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# Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is a feat of engineering
- URL: https://regionfree.net/elden-ring-tarnished-edition-is-a-feat-of-engineering/
- Published: 2026-09-18T04:10:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-18T04:10:27.000Z
- Description: FromSoftware's epic adventure has only gotten better with time, and playing it in handheld mode on a road trip is an exquisite experience that must be seen to be believed.
- Author: Joonatan Itkonen
- Tags: Gaming, Game Reviews, #gamereview, #developer-FromSoftware, #score-5

### The Verdict

**What works** 

- • A marvelous feat of engineering, everything just works.
- • Elden Ring is just as good as ever.
- • Superb handheld experience.

**What doesn't work** 

- • Occasional framerate stutters.
- • Only the base game and no proper physical release.

Region Free Rating 

★★★★★ 

5/5

🕹️

****Platform:** Nintendo Switch 2 (Docked+handheld)  
****Version:** Digital retail review code provided by the distributor  
  
****Independence & Ethics**  
Region Free is entirely reader-supported and maintains full editorial independence. For more on my scoring and standards, see the [****Review Guide**](https://regionfree.net/review-guide/).

I enjoyed the hell out ofElden Ring, even though the jump from *Dark Souls 3* — my favorite in the franchise — was a major one. By moving the adventure from linear to an open world, Elden Ring became both more robust and more frustrating than its predecessor, and while I still enjoy the tightly crafted linearity of what Souls was, there's no denying Elden Ring promises a bright new future.

Now it arrives on the Nintendo Switch 2, the little powerhouse of a console that continues to impress and surprise. There are caveats: Elden Ring doesn't look as good as it does on other platforms, and the framerate isn't super smooth, despite a hard cap at 30\. 

Should you care? Probably not, because when you hold the Switch 2 in your hands and boot up the expansive open world for the first time, all complaints fly out the window. The finished product is a work of technical wizardry; a feat of engineering akin to dark magic, and the game itself has lost none of its charm in the past few years. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0c/47/0c4798b4-e19d-4d8f-8475-ae0910a66a04/content/images/2026/09/the-overworld-map.webp)

The basics remain the same, and Elden Ring delights in a surprisingly straightforward port that sacrifices almost nothing to work on the hybrid device. 

Set in the Lands Between, Elden Ring is a vast action-adventure game that builds on old-school RPG mechanics. To start, players choose a template archetype from which to craft their adventurer. Skill points differ slightly, but everything is fair game. By the end, you can pretty much create whatever kind of hero you want. 

At first, the goal is simply to find the Elden Ring. But in the Lands Between, nothing is ever easy, and other adventurers, mythic villains, and heroes of old traverse the land, each with their own motivations. The story unfolds in bits and pieces, and precious few things become clear on the first run.

On a narrative and design level, there's very little to complain about. FromSoftware's 2022 creation remains immaculate, and it has only grown on me over time.

Most of the technical issues have to do with hardware: I found the Joy-Con controllers woefully inadequate for Elden Ring's requirements, and it wasn't until I switched over to the Pro controller that I could enjoy the full experience. 

Which isn't to say you're stuck with something terrible if you're gaming on the Joy-Cons. Just know that there are better options. Although, I'm a little disappointed we didn't get a full custom controller to go with the launch.

Similarly, it's a major, major bummer that Elden Ring doesn't have a genuine physical release. The Game Keycard is mostly for a download, and it sucks all around. The full game is only 41 GB; it could easily fit on the bigger 64 GB cards that Switch 2 uses.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0c/47/0c4798b4-e19d-4d8f-8475-ae0910a66a04/content/images/2026/09/first-major-boss.webp)

Another slight bummer is that Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is only the base game and does not include the expansion pack. That will hopefully come out down the line, but it is a bit of a kick in the behind, considering Tarnished Edition is a full-priced release after all these years. 

But, if those aren't enough to dissuade you, there's very little else to complain about. Elden Ring is still a great game; the framerate issues are minor, and it's all-around incredible that it even works this well. 

By now, you already most likely know what Elden Ring is, and why it took the world by storm when it first launched. This is one of the most vibrant and intriguing open-world games ever created, and while it's hard as nails, it also plays fair. At least most of the time. Even the base game alone will keep you busy for a good hundred hours. 

That's a lot of road trips, something previously unimaginable from this franchise.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0c/47/0c4798b4-e19d-4d8f-8475-ae0910a66a04/content/images/2026/09/rhadan-comet-boss.webp)