FromSoftware's RPGs are often so big and complicated that details of each game can take years to uncover, even with an extremely active community. It's as true for Elden Ring as it is for FromSoftware's older titles, including the Dark Souls franchise. As an example, one Dark Souls 3 player recently shared a discovery regarding the technical workings of the RPG's infamous Jailer enemy's attacks. Needless to say, it defuses some of the Dark Souls 3 Jailer's threatening aura as a result.
A video of the discovery was shared by Reddit user Luvonir using some kind of tool to reveal invisible mechanics within Dark Souls 3. Their post is named "YSK: Jailer's life draining lantern is a rapid firing projectile that is fired from their waist" and the attached video to the post reveals just that. Perhaps some added context is necessary to convey exactly what that means for Dark Souls 3 players, as well as why it's such a funny and frustrating revelation.
The Jailer in Dark Souls 3 is infamous for good reason. When encountered, the Jailer will raise their lantern and seemingly begin stealing the player's health bar without recourse. The players' life bar will simply begin shrinking in chunks. There's no apparent attack to avoid, either. It's invisible, making the only clear way to avoid it avoiding the Jailer in the first place. But this new revelation completely rewrites the understanding of this attack.
Instead of the Jailer's attack being everpresent or an aura of some kind, it works as a projectile. The jailer basically shoots a constant stream of ball-shaped attacks linearly. These balls shoot straight from the Jailer's waist in a line directly toward where the player is standing. The Dark Souls 3 player can completely avoid these projectiles, or dodge roll through the stream of them with invincibility. There are too many and they move too fast to be easily avoidable, however, which is why they felt so stifling before.
This kind of simple design is a perfect example of how FromSoftware uses simple ideas to make more threatening enemies and a more terrifying setting. An enemy shooting endless projectiles from its waist is much less intimidating if you turn the orbs invisible and make it seem like their lantern's light is causing the damage. Clearly, FromSoftware can be rather cruel at times.
Unfortunately, there is no in-game way for Dark Souls 3 players to see the Jailer's attacks. Anyone delving back into Dark Souls 3's world will have to deal with Jailers the old-fashioned way. They'll do so better armed to deal with the attacks, at least, but fans of FromSoftware games know that knowing how to avoid an attack and actually avoiding it are two different things.
Dark Souls 3 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.