funny thing has been happening with reviews i've seen of Animal Well: people have been missing small but critical parts of the game in their playground because it's deliberately obtuse and designed to be discovered through play. this has soured some folks on it (such as my brother) who spend 2-5 hours at some part of the game just running around not knowing what to do until someone tells them "you missed x" and then they beat the game shortly after and are like "that was a waste of time" turning a 9/10 to a 6/10.

however, that has repeatedly been my experience of elden ring. i have consistently missed sign posts, quest lines, critical paths because i'm just playing the game and then i'm wandering around like "what do i do now?" it's not exactly unpleasant but it does kill the enthusiasm and fun while it's happening, and then i'm annoyed when i post in my group chat and someone says "you missed x." but none of the reviews for elden ring i saw mentioned this or were like "it's deeply unpleasant to play without a guide or friend who has already played it."

i'm not gonna say double standard, but it seems people are more lenient about dumb bullshit in a fromsoft game than an indie game.