Elden Ring (From Software RPG)

polonyc2 said:
I've been using the Bloodhound's Fang for most of my playthrough (the Bloodhound's Finesse skill/weapon art is pretty overpowered)...the only bad thing about it is that it can't be upgraded with Ashes of War so I can't really experiment with different ones...for my 2nd playthrough I'm going to try different weapons
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I have the Bloodhound's Fang up to level +9. It is a beast! I also carry a Rogier's Rapier +18 with the Flame of the Redmans...two ash special and then enemy knocked down and then stabby-stab, rinse repeat.
 
polonyc2 said:
according to the Bandai Namco ransomware attack the Elden Ring DLC will be titled Barbarians of the Badlands and is scheduled for Q3 2023...sounds fake to me as that title doesn't sound like a From Software title...also Q3 2023 is really late
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Well it could just be an internal name they used to refer to the DLC. Q3 2023 sounds right IMHO for a DLC that wasn't made from held back/made along at the same time as assets from the original game. :)
 
The game is plenty huge without DLC, so they probably assume that they don't need to get it out the door ASAP. I figure I'll be more ready to revisit things by the end of next year. I absolutely loved Elden Ring, but playing through it twice in a row was a bit much. It's so large that replaying certain sections became a bit of a chore. By next October that'll all be in the rearview mirror.
 
Domingo said:
The areas after it are every bit as annoying, too. Maybe more so. You're in the thick of things at that point.
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I guess I should say Elphael Brace of the Haligtree, not so much Miquela's Haligtree...though that was a pita running across all those branches with Envoys sniping from half a mile away.

Elphael is like a collection of the enemies I hate the most, especially that area full of Revenants. Gawd I hate those things.
 
140 hours in and I only just realized that you could use crystal darts on certain enemies which cause them to go into a frenzy mode and attack other enemies
 
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I do miss this game since I beat it. I find myself longing for another game like it. I suppose I could try Dark Souls 3 (or any other FromSoft title). I feel like it would be a step backwards though with no open world and no jumping.

Mostly I miss the co-op. Being able to jump into another player's world and help them defeat a tough boss. That combined with the wholesome interactions you get with all the emote animations and the prattling pates saying things like "you're beautiful."
 
TwistedMetalGear said:
I do miss this game since I beat it. I find myself longing for another game like it. I suppose I could try Dark Souls 3 (or any other FromSoft title). I feel like it would be a step backwards though with no open world and no jumping.

Mostly I miss the co-op. Being able to jump into another player's world and help them defeat a tough boss. That combined with the wholesome interactions you get with all the emote animations and the prattling pates saying things like "you're beautiful."
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Nothing quite like the first time through. DS3 Is a good one to run through for the unique boss battles.
 
Not having a jump button would probably take some time to re-adjust to. Having one in Elden Ring simply feels right and I kinda wonder why they didn't have one in prior games.
I do feel a slight itch for a replay of some older Souls games, though. I'll see what Stray has to offer next week. If it's not all it's cracked up to be (or if it's short), I might make a run through the first 3 games.
 
TwistedMetalGear said:
I do miss this game since I beat it. I find myself longing for another game like it. I suppose I could try Dark Souls 3 (or any other FromSoft title). I feel like it would be a step backwards though with no open world and no jumping.

Mostly I miss the co-op. Being able to jump into another player's world and help them defeat a tough boss. That combined with the wholesome interactions you get with all the emote animations and the prattling pates saying things like "you're beautiful."
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I wouldn't look at it this way. As good as elden ring is I feel personally the open world concept diminishes the awesomeness of these games. The older games were moar better.. go play first dark souls, Bloodborne or sekiro if you haven't.
 
Whew, just finished it! The couple of bosses leading up to the final boss were harder than the final boss.
 
Rattle said:
I wouldn't look at it this way. As good as elden ring is I feel personally the open world concept diminishes the awesomeness of these games. The older games were moar better.. go play first dark souls, Bloodborne or sekiro if you haven't.
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Another fear of mine is that older titles wouldn't have the QOL improvements that Elden Ring has. Most importantly, the boss run ups. I have absolutely zero interest in spending 1+ minutes running back to a boss room 30 times in a row.

