'Elden Ring' review in progress: No one is prepared for how colossal this game is

The opening area of the game will suggest that you head north to Stormveil Castle, a decrepit estate shrouded in tempest. Instead, I rode my spectral horse East. I was shocked to see how far I could ride without stopping. Suddenly, I was in a war-torn battlefield, with AI-controlled soldiers fighting massive creatures in never-ending combat. I snuck my way into a nearby castle, where I found its remaining denizens fighting among each other, a confusing and frightening spectacle, particularly for my level 12 knight.