Elden Ring is one of 2022’s most anticipated games, and for good reason. Developer FromSoftware has wowed gamers for years, with its difficult-but-beautiful design philosophy, ranging from Demon’s Souls in 2009 to, well, the Demon’s Souls remake in 2020. Unlike previous From games, Elden Ring will be an open-world affair rather than a series of discrete-but-interconnected level. The good news is that the main story won’t take a lifetime to finish — about 30 hours, according to the game’s producer. The better news is that if you want to keep playing, you can expect “dozens more hours” of additional content.
Information comes from an extensive interview with Elden Ring producer Yasuhiro Kitao at the Taipei Game Show, as reported by IGN. The interview is about 45 minutes long, and would take too long to summarize in its entirety. However, it does answer the burning “how long is Elden Ring?” question that gamers have been asking ever since From first announced the game.
“In terms of targets set during development, the idea is that the main route should be able to be completed within around 30 hours,” Kitao said. “The game as a whole is quite massive, and contains many dozens more hours (sic) worth of gameplay.”
This may not shock seasoned open-world fans, since most other games in the genre abide by the same conventions. The main story is usually only part of the whole experience, and optional activities can easily double — if not triple — a game’s length. However, the “30-hour main story” figure should reassure From fans, as that’s roughly how long the main story took to complete in previous games, such as Demon’s Souls and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The “dozens more hours” comment should likewise appease open-world aficionados, who were hoping to make Elden Ring their next big obsession.
Beyond that, Elden Ring is still on track for a Feb. 25 release date, after encountering some delays in the past few years. The game will be out on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, which should make it much more accessible than the PS5-only Demon’s Souls remake. If you plan to pick it up, anticipate sinking a few weeks into the game, especially if you want to see everything it has to offer.
Tom’s Guide will have a full review of Elden Ring once it comes out. Until then, consider watching the full interview if you’re absolutely dying to see more of the game.
