Joseph Doyle: You didn't have to watch "Game of Thrones" to know how the final season went. Luckily for us, George R.R. Martin gives us a new grimdark fantasy narrative to sink our teeth into. No gameplay has been seen yet, but since it's a FromSoft game, we can assume some heavy fighting and incredibly macabre lore. The magic touch of Martin is incredibly intriguing, with perhaps some surprise mechanics (no not those) up his sleeve and some distinct "Lord of the Rings" vibes. There's something both brooding and alluring from the sparse visuals we've been provided, and I'm just eating up.

Tony "OUberLord" Mitera: There hasn't been a ton of information released regarding what Elden Ring is going to be, but with George R. R. Martin behind the game's lore and Hidetaka Miyazaki behind its direction, it is bound to be interesting.  From the few details that have emerged, the game seems poised to take the gameplay of the Dark Souls series into a larger open world.  The trailers are filled with dark fantasy elements, coming together to form a look that doesn't really seem like much else.

Andreas Salmen: At this point, it seems From Software just cannot go wrong. All their titles in recent years have gathered critical praise while also creating its own subgenre that has since inspired countless other games. Elden Ring sounds like it could turn out to be their grandest title yet and the first to be based on a license. With the lore of "The Lord of the Rings" behind it, there's so much possibility in terms of world-building and character/enemy design. It'll also be interesting how much they'll lean on their tried-and-true gameplay formula or if this is the game where From Software tries something entirely new.

David Silbert: FromSoftware has been on a hot streak as of late. After delivering a generational game with Bloodborne, the studio provided yet another hit in the form of 2019's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Elden Ring could very well continue that streak. An open-world adventure with a unique story penned by fantasy author George R. R. Martin, Elden Ring looks to merge the dark and dreary atmosphere of Dark Souls with the exquisite worldbuilding of "A Song of Ice and Fire." Here's hoping it releases this year.