Don't get me wrong; there are great parts in the game, and I like that players who prefer different play styles have multiple paths that they can take ... but honestly, I feel that Skyrim did that same thing better. Sure, there were parts of Skyrim that were also difficult, but Elden Ring feels more like a prankster who likes to laugh at people's misfortune--intentionally putting in traps to kill players (and send them on the long walk back) that require rote memorization to deal with an avoid, creating boss fights with health bars that go on forever only to have a second form that's even more difficult, and placing multiple status effects for which there is no permanent protection.
I avoid "hard mode" in most games because I'm more interested in exploration, discovery, and story than memorizing fight patterns and perfectly timing button presses. However, Connor's love of this game was enough to get me to try it out and attempt to make my way through it. I just hope that I don't break a controller in a blind fit of frustrated rage.