Elden Ring’s New Inventory Features Revolutionize Gameplay
I play Elden Ring Hoover style. I visit the The Lands Between hitting the button to get fresh supplies. To be honest, I have hardly given crafting much thought unless when absolutely necessary; all those leaves, stones, fragments of bone, and strips of meat truly call for it. Still, they find themselves pulled straight up into my inventory.
Then I come upon a truly beautiful object. Perhaps it’s an Ash of War or a fresh talisman. Perhaps it’s a very significant story object with a plot-integrating description. Sadly too late, though! Lost in the black hole of my inventory, it is already gone and never to be seen once again. Finding an item while exploring is all quite well; but, finding it in your inventory is a complete game in itself.
That is a bygone issue, though, not a concern anymore. Along with its Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree, FromSoftware has published an update for its classic Souls adventure accessible to anyone. Two new inventory features are exclamation points over new items and a recent items tab. They are revolutionary.
Oddly, these choices must be accessed on the Display menu of the game since they are not featured by default. But, I beg you to turn these on as, for me at least, they have greatly improved inventory control.
These kind of characteristics would have been absolutely necessary from the beginning. Too many times I grabbed a weapon with some strange name like Reduvia or Helphen’s Steeple or Godskin Stacher and had no idea which of them is a knife, a greatsword, or a rapier. Also acquired armour that seems exactly like several others. Furthermore often forgotten in a menu somewhere never to be found are essential narrative objects, notes, and throwable equipment. I forgot all about the Dectus Medallion that allows access to the Altus Plateau vanished from my inventory until I discovered another path otherwise.
Shadow of the Erdtree loads considerably additional riches as well. Though more importantly new armaments, new weapons, new spells, and more, the kind of stuff you’ll want to explore with are plenty of new crafting materials. And without these new inventory tools, they are more prone to be lost.
Rather, you may easily have your most recent entries show on another tab. That covers helpful notes with maps and directions, that odd-looking liver you just picked up, an elaborate-looking spell that might be an incantation or a sorcery, or a singular object with possible lore consequences. At least now they’re easier to find if Elden Ring conveys its story via item descriptions.
Playing Shadow of the Erdtree, I now view the inventory differently. I still hoover everything I see, but now I can quickly grab from the menu to really read what it is I have in my grimy, tarnished paws. As I search The Land of Shadow for every minute detail, I am becoming increasingly involved in story revelations. I recently came over an interesting looking scroll explaining…well that would be telling. At least that element of the mystery, waiting for my eager eyes, was orderly at the top of my inventory.