Elden Ring might be a long while from being classes as a retro game by the Retro Dodo team, but that doesn't stop the community from imagining what it might look as a retro title. One dedicated fan has taken it upon themselves to recreate the game in the style of a classic JRPG for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (the SNES to you and me), swapping the fast-paced, high-difficulty gameplay for turn-based mechanics in the style of Final Fantasy and Fire Emblem.
Complete with custom-made box artwork that wouldn't look out of place amongst my SNES game collection, this fan game captures the essence of the SNES' glory days while managing to somehow channel the spirit of Elden Ring in a 16-bit title.
The pixelated cutscenes take me back to the times of seeing 16-bit graphics for the first time and thinking that 'nothing could ever get better than this', and while the game isn't long, it's nice to battle the Grafted Scion and and get my butt kicked on a free-to-play game in my browser rather than having to turn my PS5 on.
You can check out the fan-made game (which isn't affiliated with FromSoftware, Bandai Namco, or any official Elden Ring creators in any way) for free now on RetroHelm's Itch.io page!
