Recording summary · March 2022
Elden Ring NEEDS an EASY mode!
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Overview
Elden Ring requires adjustable difficulty modes, such as easy or normal options, because extreme challenge, severe boss encounters, long boss runbacks, and tedious loading screens ruin player enjoyment and risk driving people away.
Grinding, over-leveling, and exploit tactics like resummoning NPCs provide an unsatisfying alternative to proper difficulty tuning, swinging gameplay between extreme brutality and trivialized two-hit kills without resolving the threat of high-damage bosses.
Themes
The necessity of difficulty options like easy, normal, or extra hard modes for players seeking to experience the game world and lore without excessive challenge.
The inadequacy of leveling up against high-damage bosses and the hollow feeling of resorting to cheese strategies in fights such as General Radahn.
Frustrations regarding long boss runbacks, extended loading times, and awkward entry mechanics exemplified by General Radahn and the crystal mine scorpion boss.
Imbalance caused by open-world farming, polarizing combat between insurmountable difficulty and trivial two-shot encounters.
Developments
Daniel played Elden Ring for more than 87 hours, reaching level 75.
Daniel struggled with General Radahn for nearly two days before defeating the boss by maintaining distance and repeatedly resummoning NPC allies.
After getting stuck at a castle, Daniel farmed and leveled up until able to defeat moving enemies in two strikes.
Uncertainties & gaps
Daniel remains uncertain about ever finishing Elden Ring or reaching the final boss because of intense difficulty and impending burnout.