"Elden Ring" speedruns are spiraling out of control, but perhaps in a good (and amazing) way.
Eurogamer reports that the aforementioned speedruns of FromSoftware's newest "Soulsborne" have now reached the half-hour mark, after being up in a couple of hours range earlier this month. This time, they put content creator Distortion2 at the center of the spotlight after the player completed the game in an insane 28 minutes and 57 seconds.
Here is Distortion2's tweet about the latest achievement (the number showed it is different from their final time, but it is a crazy number nonetheless):
Elden Ring goes under 30 minutes. What a crazy day! pic.twitter.com/VkG2CCMgGn
— Distortion2 🕐 Elden Ring DLC (@Distortion_2) March 14, 2022
And here is the video of their entire speedrun on their YouTube channel:
But while the entire speedrun in itself is already impressive, it's how Distortion2 handled the game's biggest bosses, which could be even more amazing. As you can see in their tweet, they put what looked like the amount of time it took them to take down the game's mandatory bosses.
Apparently, no mandatory boss they faced lasted even a minute long into the battle before they were taken down. This is an insanely impressive feat, considering how "Elden Ring" has already earned a reputation as being another very hard game to beat-just like every other "Soulsborne" title before it.
Watch the video, however, and you'll see just how Distortion2 handled the bosses like a boss (pun intended). For instance, they used Hoarfrost Stomp a lot to deal immense damage to Maliketh during their fight, allowing them to take the boss down in less than 30 seconds.
Achieving an "Elden Ring" speedrun at this level is insane, but that's not even shedding light on how good of a speedrunner Distortion2 is. This new record was set after they themselves likely set the first-ever half-hour range speedrun of the FromSoftware title, beating it first in 30:24 then setting this new record of 28:57.
Read also: 'Elden Ring' Guide: How to Get the Longtail Cat or the 'No Fall Damage' Talisman
What's The Point Of These Speedruns?
Speedruns have existed for almost as long as video games have. They started off as a basic showcase of a player's skill in a certain game-how they manage to beat boss fights faster than normal and how they find ways to circumvent some challenges instead of tackling them head-on.
Video game speedruns are a fascinating thing to watch on their own. According to WIRED, the main reason for their appeal is the nature of video games as a whole. Games, they say, are like machines with so many moving parts completing a whole. A speedrun breaks them down into their most basic components, allowing people to see what makes them tick.
GameSpot's explanation for the importance of speedrunning is mostly similar to that of WIRED's. In this video, they say that the act of blitzing through a game basically unravels the machinations behind them-splitting them open and bathing them in a new, far more interesting light.
At the end of the day, an "Elden Ring" speedrun is one spectacular feat. But do you think you can beat Distortion2's current record?
Related: Steam Deck 2 Is Already In The Works, Says Gabe Newell
Story posted on GameNGuide
Written by RJ Pierce