Elden Ring has always been full of mystery. On the day after the one-year anniversary of its initial release, Elden Ring fans began digging through almost every From Software title, trying to find clues about when DLC would be released. 

Although a year has passed, players’ evaluation of Elden Ring is still the same as when it was first released: scary and mysterious.

Even when the player enters its first level, “Real”, it’s not that easy. You need to have a giant ogre with a British accent knock your head out with a shillelagh. If Elden Ring players beat the gatekeeper Margit The Fell Omen, they will find that they are not at their best in the game’s obscure and belligerent patch, so they will become even stronger.

There are plenty of players who agree that Elden Ring’s first dungeon, Stormveil Castle, isn’t just one of the best monster-filled castles that From Software has ever made. More importantly, it is also a milestone in horror monster-filled castles games. 

This also shows that From Software has always adhered to the most successful game design formula, and did not abandon the original design concept because of the company’s elaborate Dark Souls.

But they disappointed many players when they played the first public beta of Elden Ring. It’s desperation to see a shift in design philosophy, and none of the dungeons feel strange to the player. 

Although the huge world structure in the game can still shock players, the howling of wild beasts is accompanied by the harsh natural environment, and the horror factor soars instantly at this moment. But the lack of any From Software-related level design makes players feel a little disappointed.

However, Stormveil, now hidden behind a berserk Brit, has renewed interest among players. He wants to use the player’s Tarnished skull as its Golf ball. 

When the player enters the castle, he sees the crumbling walls of the castle and sees the top and bottom of the castle. I believe that players’ doubts about Elden Ring will be cleared up. It does not mean these expansive open worlds to replace the original design, but rather to be the thread that connects them to each other.

When you first choose to explore and approach the gates of the castle, the castle gates are closed and the walls stand tall and intimidating. You’ll see a janitor lounging by, and he’ll ask if you want to open the gate for you. But it will also tell you that if it does, it will tear you to pieces by a ballista fire. 

Just when you are hesitating, it will give you another suggestion. You can climb the broken wall in the castle by going back, and sneak in through the gap in the bevel. 

Sure, that’s good advice, but it could also be an obvious murder plot. Any bird with a blade on its foot could kill you as soon as you tried to climb the broken castle walls, and even the crumbling road could kill you at any moment. And the janitor can use your dead body to build stairs without breaking a sweat.

This kind of complex level combining "trap" and "path" is usually one of the characteristics of Elden Ring. There's a lot of running and jumping involved as the player climbs up Stormveil's walls. The jumping ability introduced from From's oddball Sekiro will greatly improve the player's ability to avoid hazards in hidden spaces. 

Of course, you can also stick to some off-the-beaten-path trails, and the occasional hordes of Soldiers and Trolls will become your threat. But there will also be some multi-limbed dude spiders out there to wipe out almost all Stormveil. 

Whenever you can break through the enchantment and complete the task, Elden Ring Runes rewarded by the system will also drop at any time. Whether it's rewards, safer paths to avoid danger, or the game's terrifying secrets, players continue to dig and explore.

Elden Ring has always been good at building castles, from Demon’s Souls’ iconic and decrepit Boleteria Palace to a gilded spires of Dark Souls’ shining Anor Londo. But Stormveil is very different. 

Here, your Tarnished will have a full expanse of medieval living space, passing through a church and library, all the way to a courtyard full of soldiers. Here will be the last threat for you and the castle master Godrick The Grafted. When you're up against swarms of flying birds with knives and dynamite strapped to their feet, you know it's going to be a tough challenge.

Something lurking beneath the castle will hint at the player and drive the quest forward, and only by completing the quest can it can reward the player, which is the spirit of Elden Ring.

What’s unique about Stormveil is that it’s not the best savage maze in the various “Legacy Dungeons” in Elden Ring’s sprawling map. It’s an exploration-focused castle. 

Relatively speaking, Stormveil is actually a test patch for the more elaborate royal capital Leyndell. It would be the same trick to create a richer, unique living space. At the same time, larger palaces often hide the dirtiest secrets in the deepest part.

Stormveil represents the balance that Elden Ring has done in the past and the present. There is no wilderness of From’s style here at all, but full of majestic and magnificent architectural landscapes. 

Stormveil also showed their unique design concepts to many designers in the industry, and combined some wonderful game moments, gameplay and the wider natural world to further improve and create more innovative storylines and game effects. Therefore, many players still love Elden Ring after a year.

In addition, if you want to quickly clear Stormveil Castle, it is very necessary to accumulate equipment in the early stage and practice upgrading. You can also do it by getting enough Elden Ring Runes on IGGM.com. Here you can also get 5% off with the code “CSCCA”, try it out.