direction of the Erdtree, the sun’s rays glistening through the clouds and a skyline of crumbling ruin all around.
I should mention that the Tarnished Edition does not have any meaningful new features. There are four new armor sets, a bit of customization for Torrent, and two new starting classes. Unfortunately, two of those new armor sets are starting sets for the two new classes, Heavy Knight and Idus Knight. I played as the Idus Knight and replaced my armor almost immediately with some tunic thing I got off a knight in the very first part of Limveld, because it had better stats. I think I wore this same tunic when I played the game the first time. Shame, because the new starting armor genuinely looked great. I found the addition of these two new classes to be extremely whatever: you’re going to customize all your stats and replace all your gear almost immediately anyway. The Idus Knight was just a Samurai two levels lower, with different equipment. These additions did nothing for me, and certainly will do nothing for anyone after the first hour of game.
This release does include the superb Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, bundled right in from the start, though. That rules.
But who cares? It’s Elden Ring, on Switch 2! I can easily play it on a plane or on a train, in a box or with a fox, here or there, anywhere! I can take it to bars, to rooftop wine parties. I can play it outside on a patio with a cold one in a koozie next to me as the summer sun sets. I recognize that this is just effectively restating the main gimmick of the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, but I admittedly haven’t taken my Switch 2 out much since it launched last year. Elden Ring, the best game of 2022 and arguably one of the best games of the decade, is a great excuse to do so. Give it a shot. Order yourself a latte or, a little later in the day, maybe a nice glass of pinot noir, bust out your Switch 2, and give it a shot.
