Elden Ring is the latest game from the creators of the notoriously difficult “Soulsbourne” series. With punishing enemies, claustrophobic dungeon design, and no difficulty settings, the common advice for those struggling with the games of this series is to “git gud”—implying that these games are only for people willing to bash their heads against the proverbial wall until finally winning.
To be honest, that’s why I never played any of the Soulsbourne games—nothing sounds less enjoyable to me than wasting hours being pounded into the ground by the same boss over and over again. So even though games like Bloodbourne and Dark Souls looked like worlds I would enjoy exploring, I just accepted that the games weren’t for me and moved on with my life. But then came Elden Ring. With a world and lore designed by George R. R. Martin, I was dying to play it. So, I did a bit of research and discovered something no one ever mentioned to me before. Elden Ring (and Soulsbourne games in general) do have an “easy mode”: It’s called “magic.”
Much of the difficulty in Soulsbourne games like Elden Ring comes from facing the enemies up close and having to learn their attack patterns—i.e., when to dodge and when to counterattack. Using magic lets you almost completely ignore this aspect of the game. With normal enemies, you can cast spells and kill them before they even get into melee range. Suspect an enemy is hiding around a corner, waiting to ambush you? Just send a magical cloud of death their way and watch it kill them without them even realizing you are there. Even bosses stand little to no chance against magic—and the right combination of spells, gear, and stats can kill the majority of them in one shot.
I did every dungeon, every boss, and collected every weapon in the game. In fact, there were only three bosses that I truly struggled with. One was the last boss of the game—it took me about 10 tries to win. Another was the Putrid Crystallian Trio (which is difficult due solely to the number of enemies in a small location)—it took 7 tries. But, of course, the one that gave me the most trouble is the generally agreed on hardest optional boss in the game: Malenia, Blade of Miquella. It took me 39 tries to take her down (the last of which you can see in the video above).
But as helpful as magic is, it’s not the only tool to make the game dramatically easier. Very early on in the game, just a short walk north of the tutorial dungeon, you meet Renna the Witch. She gives you the ability to summon AI companions for boss fights and particularly dangerous areas filled with baddies. The pack of wolves she gives you to start are great at distracting bosses while you shoot off your spells. Almost immediately, you can replace the wolves with a pair of high damage imps or Lhutel the Headless (who is the best tank summon in the game). Then, as you hit the mid-game and work your way through Ranni’s questline, you’ll be able to summon a mimic, who copies you exactly (including your spells and gear), or Black Knife Tiche, who does enough damage to solo many of the game’s bosses all on her own. Thanks to summoning, most boss battles are two-on-one at the least.
And even then, there is one more way to make the game easier—so easy, in fact, that you don’t need to do anything but watch: co-op. Not only is it possible for you to summon friends to your world to help you out at any time, but many times strangers will leave markers outside of particularly difficult boss battles that allow you to summon them as well—making it three-on-one against the boss. (Sure, summoning in a real-life person opens you up to being invaded for PVP but if you head right into a boss battle, you should be safe.)
So, if all the above has convinced you not to fear Elden Ring’s difficulty and you want to give it a try, here are some of the resources I found particularly useful in my journey to become the magic-wielding god of The Lands Between.
How to Build Your Mage:
This is a fantastic video that prepares you for being an unstoppable magic user right from the start of the game. The subsequent videos in this series will guide you to becoming a force capable of killing any boss the game throws at you.
*Warning: Do not talk to Ranni in her tower as shown in the video before doing Sorcerer Rogier and Baidd’s questlines. (Starting her questline locks you out of theirs permanently.)
Getting over 100,000 Runes at the Start of the Game:
Starting the game with 100,000 runes will give you a massive jumpstart to your character—allowing you to level up your intelligence stupidly high and turn even your most basic spells into instant death for most enemies.
An Early Game Place to Farm Runes for Leveling:
Need to level up more? Then this guide will show you a place to farm infinite runes for minimal effort.
A Mid-to-Late Game Place to Farm Runes for Leveling:
You’ll need to complete White Mask Varré’s questline to reach this location and have the Loretta’s Greatbow spell (or a normal bow) to farm easy runes—but once you’re prepared, you’ll never be short of runes ever again.
A Guide to Make Sure You Don’t Miss Out on Any of the Story:
By going to the wrong place at the wrong time or talking to one person before another, you can easily lock yourself out of major questlines in the game. This non-spoiler guide tells you where to go and when to make sure you don’t screw yourself out of seeing all the story the game has to offer.
Good luck and have fun crushing all those foolish enough to stand before you!
Top image source: ELDEN RING on Twitter.
Be First to Comment