Elden Ringhas exploded in popularity since its release, even becoming one ofthe most concurrently played games on Steam. It has the same DNA as FromSoftware’s other games, but its status as a new IP means more new players are willing to try it out. It is also more accessible than ever to play the class of character one wants, but this doesn’t mean these games have lost their unforgiving edge.
Elden Ring’s leveling is a lot more straight forward for magic users especially. Players new to theDark Soulsgames had to wrestle with catalysts and multiple brands of magic that required leveling different stats. This has all been tightened up and focused inElden Ring, and although most brand-new players will still opt for the sword and shield approach, the option for a magic focused character is there from the start.
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The main worryfor magic users inElden Ringnow is the FP bar, the blue bar underneath the character’s health that is connected not only to magic but to the different weapon skills from Ashes of War. Keeping a careful eye on FP is necessary for any magic-focused player, but as a boss’s health bar approaches zero, sorcerer or not it becomes all too tempting to run in and finish the fight.
This is what happened to Reddit user LutrisAO when they found themselves up against an Erdtree Avatar, one of the repeating bosses found protectingvarious minor Erdtrees dotted around the game world. The player uses a spell called Rock Sling to get the boss down to the point where a single hit from just about any weapon would finish it off. The player then switches to a sword for the final blow, not realizing the spells have taken up all their FP, leaving their weapon skill ineffective.
This realization is followed in a way that will be familiar to many players who have made a miscalculation against a boss in a FromSoftware game, by being instantly crushed by the boss in question. It is instances like this whereFromSoftware gets it reputation for making overly difficult games. But a fairer description would probably be unforgiving, as the clip clearly shows the player was winning the fight quite easily. It was only after the Reddit user got greedy for the dramatic final hit that the tables turned on them.
IfElden Ringand all FromSoftware games prioritize one thing, it’s patience, both in having another go after a death and in the games' combat itself. Fights aren’t over with one hit to go, and as all players will probably learn repeatedly throughout the game, one miscalculation can change everything.
Elden Ringis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
