Saw this late, but check RTINGS for motion blur photos before buying. Tbh if you dont want to deal with smearing under 450 bucks, these are solid:

• Acer Nitro XV340CK 34 Inch IPS 144Hz: Excellent motion handling, though the lack of curve might affect immersion.
• Sceptre E345B-QUT168 34 Inch IPS 144Hz: Very affordable IPS alternative that avoids the ghosting issues common in budget VA panels. Both are way better for dark RPGs.

TL;DR: Skip VA panels. Unfortunately, cheap IPS displays aren't as good as expected with glow, but HP X34 34 Inch IPS 165Hz remains the safest, most reliable budget pick.

Honestly, I totally get the frustration with VA panels and that annoying black smearing in dark scenes. Since you are specifically worried about Elden Ring and darker games, you might want to consider shifting away from VA entirely. I would suggest looking at the Gigabyte M34WQ 34 Inch IPS 144Hz Ultrawide. Because it uses an IPS panel instead of a VA one, it basically eliminates that ghosting and smearing effect you saw in reviews for the G34WQC. Be careful though, because the trade-off with IPS is lower contrast. In a dark room, the blacks will look a bit more like dark grey compared to a VA panel. Make sure to weigh if you prefer motion clarity over deep blacks. For your budget, this is probably the safest bet to avoid the headaches of a slow panel, but just be aware that IPS glow is a thing in the corners during very dark scenes... it can be kinda distracting if you dont expect it.