I played about halfway through Bloodborne. I remember farming / leveling being annoying. Just killing the same trash mobs in the same small linear area over and over again. Whereas in Elden Ring you have this vast open world so you can kill two birds with one stone (explore new territory and level at the same time).
 
a couple more days and I should be done...rarely does a game match the hype but Elden Ring exceeded it...all those 10/10 scores are well deserved...truly epic in every sense...From Software and Hidetaka Miyazaki are absolute geniuses and the gold standard for game development studios...
 

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the amount of content in this game is truly overwhelming...the Legacy Dungeons are massive but even the relatively smaller areas also have multiple paths to take, secret areas etc...seeing an item that is not accessible means there is a way to get it, you just have to find the right path...so many different ways to access certain areas etc...this is the text book case of how to create an open world game (the anti-Ubisoft)...you can literally go anywhere (almost)...no holding your hand...everything needs to be figured out by the player (with the help of other players)...some of the NPC quests almost require a walkthrough to figure things out

enemy designs are flawless, level design is the gold standard, voice acting is amazing, and the overall freedom is stunning...easily in my all-time Top 5 games...might even be number 1...I'm in Mountaintop of the Giants and once again the area is massive...I'm going to pass 200 hours for my first playthrough and I'm not even burnt out or tired of the game
 

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There's still a surprising amount of game to go after mountain tops of the Giants. The game IS massive.
 
The neat thing about the game (other Fromsoft games, too) is that going back to previously explored areas occasionally reveals a new NPC, item, or battle. I can still fire up my "everything is done NG+" save and find something new if I wander enough. The game is huge and it's dense.
 
TheSlySyl said:
There's still a surprising amount of game to go after mountain tops of the Giants. The game IS massive.
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every time I think I've explored everything in a particular region I always end up discovering something new...which leads to another huge area...which leads to a new NPC...which leads to a new side quest etc...then I end up forgetting about one of the alternate paths that I wanted to go back to...the game seems endless at times

it literally is at the bare minimum a 150 hour game...for someone like me who doesn't use walkthroughs or guides, likes to explore everything and never uses spirit ashes or summoning the game is easily 200+ hours...I use guides when I'm really stuck or sometimes after I've explored a location (to see if I missed any boss or something else important)

even the mechanics such as Great Runes, Walking Mausoleums, Remembrances, crafting, Bell Bearings etc all require the player to learn how they work...I completely ignored Great Runes and Remembrances until 100+ hours in as I didn't think they were important (also wasn't clearly explained how to use them)...I think Great Runes are more important early game rather than mid to late game

even with the high learning curve Elden Ring is the most accessible From Software game...so many mechanics that make the game easier for new players with all the co-op, Spirit Ashes, Great Runes, Ashes of War, constantly getting your health flasks replenished automatically after defeating a large group of small enemies etc...no excuse for anyone to not as least try this amazing game
 
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polonyc2 said:
even the mechanics such as Great Runes, Walking Mausoleums, Remembrances, crafting, Bell Bearings etc all require the player to learn how they work...I completely ignored Great Runes and Remembrances until 100+ hours in as I didn't think they were important (also wasn't clearly explained how to use them)...I think Great Runes are more important early game rather than mid to late game
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I feel like Great Runes were a bit of an afterthought. Especially considering the hoops you have to jump through to even get/use them. Plus, they're a finite resource. I used the one that boosts a pile of stats by +5 here and there. It would let me use new gear and it provided some boosts prior to a tough boss fight. There were maybe 2 other decent ones for specific builds, too. At least a couple felt worthless or gimmicky.
 
I've been struggling with Malenia for the past 2 days (solo no summons or spirts)...she's easily the hardest boss in the game and probably any From Software game...I can breeze through the first phase without even using a single health flask but the 2nd phase she's brutal...bad enough that she heals every time she hits you but now she can also poison you with Scarlet Rot!...plus she keeps jumping up in the air and it's hard to tell what she's going to do...with all her jumping around it's hard to get a chain of hits on her before she heals
 

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polonyc2 said:
I've been struggling with Malenia for the past 2 days (solo no summons or spirts)...she's easily the hardest boss in this game and probably any From Software game...I can breeze through the first phase without even using a single health flask but the 2nd phase she's brutal...bad enough that she heals every time she hits you but now she can also poison you with Scarlet Rot!...plus she keeps jumping up in the air and it's hard to tell what she's going to do...with all her jumping around it's hard to get a chain of hits on her before she heals
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I won't spoil you on anything, but her difficulty is build specific. Her attacks can be interrupted and some weapons can spam her out. There's also a little luck involved since she doesn't always go ham with her flying death move.
 
