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before elden ring, I had played less than two hours of another FromSoftware title. Feeling comfortable in the FPS world, the mechanics of Dark Souls or Bloodborne were too specific and too unforgiving for my often nervous reactions. That promise that Elden Ring would be more accessible than the Dark Souls games, which put me off (thanks to the open world and flexible fast travel system) was the only thing that convinced me to even try FromSoftware’s latest game.
I’ve now logged almost 75 hours of playtime with Elden Ring and am taking my sweet time finding my way through The Lands Between. I wrote about how I use summons to get through the game with the help of friends and strangers alike, and I’ve created such a magic-focused build that I can get through almost any encounter. But what is it like when an Elden Ring player tries out another FromSoftware title? Did I actually learn something that will help me get through a franchise I’ve notoriously had tantrums about? Turns out the Elden Ring gently molded me into a FromSoftware fan (effects break).
become an Elden Lord
I tried Souls games before Elden Ring, and I was stupid enough to try them on Twitch when I was still streaming. For several consecutive sessions, my rather meager viewership was forced to see me swearing, moaning, screaming, and otherwise acting like a toddler being denied a candy as I tried and failed to get out of Dark Soul 1’s Undead Burg. Being so easily frustrated and completely ignorant (at the time) of FromSoftware’s enemy AI, I couldn’t figure out their attack patterns and kept getting caught in a barrage of undead canines or being nailed with a crossbow bolt by everyone in their path across a yard. After a few tries on my stream that felt like Sisyphus, I discarded Dark Souls and vowed never to touch it again.
But Elden Ring promised to be different from other FromSoftware titles, and the studio delivered. The game offers a variety of paths you can take to improve your skills, find better weapons, and practice your combat skills – in short, to better equip you for the tough battles you’ll no doubt face. When I first set foot in The Lands Between, I nearly walked into the infamous Hardship Guardian of the Elden Ring Tree but I was afraid of its sheer size, so I turned on my heel and hustled Torrent to an area that looked less intimidating. Hours and hours of gameplay later, and long after the anti-Tree Sentinel sentiment had spread across the internet, I realized I hadn’t defeated the bastard yet. I returned to the opening area and used my magic menagerie to take out his entire HP bar in three hits.
With dozens of hours under my belt, an impressive cast of large enemies, and a solid grasp of swordplay, I felt ready to tackle another FromSoftware title. Beating bosses that I would normally shy away from has helped me realize that I can handle tough fights if I’m properly prepared. So I booted up Dark Souls Remastered and jumped back into the Undead Burg.
Darkest Souls
That was my first mistake. I’ve since learned that FromSoftware games are notoriously left unfinished because players get stuck in particularly difficult areas, pause the game, then come back and get discouraged again by the difficulty of that area. As soon as I load my Dark Souls save, I’m instantly killed by an undead attack dog. I spawn by a campfire and shudder to think that this is the frustrating path to the Capra Demon that made me curse my entire stream audience almost a year ago.
My second mistake was a complete lack of preparation. Elden Ring taught me many things, but it’s clear that I’m too weak and using the wrong build. My original Dark Souls build from months ago focused solely on Strength, while my Elden Ring build focuses on Dexterity and Intellect, which offers high physical damage and the ability to cast spells quickly. I’ve become a certain breed of FromSoftware player now, and cramming myself into an old build is clearly not going to work. I make several heroic efforts to get through the area, including a flame-breathing dragon, more attack dogs, and fast-moving thieves who will bully you on your way to the Capra demon boss fight. I only make it to the boss once – along the way I’m slain twice by dragon fire, three times by dogs, eight times by thieves, and twice by a ledge. When I finally cross the misty threshold and face the demon head-on, he defeats me with two blows. I left Dark Souls again.
That’s when I remember the advice of GamesRadar’s Joe Donnelly, who assured me that “if you get into pyromancy in Dark Souls, you can get OP pretty quickly”. Instead of starting from scratch with a new build that focuses on pyromancy, I foolishly tried to attack the game from an angle I wasn’t comfortable with. So, still stinging from the dog bites in Dark Souls, I decide to try Dark Souls 3 instead. This time I start with a Pyromancer build and once I get the hang of throwing fireballs I easily take out the first boss Ludex Gundyr and laugh madly as he falls to the ground. From there I would zoom through the first area in Lothric, passing foot soldiers, thieves and knights.
Admittedly, when it comes time for me to fight Dark Souls 3’s second (and more difficult) boss, I’m worried. Will my reliance on pyromancy be my downfall? Will I be forced to use my inferior swordsmanship? It turns out my IRL luck stats are pretty high since Vordt from Boreal Valley is an ice-based boss that takes a ton of damage from fire attacks. Keeping my gear low enough to feel sleek and agile, I spend the fight dancing away from his sweeping mace attack and throwing fireballs at him. I defeat Vordt on my first try and dive into the next area with all the confidence of a seasoned FromSoftware player. Because thanks to Elden Ring, I’m one now.
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