Screenshot: FromSoftware / Kotaku
Early Elden Ring players were shocked when an NPC in the Closed Network Test called their character a “small player” who should “die in a ditch somewhere”. His outright hostility has been seen by some as the personification of the brutal difficulty of the Souls-like genre, but I’m here to report that, for better or worse, the rough edges of this notorious asshole have been sanded down a bit. in the final version. , launching February 25.
Unless you stray off the obvious path at the start of the Elden Ring open world, the very first person you’ll encounter is a man named Varré. He seems amiable enough at first, wearing a smiling white mask and standing near one of the game’s ubiquitous checkpoints. hide his disdain. Every line, even those intended to instruct or supplement the lore of the game’s setting, was dripping with contempt.
Here’s a quick rundown of what I’m talking about:
And some transcripts if you can’t watch the video:
Oh, yes… Ternis, are we?
Come to the Entre Lands for the Elden Ring, hmm?
Of course you have. No shame in that.
But I’m afraid you’re out of luck.
You are not a virgin. A little playful, completely separated from the strength of the runes.
Feel free to leave and die in a ditch somewhere.
Oh, you can’t understand your predicament?
It is not a surprise. You poor poor people are stubborn.
Well then.
If you’re going to try it, without a young girl like you, you’ll need an education.
On the enlightened paths of Ternis.
Do you know grace? The golden rays that give you life Ternis.
You can also see its golden dust sometimes pointing in a particular direction.
This is the direction of grace. The path that a Terni must travel.
It is nothing less than a miracle. May the guidance of grace lead you, maidenless, to the perfect place to die in darkness.
While the Elden Ring predecessors certainly housed a hostile NPC or two, this felt different. The first person to speak with you on your travels through the Lands Between essentially telling you to fuck off set the mood for the whole adventure. It was almost as if the developers were completely upfront about the type of game they were making, daring you to ignore its warnings and move on. Souls fans, who desire FromSoftware’s punishment on an almost psychosexual level above all else, relished Varré’s denial.
Varré in the actual game, however, is much cooler than how it appeared in the closed network test. He’s not the nicest person around, far from it, but his explanations in the final version seem more condescending than mean. Varré treats you like a simpleton in great need of education, with a voice that almost says, “Oh, poor little jerk, you’re totally going to die there but it won’t be my fault.” And folks, I have to say it’s almost more frustrating than when he just scolded you, even though it felt like a more laid back interaction overall.
Again, here is some of Varré’s updated dialogue text:
Oh, yes… Ternis, are we?
Come to the Entre Lands for the Elden Ring, hmm?
Of course you have. No shame in that.
Unfortunately for you, however, you are not a virgin.
Without advice, without the strength of the runes and without an invitation to the Round Table…
You are destined, it seems, to die in darkness.
Luckily for you, however, there is a bright ray of hope even for orphans.
Me. Varre. Take care to listen.
Do you know grace? The golden light that gives you life Faded.
You can also see its golden rays sometimes pointing in a particular direction.
This is the direction of grace. The path that a Terni must travel.
Mmm, indeed. Grace’s advice holds the answers.
This will lead you Terni to the path you are meant to follow.
Even if it takes you to your grave.
That said, I’m not convinced that Varré doesn’t have a sinister agenda waiting in the wings. Maybe it’s due to the mistrust seeded in me by previous games from FromSoftware, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be watching my back for the rest of my Elden Ring playthrough. Anyone under that mask, Varré still seems too invested in my character’s death to completely let my guard down when it comes to him.
But hey, at least he doesn’t call me a “runt without a virgin” anymore.
.
Article source https://kotaku.com/elden-ring-fromsoftware-varre-npc-dark-souls-bloodborne-1848589678