Why does Elden Ring open world feel aimless before facing a boss?

[BrianG]

Okay, so I’m in the middle of my first playthrough of Elden Ring and I’ve hit a weird wall. I’ve been exploring the Altus Plateau for hours, just kind of wandering and picking up crafting materials, but I haven’t actually fought a major boss here yet. It feels like I’m just ticking off points of interest without any real direction. Does the open world ever start to feel aimless like this for anyone else, or am I just missing the thread I’m supposed to be following?

[Paul15]

I get that it feels aimless in Elden Ring you wander Altus Plateau loot and map bits but no big fight yet the thread can hide in plain sight

[Charles53]

Open world games like this click into focus when you set small goals like reaching a dungeon or finding a boss you can actually fight and then loop back for gear before chasing the next story beat

[Mila.D]

Maybe you are reading the game wrong you can bounce between lore and wind behind you and still feel like you are making progress even if the map feels loose and you end up looping through the same few zones

[JacobT]

I am skeptical that a big thread exists at all in the open world you might be meant to define your own purpose and the game rewards that

[Aurora11]

In Elden Ring you can frame exploration as the goal notice how enemy placements and item hints nudge you toward certain paths and the sense of purpose can arrive slowly while you juggle craft mats and armor upgrades

[Kevin_W]

Do you think the wall is part of the plan or are you waiting for a red thread to appear in Elden Ring to chase