Elden Ring originally began on a beach, datamine shows

Elden Ring originally had a different starting point that had players washing up on a beach in Limgrave.

At the beginning of FromSoftware's epic, players battle the Grafted Scion and, whether they win or lose, then fall to their death before waking up in the Stranded Graveyard and exploring the Cave of Knowledge.

It turns out, though, this wasn't always the case, as dataminer Sekiro Dubi has discovered.

ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree | Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer

Cutscenes in the game are given an ID based on their map location, but Sekiro Dubi noticed the scene of Melina and Torrent waking up the player had a different ID to its location.

Cross referencing with the Network Test build, there's a Japanese note reading "(disable) respawn point for game start". That respawn point would've been on a beach in West Limgrave, the original starting point for the game.

Sekiro Dubi has managed to restore that cutscene using alternative dialogue, which you can check out in the below video.

Elden Ring - New Melina and Torrent Cutscene Restored

Now, narratively, this alternate starting point makes more sense. After falling from the Chapel of Anticipation, the player finds themselves washed up on the shores of a strange land. And it would explain more easily how Melina and Torrent find the player, rather than deep in a cave. Players would then work up to a cave entrance taking them to the Stranded Graveyard and Cave of Knowledge.

Yet this perhaps would've allowed players to simply run off in any direction to explore The Lands Between, which would not only be overwhelming but would likely mean missing out on the tutorial - even though players missed it out anyway.

What's more, this could've bypassed the grand, let's call it Breath of the Wild, moment as the player opens doors out into the great expanse of the world. Then again, washing up on a strange beach is a pretty Zelda thing to do, right?

For more Elden Ring, its expansion Shadow of the Erdtree is due out in June. We've analysed the trailer for all the details, though it turns out there may have been a reference in the base game all along.