„Most People Will Never Complete Them Without a Guide.” Players Hate FromSoftware's Character Questlines
Elden Ring's fans seem to not like the way in which FormSoftware designs side quests.
Most of us are probably always wondering what a given side character in Elden Ring wants us to do or what they are even talking about. Some Reddit users claim this may be the result of poorly written side quests that fail to create a strong attachment between our character and the other heroes we meet on our journey.
According to BiGalvantula, the Millicent questline in Elden Ring doesn’t provide enough information on how to progress her story, and one mistake or moment of inattention can lead to quest failure.
Most people will never complete them without a guide because they make no sense and tell you nothing. For example, nothing indicates that Millicent will move to the Erdtree-Gazing Hill after you help her at the church, then nothing indicates that she will move to the Windmill Village. If you miss her at either of these locations, you can't finish the questline.
In the comments below, many opinions agree with BiGalvantula. At the same time, many Reddit users point out problems with following side quests and even the inability to finish them after some important plot events. Elden Ring also doesn’t provide any tool to help track questlines.
In my opinion, side quests in Elden Ring could give players, for instance, more tips on where to go. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy when the game doesn’t have handholding and gives players freedom in exploration. However, in ER, I often had problems following certain stories that seemed very interesting to me. I didn’t know where to go or what to do. Fortunately, guides came to the rescue; without them, I would never have met some characters or found crucial items that might have impacted the main story.
I have almost 200 hours in Elden Ring, and I don’t believe that the unnecessary mysteriousness and vagueness characteristic of questlines in the Miyazaki game is a good thing. For me, this is one of Elden Ring’s biggest cons. I hope that in the future, FromSoft will approach the matter differently and give us fewer cryptic laughs and more quests that are actually readable.
