Elden Ring is shaping up to be quite a big deal (which should come as no surprise given who’s working on it), and now we have a bunch of new details to sink our teeth into! From Software’s Hidetaka Miyazaki sat down with IGN and gave fans a much more thorough explanation of some of the game’s important elements, including its progression system, methods of exploring the world, and much, much more.

First of all, Elden Ring will feature a huge open world teeming with things to do, creatures to slay, and dark and horrific corners to explore. Because of its imposing scale, From Software doesn’t want players to be intimidated, so there’s definitely some level of guidance, especially early on. There’s a “mainline route” for players to follow, but at any point they can diverge from this path and go in any which direction they please. Elden Ring’s design is supposed to “cater to that high level of freedom, that free order of progression throughout the world.”

So you’ll be able to tackle different areas in different ways, and the same goes for boss battles as well. Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its version of Hyrule come to mind; it is a world through which you can meander and explore at a leisurely pace without ever being forced into any specific mission or task.

Players will still have to pace their actions in accordance to how much stamina they have left, but Hidetaka stresses that it’ll be a lot less restrictive overall. They don’t want stamina to impede our freedom and the many ways in which we can explore the grim world of Elden Ring, so that’s definitely a plus!

You’ll be able to “combine different skills with different weapons” and build out your character with all sorts of equipment. Heck, you can even learn magic as well, should you so desire. Build customization will be at the heart of Elden Ring, and From Software wants players to have as many options as they possibly can. It’s all about experimentation and freedom, so the way players will explore the world will trickle down into their builds and itemization as well.

Freedom, again, is at the heart of Elden Ring, and that holds true for combat as well. Players will be able to throw caution out the window and skirmish like there’s no tomorrow, but they’ll also have alternative ways of approaching danger. For instance, you’ll be able to summon the spirits of deceased enemies and have them fight for you — just a singular example that Hiyazaki highlighted.

All in all, these little tidbits and explanations are all that’s necessary to get our blood pumping! Elden Ring is slated to release on January 21, 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.