I've just completed my seventh run through Elden Ring, and I still can't put the controller down. It's 2025 now, three years after Shadow of the Erdtree dropped, and this game still has me in a chokehold. There's something about FromSoftware's masterpiece that keeps pulling me back into the Lands Between, despite the countless hours I've already invested.

The Beautiful Diversity of Suffering

What makes Elden Ring forever fascinating is how differently we all experience it. I've watched streamers bash their heads against Margit for what feels like eternity, while others breeze through the entire game naked, at level one, without taking a single hit. The game is this weird mirror that reflects your own gaming soul back at you.

My buddy Jake—poor guy—spent nearly 100 hours stuck in Stormveil Castle last month. Meanwhile, I was helping another friend through their first Malenia fight, and she one-shot the boss that had me crying into my keyboard for weeks during my first playthrough. The gaming gods are fickle like that.

Radahn: The Paper Tiger

Let me set the record straight about Starscourge Radahn. He's really not that bad! I know he's got this reputation as this unstoppable force of nature, but between us? Total pushover.

The trick with Radahn—which took me embarrassingly long to figure out—is to use those summon signs scattered across his arena. Those NPCs will literally do half the work for you while you chill on Torrent at a safe distance. They're like your personal army of meatshields, bless their digital souls.

I remember watching Alex Garland (yep, the director behind that Elden Ring movie adaptation) mention this in an interview back in 2024. He was spot on—Radahn looks scary, but he's all bark and no bite if you use the tools the game gives you.

The Real Nightmare: Malenia

Now Malenia? She's a whole different beast. Even on my seventh playthrough, with a character so overpowered it feels like cheating, she still makes me sweat. That Waterfowl Dance move? Pure evil wrapped in beautiful animation.

My strategy for Malenia hasn't evolved much since my first encounter. I just throw myself at her again and again and again until something clicks. It's not about skill improvement—it's the monkey-with-a-typewriter approach. Keep pressing buttons long enough, and eventually you'll write Shakespeare... or in this case, see "ENEMY FELLED" flash across your screen.

The NG+ Addiction

There's something deeply satisfying about starting New Game Plus in Elden Ring. You enter familiar areas with god-tier weapons, absolutely demolishing enemies that once made your life miserable. It's like going back to your high school reunion after becoming ridiculously successful—just pure, petty satisfaction.

I'm currently in NG+6, and lemme tell ya, even with all my fancy gear and stats, the game still finds ways to humble me. Just yesterday, I got pancaked by a random Runebear while I was checking my phone. The audacity! This game never lets you get too comfortable.

The Community Keeps It Alive

What's kept Elden Ring relevant in 2025 is partly the incredible community. The memes, the lore theories, the absolutely insane challenge runs—they all breathe new life into the game.

The "Let Me Solo Her" phenomenon has evolved into an entire subculture of helper characters. Now we have "Let Me Duo Him" for Mohg, "Let Me Trio Them" for the Godskin Duo, and my personal favorite, "Let Me Explain The Entire Lore While We Fight," who recites the complete history of the Lands Between during co-op sessions.

Looking Ahead: The Movie

With A24's Elden Ring adaptation in production, there's a renewed interest in the game. I'm cautiously optimistic about Garland's vision—at least the man actually plays the game and understands its appeal. Too many game adaptations are created by people who seem to actively dislike the source material.

I just hope they capture the essence of what makes this game special: not just the intimidating bosses or the gorgeous vistas, but that unique feeling of overcoming seemingly impossible challenges through sheer persistence.

Full Circle

So here I am, seven playthroughs deep, still finding new secrets and still getting demolished by Malenia. Maybe I'll never truly master this game—maybe that's not even the point. Like Garland said, it's not about getting better; it's about persistence, about throwing yourself at the challenge again and again until you break through.

And honestly? I wouldn't have it any other way. The Lands Between have become a second home, a place where I can test my limits and occasionally feel like a god... right until a random crab one-shots me and reminds me that in Elden Ring, we're all just tarnished in the end.