Elden Ring: Review round-up, release date and time in UK - and is Elden Ring on PS5 and PC?

As the Elden Ring review embargo lifts, here’s what we know about the game so far – and what time it will be released in the UK

With only a few days until the game launches, Elden Ring reviews are starting to hit the web – revealing what’s in store in Bandai Namco’s highly anticipated release.

Written by Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin and Dark Souls game director Hidetaka Miyazaki, Elden Ring won The Game Award for ‘Most Anticipated Game’ in 2020, as voted on by the fan community.

Elden Ring developer FromSoftware has kept remarkably quiet about the game since it was first announced at E3 in 2019.

But as the countdown to its release continues, more and more details about the game’s monsters, characters, gameplay and difficulty are starting to emerge.

Here’s Elden Ring’s UK release date and time, what the reviews say so far and how to play it in full.

What is Elden Ring?

Elden Ring is a fantasy action role-playing game, with both single- and multi-player options.

George R. R. Martin has taken the helm of writing the mythos and world-building stories that surround the game, while co-writer and the game’s director Hidetaka Miyazaki focuses on gameplay and story.

The game takes place in the world of Lands Between, in a time after the destruction of the Elden Ring.

Its shards now shattered across the land, now it’s ruled by the demigod children of Queen Marika the Eternal, each of whom carries a shard of the Elden Ring.

Elden Ring: Review round-up, release date and time in UK - and is Elden Ring on PS5 and PC? Photo: IGDB.

The player will take on the roles of the Tarnished, exiles from the realm, who are then summoned back to find all the pieces, known as Great Runes, restore the Elden Ring, and become the Elden Lord.

Although the game focuses on this running story initially, Mr Miyazaki has said that players will eventually be free to roam around Lands Between, including the six main areas of the world.

Will Elden Ring be released on PS5 and PC?

Elden Ring will be available to play on PC on Microsoft Windows, as well as Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox One.

Players will need to battle their way across Lands Between, a mythical land ruled by demigods. Photo: IGDB.

However, the initial Network Tests that start from November 12th are only available to play on Xbox One, Series X/S, PS4, or PS5.

You also won’t need Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus in order to play.

Elden Ring UK release date and time

Elden Ring will be available to play on February 25th 2022, with Bandai Namco revealing on Monday (February 21st) that the official UK launch time for Elden Ring will be midnight for console players and 11pm on February 24 for PC.

Those across the pond in the US will see an Elden Ring release time of 3pm Pacific Time on February 24 on PC and 9pm on consoles, while Eastern Time customers can expect Elden Ring to launch at 6pm on Thursday on PC and midnight on consoles.

Although initially story-focused, players will be able to explore freely across the six main areas of Lands Between. Photo: IGDB.

It was originally expected in January 2022, but the developer announced a short delay in October of 2021, due to the depth of the game “exceeding initial expectations”.

There were also various pre-release gameplay sessions for fans to get a taste of the game before its official release.

Elden Ring review round-up

With Elden Ring’s review embargo lifting on Wednesday February 23 ahead of its launch at the end of this week, video game journalists and content creators are rushing to get their reviews online.

And so far, the reviews appear to be resoundingly positive.

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier tweeted on Wednesday afternoon to say that Elden Ring is “one of the best games I've ever played”.

He added: “It mixes the blissful wonder of Breath of the Wild with the intricate design of Dark Souls.”

"It's more accessible than previous From Software games, yet just as tense, punishing, and weird. A tremendous achievement.”

The Guardian's Simon Parkin lauded the game with a five star review, calling it “an unrivalled masterpiece of design and inventiveness”.

"Combat in Elden Ring is unmatched by any other game, with a sense of heft and precision that rewards patience and learning, whether battling with weapons or spells,” Parkin writes.

"You can fight on the ground or, if you prefer, on horseback, galloping around a foe before retreating to a safe distance.

"Your steed, Torrent, is a revelatory introduction, clambering sheer rockfaces like a mountain goat, enabling thrilling getaways with his pace and nimbleness.

"It is possible to gallop across a misted lake, wake and draw a dragon from the mouth of the cave it guards, then dip inside, loot the treasure from horseback, and make your escape.”

Likewise, IGN’s Mitchell Saltzmann praised the game’s “refreshing” open world in his review and called it “one of the most unforgettable gaming experiences I’ve ever had”, writing:

"FromSoftware takes the ball that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild got rolling and runs with it, creating a fascinating and dense open world about freedom and exploration above all else, while also somehow managing to seamlessly weave a full-on Dark Souls game into the middle of it.

"It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that Elden Ring ended up as one of the most unforgettable gaming experiences I’ve ever had.”

Video Games Chronicle’s Jordan Middler wrote in their five star review: “Elden Ring is a fantastic game that can still deliver the unmatched thrill of defeating a tough boss after an hours-long battle.

"Those who worship at the church of Souls-like will find a game that’s basically everything they ever wanted.

"There are more bosses than ever, more areas to explore, and so much lore to find that the digital archaeologists of the Souls community will be kept busy for years.”

Elden Ring’s Metacritic score currently sits at 97 based on 43 critic reviews so far, and Twitter user @Nibellion gathered the bulk of Elden Ring early review scores on Wednesday, with most of them either giving the game 9 or 10/10 or 5/5 stars.

Here's a run down of Elden Ring review scores so far:

PCGamesN: 10

Fextralife: 10

The Guardian: 5/5

Kinda Funny: 5/5

VG247: 5/5

Press Start: 9.5/10

RPG Site: 9/10

Eurogamer: Essential

PC Gamer: 90/100

IGN: 10/10

Metro GameCentral: 9/10

GamesRadar+: 5/5

Easy Allies: 9.5/10

Game Informer: 10/10

GameSpot: 10/10

VGC: 5/5

Is Elden Ring multiplayer?

Players will be able to ‘summon’ other people to their game via the online co-op features.

However, there is no local multiplayer gameplay.

The online co-op can be used by teams of up to four players.

You’ll need to use summoning signs, similar to the mechanics of the Dark Souls series.

To summon other players, you’ll need the Furlcalling Finger Remedy, and to join other people’s games, you’ll need the Tarnished Furled Finger item.

When both are used at the same time, you’ll be able to either see players that are available to join your game or see games that are available to join.

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