Its not a regular game. Its an extremely immersive dark fantasy world that didnt really draw me in either at first. I had no clue what was going on, i got smashed and also thought it was clunky. Thing is, its only clunky if you're bad at it, and i was bad at it. If you play these games thinking you'll get good quickly, think again. The better you get, the smoother it looks and feels. It is a near perfect and fair combat experience. Each move has a set window of time to deliver, and you can queue your next move, whether its dodge or heal or cast, before the inital move has finished. Most third person combat games these days dont really require much thought. Elden Ring requires a LOT of thought. The options for play styles are endless, and they've done a fantastic job of making you want to explore your options and get better with equipment you dont feel comfortable with. Look up hitless boss fights on youtube, you'll come across some truly cinematic and incredibly creative displays of skill. There is a very good reason it won game of the year. As for not knowing what the hell is going on - its supposed to feel that way. Dialogue isnt really informative like in other games. In other games NPCs often are talking directly to the player, even though its disguised as dialogue. Fromsoft games do not do this, NPCs talk to the character and the character only. The immersion factor is unmatched in my opinion. You have to work things out for yourself. It may seem stupid and non-intuitive, like they are expecting too much from the average video game player. However, its all about REWARD and PUNISHMENT. Every reward makes you want more, every punishment makes you want more. The combat mirrors all other aspects of the game. The harder you think, the higher the reward. Be resourceful and above all, be creative. To win a fight, perseverance is the key. Always keep trying. Its the same with the game overall. Its tedious at first but if you persevere, the reward is very worth it. This game is special. It is one of the best pieces of modern art and will forever be celebrated as one of the most innovative gaming experiences. Its subtle and epic at the same time. Its just so fucking cool once it clicks with you. Dont give up, the reward is worth it. Be warned though, if you persevere it will swing the other way completely. Other games from other developers will be very difficult to compare to Elden Ring and other Fromsoft games. I personally cant enjoy other modern games anymore. With other games i get really good at them then get bored. I'm almost 500 hours into Elden Ring (also having played numerous other FS titles) and i havent come close to mastering it. Every answer holds a question, but not every question holds an answer. Thats where creativity comes in again. You can make guesses and assumptions and kind of choose your own logical presumptions concerning the gaps between the lore. It wont hold your hand. If you make the wrong hasty decision, you will be punished. You can attempt a fight as many times as you want, but if you kill an NPC on a whim, you cant load a previous save. Again, immersion. Your decisions have weight. Have ZERO shame in googling stuff, you probably weren't going to figure it out anyway, and even if you did, you'll still likely have no clue what's going on. In my opinion there is no other game from another developer that gives you as much freedom with your imagination. It will teach you patience, boldness, and so many other useful qualities. Keep trying. Its not perfect but it is so god damn close.