Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree it’s already kicking the players’ butt. The tough-as-nails DLC takes a challenging game and makes it even harder. Players have joked about how a character higher than level 500 and the strongest build in the game can be pulverized by a random creature on a field. Now that it’s out, FromSoftware has successfully cemented its reputation for making tough games again, but that’s not all. The players themselves and the culture around FromSoftware games can play The Elden ring even harder, as some players shame others for using certain items or fighting styles.
As developers FromSoftware have diversified the tools players can use to defeat their game’s many monsters, a subset of die-hard fans have responded by debating which ways to beat the game are worthwhile. Tools like Mimic Tear Ashes can summon a duplicate of a player character to fight alongside them during a boss fight, or magic spells like Meteorite of Astel can launch a barrage of meteors at an enemy. These items exist within the regular core version of the game, but some people argue that they can reduce specific challenges since they can be used remotely. Now, with even higher difficulties for Shadow of Erdtreestreamers and prominent players on social media platforms like Reddit are taking to the platforms to discuss why it’s actually okay to use these tools – especially now that DLC is even harder.
Im_dontai, a streamer with more than 1.9 million followers on Twitch, has streamed the DLC since its release. In one clip, he pushed the larger culture of gamers who disapprove of using features like magic building or the Mimic tear and people who complain about the difficulty of the game.
“It’s because you’re all playing it the way the internet is making you feel like you should,” Imdontai said in a broadcast. “No, no magic, no summoning, no impersonation, no armor. […] The game is hard as hell, and I got my dirty Mimic around, bro. I’m playing how I want to play. I don’t care who calls me a whore, and neither should you. Play the game the way you want to play the game.”
The idea that The Elden ring must-play without summons that starts before that game’s release and ties into a decade-long conversation about difficulty in FromSoftware’s previous games. All modern FromSoftware games have included ways for players to get help with certain challenges, either by enlisting NPCs or other players to fight alongside them. The Elden ring it also greatly expanded the repertoire of fighting styles and magical powers available to players. However, there are still some players who say that this is not the “right” way to play a FromSoftware game. If you’ve had a problem beating a boss, spells and summons aren’t the answer. The correct answer, according to die-hard fans, was to “try” and learn the appropriate attack patterns for each boss without the need for magical attacks, NPC summons, or (in the case of The Elden ring) spiritual grace. But now, players have their hands on the DLC, and it’s… well… very difficult! So much so that it has sparked a larger conversation about the role of summons and other supports in the game.
Reddit user TheHessianHussar shared a post on Reddit discussing the calls that has been upvoted more than 11,000 times. “To all those who still don’t use summons… Just do it. The game is literally balanced around them,” the user said. “I’m an Oldschool Souls player myself and was one of the people who refused to use summons, as I wanted to play the old way. The ‘ethical’ way that i I told myself. But let me tell you, they are no longer optional.”
Commenters resonated with the general feeling of pushback against those who say you shouldn’t play the game with the extra support. One person responded by comparing the sentiment to “low self-esteem, insecure teenage bullshit”, and others said that people who don’t like players using summons can go “touch the ashes”. It’s not like using magic and summons makes a difficult game much easier; each player still has to learn how to fight each boss. For more, The Elden ring it’s primarily a single-player game, and whether or not someone uses summons doesn’t affect other players.
The Reddit post suggested that you need calls to beat DLC. That’s not exactly true, but maybe it’s time we just let people play the game the way they want. In the hearty conversations about the idea of using no-call, enter The Elden ring, some players have talked about how “rewarding” it can feel. However you play The Elden ring, whether you like it as a horse simulator for girls or play it for fashion, the game can be useful. You can even run away and it’s still a valid way to deal with an overwhelming enemy! So now, at least some players are supporting each other – called or not – in playing the game however each person wants.