The Lamenter is Elden Rings Response to a Classic Dark Souls Gimmick

The Lamenter is Elden Rings Response to a Classic Dark Souls Gimmick

As a seasoned adventurer of the Elden Ring world, I must say, the Lamenter in Shadow of the Erdtree has left me both baffled and impressed. This enigmatic boss fight is a clever twist on an old mechanic that FromSoftware has masterfully reimagined.


In the dimly lit confines of a prison within the realm of the Erdtree, known as “Shadow of the Erdtree”, you’ll find the Lamenter. This seemingly ordinary adversary proves to be quite challenging, employing an old trick from past games in a fresh and intriguing way. Remarkably, this innovative adaptation of a classic puzzle format demonstrates that FromSoftware continues to breathe life into their long-established mechanics, a trait as enduring as the Four Kings from the original “Dark Souls”.

In the battle against the Lamenter, the crucial aspect lies in managing a Damage Per Second (DPS) check. This mechanic demands players to inflict a particular amount of damage per second on the main boss to prevent an instant loss. Although the Lamenter’s moveset and aggression may not be the most challenging in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, it can significantly increase your death count if you fail to meet the required DPS.

The Lamenter is Shadow of the Erdtree’s Twist on the DPS Check

Aggression is the Name of the Game Against Lamenter

There are a few tricks up the Lamenter’s sleeve that makes this a formidable boss, but nothing really compares with the way that the encounter can instantly kill a player regardless of their ability to dodge or resist damage. This is because the Lamenter will periodically disappear from the battlefield and return with a whole gaggle of clones that sets off a timer as soon as they arrive. If the clones are not taken care of before the invisible timer ticks all the way down, then the boss will place a curse on the player that instantly ends the fight and cannot be otherwise avoided. The difficulty of this curse is unique to the Lamenter, as it goes a step past Elden Ring‘s Death Blight status effect and kills without much prior warning or builds that can prevent buildup.

To survive from an instant kill, players must choose between two strategies. The first approach involves tracking down and eliminating each clone individually before the timer runs out completely. Although this may take some time, it’s usually safe because each clone falls quickly with just a few hits. Alternatively, players can focus on identifying the main Lamenter instead of the clones and inflict enough damage to cause all the others to disappear. Given that prolonged battles can make the toughest bosses in “Shadow of the Erdtree” even more challenging, quickly dealing damage is often an attractive option to prevent the fight from dragging on.

FromSoftware Continues to Twist the DPS Check Concept

In a fresh take on the DPS Check, players can sidestep the mechanic altogether by concentrating more on crowd control, demonstrating once again how FromSoftware seldom adheres strictly to traditional game designs. This approach is typical of their innovative strategies when dealing with build challenges, as there’s often a route for either skill or an unorthodox method to bypass the intended function. Just like mastering positioning and the ability to dodge or absorb damage can help players conquer the Four Kings in Dark Souls, the Lamenter’s unique approach to the DPS Check doesn’t require any of Elden Ring‘s high-damage builds to be successful.

In Elden Ring, the freedom to decide your strategy when facing the Lamenter battle is what sets it apart and allows players to enjoy the game using their preferred character build at any given time. Although high damage per second (DPS) can streamline many fights, including the Lamenter, opting for alternative strategies provided in the game often results in more meaningful encounters than merely powering through each battle with an optimized character. This design choice, evident in Elden Ring as well as other beloved titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne from FromSoftware, has proven to be a powerful one.

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2024-10-20 14:06