Elden Ring’s Difficulty Shows FromSoftware Fans Can Have Cake, Eat it Too

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Elden Ring's Difficulty Shows FromSoftware Fans Can Have Cake, Eat it Too

Highlights

  • Elden Ring’s open-world design allows players to tackle challenges at their own pace, avoiding roadblock bosses.
  • The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC introduces new difficult bosses, encouraging players to try out new equipment and builds.
  • By finding a balance between accessibility and challenge, Elden Ring has become FromSoftware’s most approachable game.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of challenges and roadblocks in the gaming world. But none have ever left me as captivated, frustrated, and ultimately triumphant as FromSoftware’s latest masterpiece, Elden Ring.

Whenever a new game from FromSoftware comes out, such as Elden Ring with its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, the discussion about game difficulty among players is bound to resurface. In this case, opinions on the challenge level of Shadow of the Erdtree were split, prompting FromSoftware to offer guidance on finding Scadutree fragments and a map to their locations. However, regardless of personal feelings towards Shadow of the Erdtree’s handling of scaling and progression, it’s worth considering that Elden Ring might have settled the Soulslike difficulty debate for good.

In essence, due to its open-world structure, Elden Ring avoids the frequent issue that causes players to quit FromSoftware games – demanding skill checks or challenging bosses. By discarding the linearity of past titles and enabling players to venture into different areas and return stronger, it creates a more flexible gameplay experience. Additionally, the vast array of weapons and equipment available, combined with the simplicity of respecing using Larval Tears, ensures that players can always adapt their strategy or create a new build. Consequently, the debate about the difficulty in Elden Ring and its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is somewhat irrelevant due to the freedom FromSoftware provides for player expression.

Shadow of the Erdtree Continues a FromSoftware Tradition to Appease Longtime Souls Fans

In their creative studio, FromSoftware is well-known for designing extremely tough downloadable content (DLC) meant for late-game or endgame players. Famous expansions like Bloodborne’s Old Hunters DLC and Dark Souls 3’s The Ringed City are infamous for featuring some of the toughest bosses ever created by FromSoftware, and Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree continues this trend. Although Elden Ring’s base game already offers numerous demanding challenges, the DLC pushes it a step further with several new boss battles that rival tough opponents like Orphan of Kos, Sister Friede, or Malenia, Blade of Miquella.

In Shadow of the Erdtree, the new bosses offer a worthy test for experienced players, making them perfect opportunities to explore fresh equipment and character builds introduced through the DLC. Much like Elden Ring’s base game, Shadow of the Erdtree invites players to tinker with various playstyles and build combinations in an effort to conquer seemingly insurmountable challenges. Additionally, players can pause their battle against a boss, farm runes to enhance their abilities (or venture into the Shadow Realm to collect Scadutree fragments), ensuring they always have alternative strategies at hand when facing tough opponents.

FromSoftware’s Next Game Will Likely Continue to Strike a Balance With its Difficulty

Elden Ring's Difficulty Shows FromSoftware Fans Can Have Cake, Eat it Too

In its expansive open-world setting and offering fresh combat strategies through features like Ashes of War, Spirit Summons, and more, Elden Ring seems to masterfully blend accessibility with difficulty. Don’t be fooled; this is a classic FromSoftware game, and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC offers a fitting endgame challenge much like their other expansions. However, it appears that for newcomers to FromSoftware’s distinctive and engrossing gameplay, Elden Ring might just offer the most inviting experience yet. And with its impressive sales numbers, this sentiment seems to resonate with many players.

Due to its popularity, Elden Ring has managed to surpass the total sales of the entire Dark Souls trilogy within a much shorter timeframe compared to when that series reached the same milestone. Moreover, Elden Ring’s success and inclusivity towards new players has significantly boosted the sales of Armored Core 6, making it the best-selling game in its franchise by a substantial margin. The difficulty level of Elden Ring finds a sweet spot, and future FromSoftware games are expected to follow suit, aiming to replicate Elden Ring’s groundbreaking success by maintaining this balance.

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2024-08-07 14:34