The Next FromSoftware Game Could Easily Drop One Character Creation Feature

As a long-time fan and seasoned veteran of FromSoftware games, I have spent countless hours exploring the intricate worlds they create, perfecting my builds, and pushing myself to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges. The recent release of Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has rekindled my passion for this genre, drawing me back in with its vast array of new content and opportunities to experiment.

The anticipated release of “Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC has brought back a large number of players to the game, along with newcomers. Consequently, numerous Tarnished, or new characters, have been created. Players have spent considerable time preparing for this expansion, and now build their characters based on the various possibilities presented. Since “Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree” offers a flexible respec system, allowing players to change their character stats at any point, the choices made during character creation seem less significant than before.

In Elden Ring, there are numerous methods for progressing through levels and equipping items. Some of these approaches are challenging enough that they exclude other play styles. To fully explore the game’s possibilities, FromSoftware added the option to restore stats and reallocate points after defeating Queen Rennala in Raya Lucaria. Given how integral this feature has become, it could be intriguing for the next game from the studio to eliminate starting classes and provide greater flexibility right from the start.

Elden Ring’s Starting Classes Only Matter in Its Early Game

Resembling Difficulty Options for New Players

Overcoming a few bosses early on can provide a player with sufficient Runes to significantly bypass the level restrictions of any starting class. However, this decision holds greater significance for those who have yet to clear the initial challenges. Skilled veterans can adapt to any beginning situation, but the Samurai’s Uchigatana with its Bleed effect or the Astrologer’s ranged abilities offer more leniency when compared to their conventional counterparts.

Classes Are Essentially Invalidated Post-Liurnia

In simpler terms, when playing through Liurnia of the Lakes, a key early area in Elden Ring, many players should reach a point where they can defeat the boss and make use of a Larval Tear to reallocate their stats. Though these tears can theoretically run out, few players will likely create new characters more than 15 times. With the introduction of additional Larval Tears in Elden Ring, the game has even more distanced itself from its initial design constraints.

FromSoftware’s Future Titles Might Benefit From Leaving Classes Behind

The Potential for a More Open-Ended Start to Leveling

In Elden Ring’s thriving community, players often engage in intricate min-maxing and deliberate build advancement. To accommodate this trend in future games, it would be more effective to acknowledge and encourage such strategies from the start. Instead of offering classes with limited relevance after extended gameplay, providing greater control over stat allocation during character creation or starting all players at the same level 1 could better align with the Soulslike genre’s intricacies.

Leaning Further into Respeccing

If the next game in the Elden Ring series prioritizes player decision-making over statistics at the outset, restricting the number of respec items might not align well. The fact that Larval Tears are finite is already a bit disconcerting, so altering this to be something that just costs currency or a replenishable resource could foster greater build experimentation. Given the diversity of builds players have adopted in Shadow of the Erdtree, FromSoftware should consider the importance of maintaining flexibility throughout the entire gameplay experience.

2024-07-19 13:04