When two of my friends joined me using our favorite gestures for the co-op screenshot above, one of my friends warned that a large man on a horse was approaching. towards us. Ten seconds later, my two friends and I were shouting louder than ever in each other’s headsets. It turned out that the “big guy on horseback” was the Tree Sentinel, a boss we had no chance of defeating after just a few hours of exploring the Midlands.
My friend, an Astrologer, secured a safe spot atop some rocks. However, myself, a Prisoner, and my other friend, a Confessor, couldn’t figure out how he got there, so we ran and ran and ran and ran, screaming all the time. time, all while the Astrologer on the Rock laughed. at the events taking place below. It’s easily one of my all-time favorite co-op moments, not just in a From Software game but in any game ever. In classic Soulsborne fashion, we went from happily posing for pictures together, excited about the adventure ahead, to screaming and laughing, full of horror.
That situation became one of the many moments when multiplayer convinced me From Software’s co-op had never been better than in Elden Ring.
Let me get around this really quickly: I know Elden Ring is experiencing some performance issues, and I know Elden Ring’s multiplayer functionality is rather flawed on all platforms. . I’ve been lucky enough that summoning friends or joining their world has been easy during my 30 hour journey so far. I also firmly state that Elden Ring’s multiplayer mechanics are still very confusing. Compared to other From Software games, I think Elden Ring does a better job of explaining how it works, but it requires too many steps like previous Soulsborne games. Why can’t I choose my friend’s name and jump into their world? Why do I need this remedy, and why do they need this finger? Alas, I am currently a master at using fingers and Erdtree flowers and other things to create the things I need for a good time of collaboration, and I am glad that is the case.
Elden Ring is a feat by From Software in that it retains the magic that makes its games such a challenging game to play, while expanding the map and range of exploration like never before. . The game is huge, it’s amazing, and while I enjoy exploring it on my own, I love playing it with friends even more. While I was fighting a bear, my friend was able to notice a shimmer in the distance that caught his attention. I can defeat the bear on my own, sure, or – and this is especially fun – I can run towards my friend with the beast pulling.
At any given moment, we can run through the camp of a handful of lowly soldiers, creating pure chaos when an enemy blows his whistle only to realize his entire corps is dead. We might decide to take in a group of soldiers roaming behind a large Bloodborne-like vehicle being pulled by two large, repulsive giants. If we don’t hit those encounters, we can just run around fighting some big crabs, or even better, run through catacombs or a dungeon or two. No matter what trouble we got into, it was a great time. That’s because at the heart of the Elden Ring is a wonderfully designed world based on one simple pillar: exploration. The sense of discovery and surprise you get from playing alone is not negatively affected in any way when playing with friends. In fact, I think it’s higher. And before you tell me I’m playing Elden Ring wrong or in “easy mode”, think about this interesting question: why would From Software implement multiplayer if they don’t really want to? do we use it?
Plus, if you’ve played co-op in Elden Ring, you may already know that bosses are significantly harder to take down once you’ve summoned friends to help. So much so that when my boss gives me trouble, I find it easier to deal with them myself than to summon help. Sure, extra helping hands are great when it comes to calming my nerves, but in terms of actually taking down the boss? It can feel doubly difficult. Typically when playing Godrick the Grafted with two summoned friends, we struggled to get him below 50% health. Alone? I can constantly get him to drop below 10% health. In fact, after nearly a dozen times against him, I defeated him alone, without the aid of my friends when summoning help.
There is no right or wrong way to play Elden Ring. The only goal is to stay alive or in other words, avoid the “YOU DIE” screen as much as possible. Move forward, by any means. If you cheat a boss or an area, good job. If you don’t, good job. If you’re playing alone, great. If you’re playing with friends, great.
It doesn’t matter how you play these games, and From Software knows it – whatever works for you is right for From Software, and that’s why the story of Elden’s Ring of Elden journey. I may be very different from yours or anyone else’s. It’s not your story – it’s mine, and so far, my adventure has been defined by the conversations, laughter, and screams my friends and I have shared when Explore the beautiful, dense and terrifying world that is the Land of the Middle. You will also have your own story in Elden Ring and the only thing I would suggest is that you put a bit of co-op into it. You might hate it, but you might as well love it, and if you’re like me, playing with friends in Elden Ring will quickly become your Favorite experience from the Software.