Domingo said:
I won't spoil you on anything, but her difficulty is build specific. Her attacks can be interrupted and some weapons can spam her out. There's also a little luck involved since she doesn't always go ham with her flying death move.
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I'm using the Bloodhound's Fang and it tears her apart with the bleed damage in the 1st phase...the problem is I can't get enough successive hits on her in phase 2 because she's much more aggressive and she keeps jumping around...the Waterfowl Dance move is easy to block with the right shield but it's her other moves that give me problems...I heard that the Rivers of Blood weapon is great for her but I want to be able to use my Greatsword that I've been using for the entire game

in the 2nd phase she has like 3 moves where she jumps up in the air (one of them is the Waterfowl move) and it's hard to tell which one is coming
 
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I think I got pretty lucky with RNG when I finally beat her yesterday after maybe 15 tries. I only had to deal with a few of her attacks and shredded her pretty quickly .. almost seemed like she was slower in phase 2 and did a lot of standing around. It helped finally realizing I should dual wield instead of bother with a shield (bloodhound fang and magma wyrm greatswords). Also I have no qualms summoning my trusty mimic cheese for a distraction.

Also finished the rest of the game yesterday, can confirm the rest of the bosses are easy in comparison. I think I was a little overleveled by the end, finished the game in the low 170s in 111 hours. I’ll definitely be going back for another run at some point, it’s tempting even to start it fresh right away.
 
repoman0 said:
I think I got pretty lucky with RNG when I finally beat her yesterday after maybe 15 tries. I only had to deal with a few of her attacks and shredded her pretty quickly .. almost seemed like she was slower in phase 2 and did a lot of standing around. It helped finally realizing I should dual wield instead of bother with a shield (bloodhound fang and magma wyrm greatswords). Also I have no qualms summoning my trusty mimic cheese for a distraction
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I'm sure it'll be easy with the Mimic Tear+10 Spirit Ash but I want to beat her solo like I have every boss in every From Software game...it's a badge of honor for me
 
polonyc2 said:
I'm sure it'll be easy with the Mimic Tear+10 Spirit Ash but I want to beat her solo like I have every boss in every From Software game...it's a badge of honor for me
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It probably is. I think we may have a similar build. It took me 2 tries with that fight with Mimic +10. I was totally unprepared for her phase-2. The 2nd time, it was beat-down-city. However….that was with the +10 summons and all that Bleed proc’ing.
I’m not a good player, so I took any help I could get in that fight.
 
Over the last month or two, I've seen a few videos pop up on my newsfeed that showed several weapon builds and even throwable items that specifically wreck her. Rivers of Blood is one (even if it isn't an automatic win), but I've seen people rocking dual heavy weapons and even throwing certain pots that pretty much lock her down. I think as part of her kit, they gave her some weaknesses that lead to exploits/abuse. There's always just the process of using ashes, too. Just summon the most durable ash you have and keep running away until she turns her attention toward them instead. That works on most bosses that can't quickly kill your summoned ash.
 
I bullied her with a colossal sword (Greatsword) and Giant Hunt. You can pretty much just chain stun / juggle her through the fight. If you use the mimic with the same setup she'll hardly ever be standing up.
 
Bullitt said:
It probably is. I think we may have a similar build. It took me 2 tries with that fight with Mimic +10. I was totally unprepared for her phase-2. The 2nd time, it was beat-down-city. However….that was with the +10 summons and all that Bleed proc’ing.
I’m not a good player, so I took any help I could get in that fight.
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the crazy thing is Phase 1 is relatively easy now as I have all her moves and timings down perfectly...I can go into Phase 2 with at least 10 health flasks...but she's more aggressive and her moves aren't easily telegraphed...and she has multiple moves where she starts out by jumping high into the air and it's tricky figuring out which attack she's going to use

I tried just going on the offensive but she doesn't stand still long enough to chain together combos to get the bleed effect and she always gets a few hits in which raises her health...in Phase 1 it was easy to get her to bleed and get ripostes

a lot of videos I've seen on YouTube and other people keep talking about using mimic tear or summoning but that's easy BS mode...I need to beat her solo...I wouldn't feel that I actually beat the boss if I used BS tactics like that
 
polonyc2 said:
the crazy thing is Phase 1 is relatively easy now as I have all her moves and timings down perfectly...I can go into Phase 2 with at least 10 health flasks...but she's more aggressive and her moves aren't easily telegraphed...and she has multiple moves where she starts out by jumping high into the air and it's tricky figuring out which attack she's going to use

