This is Elden Ring’s secret weapon
When you start Shadow of the Erdtree for the first time, make sure you appreciate it Elden Rings unsung hero: canvas.
FromSoftware has long been the master of dynamic cloth physics. That is, material that does not follow a preset animation, but instead moves procedurally, based on an in-game physics engine.
It sounds simple, but it really is really hard to do.
But FromSoftware has been doing it for years, and Elden Ring is just the latest and greatest expression of the studio’s fabric obsession. Elden RingHowever, the manufacturer’s material is not only technically impressive. It communicates essential information about the world and the characters that populate it.
Take Mohg for example.
He’s a messy boy who likes drama β and he’s dressed for it. The cape he has thrown over his shoulders is of rich red velvet, with a gold tassel edge.
βIt’s very literally theatrical in my opinion,β visual artist Faith Schaffer noted in an interview. βIt’s your classic red curtain with gold trim.β
Mohg is the shunned child of royal descent, but instead of accepting a life in the sewers, he has convinced himself that he will create his own dynasty. That plan somehow involves him dressing like a total pimp and kidnapping his stepbrother. But in reality, he has one of the most baroque outfits in the game, which can be read as extreme compensation for the royal treatment he was denied. He puts on a show.
And FromSoftware always goes the extra mile when creating dynamic fabrics. The Godskin Duo bears, yes, flesh. It looks disgusting, clammy and blobby. It would be disgusting under any circumstances. But this meat rug has its own physics parameters that cause it to flop and wobble.
It’s a great example of how good FromSoftware is at using uniquely tuned physics to create differentiation movement. If they had copied and pasted the same physics parameters they used for a velvet scarf or cotton cloak, it would still be disturbing. But they went a step further and tuned the dangling parts of the cloak so that they moved with a distinct, cartilaginous wobble.
To learn more about how FromSoftware’s material contributes to Elden Ring’s incredible world-building, watch the video above! And make sure you subscribe to Polygoon on YouTube to keep up to date with all our latest news.