Summary
AnElden Ringplayer has pointed out an amusing quirk of the game’s graphics that brings to mind the famous “Blue Dress or Gold Dress” debate. The debate, which garnered global attention on the internet, has been referenced in pop culture for years, but itsElden Ringappearance may be unintentional.
Also known simply as “The Dress,” the Blue Dress or Gold Dress debate first appeared in 2015, after an online discussion about the color of a dress purchased for a wedding went viral. The dress, which was actually colored blue and black, appeared to be white and gold to many who viewed the photo that sparked the discussion. This was due to individual differences in peoples' color perception and aspects of the photo, such as the lighting and digital artifacting, causing people’s brains to see the stimuli as ambiguous. The otherwise trivial phenomenon became so widespread that it was covered by mainstream media, andThe Dress was even referenced in aJust Cause 3Easter egg.
Now, anElden Ringplayer has showcased an inadvertent occurrence of a similar blue-or-gold ambiguity in the game itself. They shared a video clip on theElden Ringsubreddit that featured their character wearing anElden Ringarmor setthat demonstrated the unusual visual phenomenon.
Elden Ring Armor Set Unintentionally Recreates The Dress Viral Meme
The clip shows their character wearing the High Page Clothes while standing in the nighttime rain. Thanks to the added sheen from the game’s rain effect and the orange-yellow glow of the character’s lamp, the color of the High Page Clothes appears to shift subtly from gold to blue and back again, based on the angle of the camera and the presence of the light. In April this year,anAnimal Crossingplayer used a similar lighting trick to inspire a dress debateusing customized clothes.
In reality, theHigh Page Clothesarmor piece is a cream-colored doublet with white puffed sleeves. It’s worn by the High Pages that stalk the Lands Between. Found in only two locations,the High Page is one of the rarest enemies in the game. FellowElden Ringplayers were amused by the post, with reactions ranging from comical anger to faux participation in the original dress debate. A clever player suggested that the original poster rename the character “Laurel Yanny,” while another suggested having them wield theScorpion’s Stingerweapon andFounding Rain of Starsspell as a “Green Needle and Brainstorm” battle strategy. That way, their character would be a walking testament to multiple viral internet memes based around the ambiguity of human sensory perception.
Elden Ring
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ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