I tried just going on the offensive but she doesn't stand still long enough to chain together combos to get the bleed effect and she always gets a few hits in which raises her health...in Phase 1 it was easy to get her to bleed and get ripostes

a lot of videos I've seen on YouTube and other people keep talking about using mimic tear or summoning but that's easy BS mode...I need to beat her solo...I wouldn't feel that I actually beat the boss if I used BS tactics like that
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Good luck with that tactic. Been there done that. After like 40 hrs on her alone, I gave up the solo act. Like you it's her second stage that gave me trouble. I haven't seen anyone yet that beat her going solo with no summons or micic tear. .
 
I had a much harder time with the first boss Margit than Malenia. Because by the time you get to Malenia, you have 100+ hours of experience and a ridiculous arsenal of superpowers.
 
DFenz said:
Malenia is the hardest boss in any game ever IMO. She took me around 100-150 attempts (probably closer to 150). Even my 2nd playthrough I got stuck on her for like 50 attempts. I usually beat full games in the time it took me to beat Malenia.
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Her "Heal herself when she hits you" negates my High-HP "Hit it hard or hit it harder" wrecking ball style character. In a single attempt I can deal easilly 2x her health worth of damage, she just heals it from swipes at me.
 
Malenia was hard, but absolutey nowhere near "hardest boss of any game ever". She was relatively easy to cheese once i figured her out. Her healing was absolute bullshit though
 
TheSlySyl said:
Malenia was hard, but absolutey nowhere near "hardest boss of any game ever". She was relatively easy to cheese once i figured her out. Her healing was absolute bullshit though
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What boss in a game would you say is harder? Just curious.
 
Final boss of Metal Gear Rising definitely comes to mind. I've also had a few worse bosses in higher difficulties in other Platinum titles.

There's also an entire pantheon / End game of bosses in Hollow Knight that I had way, way more trouble with than Malenia, as well as some late game bosses in Sundered. Later bosses in pretty much every Mercury Steam title that I've played (Castlevania: LoS, both newer Metroids.) Speaking of Castlevania there's been a few bosses here and there that were worse, definitely a couple in Order of Ecclesia and in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence.

I'd also have to say that pretty much every single Shmup has a boss or few considerably harder than Malenia with her barely even registering as difficult compared to some stuff in Touhou, Cave, Gradius, Darius, etc. Bosses.

Oh yeah, everything that Treasure has ever put out probably has harder bosses than Malenia. Going all the way back to Gunstar Heroes.

Cuphead had worse bosses, and I haven't even gotten to the DLC.

End, end game Monster Hunter monsters are pretty much all universally more difficult than anything in any From Software game I've played. Elden Ring as a whole was pretty easy compared to Master Rank MH. Just speaking of World, most AT monsters, Alatreon, Fatalis, hell, Behemoth were all more difficult.

There's a lot more.

There are bosses that took me 50-100+ times to beat for the first time, and in something like Ikaruga, bosses that after hundreds of times I'm still not perfect at em. Malenia took me about 15 tries, which, while more than any other boss in Elden Ring - really didn't make me sweat that much once I learned her gimmicks.
 
TheSlySyl said:
Malenia took me about 15 tries, which, while more than any other boss in Elden Ring - really didn't make me sweat that much once I learned her gimmicks.
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just to clarify- you're talking about beating her solo right?...no BS co-op or summoning or spirit ashes etc?...too many people post that they beat this boss or that boss and it only took them a few tries but they leave out the important fact that they didn't beat them solo...solo requires real skill...using co-op of any kind is easy mode and doesn't require any skill at all

the various co-op options are a great way to bring new players in without them feeling overwhelmed but if you're a hard core Souls vet than it's solo or nothing
 
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If it's fully in game option I'm gonna use it. It's not "BS" if it's a game mechanic that the game is built around.

Fuck that "real gamer" or "souls vet" bullshit.

That said, Malenia is really easy to cheese. I beat her using a bleed whip build where the Ash of War on Giants Red Braid basically stunlocks her if she's doing anything but waterfowl dance.

I've spent longer times on harder bosses than her and I don't consider her frankly ridiculous healing mechanic to be interesting. It's just aggravating. Honestly, remove the healing and she's not any harder than any other Elden Ring boss, which means you can figure it out/cheese it in 2-3 tries with a decent build.
 
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