
Storied action RPG developer FromSoftware has traditionally stuck to making games with more linear and straightforward level designs, with nonlinearity explored through things like Metroidvania-style connecting passages or forks in the road of progression that create branching paths. Its beloved award-winning 2022 title Elden Ring, however, traded that style for a full-fledged open-world approach — a huge departure from the norm for the studio, but one that paid off, with Elden Ring quickly rising to become the most popular and successful ARPG in FromSoftware's gameography.