Strong Recommend: Elden Ring

If you're interested in fantasy, and fancy taking on a responsibility equivalent to a part-time job, Helen recommends Elden Ring. A wildly popular Japanese video game which allows you to live in a world created by George RR Martin. With place and character names reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, we ask why that is the accepted register of fantasy. Could it be the detail and care which Tolkien gave to his languages, and the sounds of words denoting a sense of place, building a rich landscape? And with companies coming out of Silicon Valley with names like 'Palantir' and 'Mithril', why are the Tech-Right so obsessed with his creations?

Helen also grills Armando on his video-gaming history (whatever the audio equivalent of a 'blink' is, do that, and you'll miss it).

Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.

Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris Maclean Recorded at The Sound Company

Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.