Elden Ring (2022): Marika Can Go Fuck Herself
Summary
Chapo Trap House discusses the evolution of open-world games, contrasting the hollow "Obama games" of the 2010s with the depth of FromSoftware's Elden Ring. Hosts Hesse and Josh share their extensive playthroughs, debating build mechanics, lore, and the game's superior narrative structure compared to previous titles. They also explore cultural parallels, comparing the game's political factions to American history and analyzing its influence on the modern open-world genre alongside Breath of the Wild.
Topics discussed
Intro: Dread in open-world games and boss difficulty
Personal experience with Elden Ring and Dark Souls
Boss strategies, summons, and weapon builds
Tangents: George Romney and moral viewpoints in fiction
Lore analysis: George Martin comparisons and character morality
Dung Eater quest, sequence breaks, and game mechanics
Technical issues, input lag, and lore accessibility
Game accessibility, Steam achievements, and difficulty scaling
Night Reign DLC: Speedruns, pregnancy, and movement changes
Lore deep dive: Empyreans, runes, and the shattering
Enemy types, faith builds, and map geography jokes
Early game mechanics: Whistles, grace sites, and grinding
NPC quests, cryptic dialogue, and the Two Fingers
Limgrave quests, stealth sections, and NPC humor
Boss fights: Godrick, bats, and jellyfish story
Round Table Hold, NPC interactions, and quest choices
Miquella's story, ending cutscenes, and game bugs
Level design, shortcuts, and Crucible lore
Stormveil Castle, Nafeli Lu, and Saint Trina
Combat analysis: Delayed attacks and MMA comparisons
Talisman choices, damage negation, and build advice
Humor: Helmets, weight gain, and Bloodborne comparisons
Mount Gelmir, Volcano Manor, and city living jokes
Coalition members, Ranni's lore, and the Amber Egg
Ranni's quest, women as gods, and audio cues
Illusions, aging parents, and Sekiro comparisons
Favorite moments, Melina fight, and political tools
Death mechanics, Ranni's experience, and corpse flowers
Dung Eater interpretations and Lyrennia map layout
Boss repeats, Finger Slayer Blade, and quest requirements
Underground cities, Night Reign alt-history, and Miyazaki/Martin
Giant skeletons, gravity magic, and hidden schools
Millicent's quest, tournament arc, and build criticism
Dragon fights, pierce damage, and weapon usage
Spectacle fights, Empyrean assassins, and lore videos
Lore overload, Amygdala comparisons, and body horror
Womb lore, doll objects, and Morgoth interactions
Throne room, Ranni's small throne, and comet lore
Wolf comparisons, Earth Tree rot, and outcast treatment
Death colors, Bell-Bearing Hunter, and Volcano Manor
Rot worshippers, Millicent's temple, and bug disguises
Medical jokes, land bridges, and Crucible history
Godfrey's lineage, Crucible nights, and golem encounters
Veiled Monster, diplomacy jokes, and The Counselor
Rykard's fate, college visits, and shirt jokes
Stormveil vs Leyendel scale, untouched areas, and enemies
Dark Souls openings, Steam Deck issues, and Hunters Workshop
Godric's hands, Ranni's depression, and Morgoth's guardians
Black Knife Assassins, build advice, and Night Reign skills
Pyramid Head comparisons, Empyrean duality, and Melina
Radon, hair dye, rune arcs, and selling items
Round Table Hold, Haligtree, and DLC frustration
Final areas, Farrah Missoula, and post-Morgoth quests
Candle lighting, rage quitting, and Haligtree emotions
Boggart's crabs, spacing mechanics, and rot AOE
DLC betrayal, median voter jokes, and deadbeat moms
Whip damage, Carrion Knights, and mid-fight changes
Melina fight attempts, poise, and particle effects
Phase two mechanics, health chunks, and fairness tweaks
Hemorrhage, blood damage, and Mimic Vale confusion
Dung Eater's evil, remembrance, and Japanese culture
Mimic tier criticism, George Martin praise, and misogyny
Torrent usage, Elden Beast, and Volcano Manor lore
Faram Nizzula, mystery, and Golden Order knowledge
Outro: Recording time and potential redo
Listen ad-free on Castria