“Why is no one talking about ‘Road to the Erdtree?’ It's been amazing so far.” That’s the question being posed over on Reddit. Coming from a passionate fan of the Elden Ring manga which is, in parts, hilarious and essential for fans of the game.
Elden Ring takes itself quite seriously. It’s a hard-as-nails adventure steeped in lore - a game that offers hours and hours of elaborate monsters and humans who have long and storied histories. Only occasionally does the game slip into a little bit of silly, but it seems that most of that has been saved for this manga by Nikiichi Tobita.
Elden Ring is a dark and brooding action-RPG, the manga is not
The manga is a slightly tongue-in-cheek adventure where we follow a hero who is seemingly confused about this new world they find themselves in. Much like us when we first played the game, the hero is out of his depth. He manages to win many battles by odd circumstance while the bosses fall to humorous logic and scenarios.
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A few of the replies from Redditors praise the artwork and the silly content; it’s easy to see that the manga rounds out the world in a complimentary way. Of course, it’s never going to take on a serious tone, the game does enough of that. Why would we need more of what’s already out there when Fromsoftware can get a talented writer and artist tell a very different story? This is not the place for lore, it’s the place for giggles. Even the inspiration for the Dark Souls games, Berzerk, spent time revelling in the silly side of things.
So if you’re looking for something a bit different, this is a delight. There’s a moment where Rennala isn’t seen as sinister, with a boss-room full of creepy children singing, instead she’s seen as running a day-care and in desperate need of a break. This says it all. Fun, and full of whimsy. A must-read.
Featured Image Credit: Bandai NamcoTopics: Elden Ring, Bandai Namco