Elden Ring Still Hasn’t Made Good on a Feature It ‘Stole’ from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

by

As a seasoned gamer who’s traversed through the treacherous lands of Lordran, Yharnam, and Sengoku, I must say that Elden Ring has undeniably left an indelible mark on the gaming world. However, despite its grandeur, it falls short when it comes to stealth gameplay, a feature that I’ve been yearning for since my first backstab in Dark Souls.

Elden Ring stands out for numerous reasons, one of the most striking being its ability to blend and rework mechanics from previous FromSoftware titles. There’s undeniably a strong influence from the Souls series, but you can also spot traces of spin-offs like Bloodborne and Sekiro. Some might even speculate that Elden Ring could have been more akin to those games, if that was the case.

The strongest evidence of Sekiro‘s impact on Elden Ring can be found in the player’s movement options. Sekiro, being the first game from FromSoftware akin to the Souls series, introduced elements like traditional jumping and crouching, the latter of which plays a significant role in one of its key mechanical differences from Dark Souls: stealth. While FromSoftware has previously tried to integrate stealth systems into their games, with mechanisms such as backstabbing and invisibility spells in the Souls series obviously aiming to provide an extra level of choice during enemy interactions, Sekiro comes closest to achieving success in this area. Regrettably, while it would be pleasing to assert that Elden Ring‘s adoption of Sekiro‘s stealth mechanics resulted in a similar level of adaptability, this is unfortunately not the case.

It’s important to mention that while Sekiro‘s stealth gameplay isn’t an undisputed success, it represents FromSoftware’s most substantial attempt at refining these mechanics so far.

Elden Ring Never Managed to Stick the Landing With Stealth

Lackluster Stealth Returns in Elden Ring

As a gamer diving into Elden Ring, it’s clear that stealth is a viable approach in this game – I can crouch, hide among tall grass, and launch stealth attacks. Plus, there’s even a dedicated Bandit starter class to support this style of play. However, while it can help thin out enemy herds, especially in the overworld, it doesn’t seem as potent as traditional melee, magic, or ranged combat. Many of us were hoping for a more robust stealth system with Shadow of the Erdtree, but unfortunately, it seems that the stealth mechanics in Elden Ring are still not fully realized.

Essentially, it seems that stealth in Elden Ring is not given much focus compared to melee combat, making it less engaging as an option. Unlike games such as Skyrim or Prey (2017), which offer opportunities for stealth-based builds and solutions, allowing players a wide range of options for resolving encounters without being limited to one specific playstyle, stealth in Elden Ring appears to be more of a secondary feature rather than a practical or immersive tool.

As a fan, I’ve found that Elden Ring generally encourages players to engage enemies directly in most situations. This is somewhat unexpected given that stealth could be an effective strategy, especially during boss battles where such a tactic might be expected. However, the combat arenas seldom offer stealth opportunities, and the enemy AI tends to be either overly proficient at detecting the player or too simple to exploit, making stealth more of a frustrating or underwhelming experience than a satisfying one. To put it simply, while Elden Ring arguably has a slightly improved stealth system compared to some of its predecessors, it still doesn’t feel like the optimal playstyle, even when it technically functions.

The Future of Stealth in FromSoftware Games

After discussing all the points, Elden Ring might pave a promising path in terms of stealth mechanics. If FromSoftware manages to expand on the basic stealth elements found in Elden Ring and Sekiro, seamlessly integrating them with the diverse character builds that Souls games are renowned for, it could open up numerous intriguing possibilities. On the other hand, one might argue that FromSoftware’s combat design should not be tampered with too much, and stealth mechanics should perhaps be reserved for a standalone game of its own.

Read More

2024-10-09 14:05