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Does Elden Ring Lore Matter?

Don’t let those gender-ambiguous demigods intimidate you.

While lore is everywhere you look — in weapon descriptions, cutscenes, non-playable characters’ dialogue, and especially in hidden data, which miners know how to scavenge — it doesn’t change the facts of raw gameplay. In-game text says that the ubiquitous and erratic Marionette Soldiers, for example, are simply “ill-disciplined and attack without warning.” You would have quickly figured that out by just stepping near them and witnessing their many arms shoot 30 arrows in retaliation. And even Elden Ring ’s comically complex side quests, which are inherently connected to the game’s story, don’t require lore knowledge to complete them.

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