Elden Ring, the latest entry in FromSoftware's so-called "soulsborne" series," was recently released on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. The game has received an outpouring of praise from fans and critics, earning the game a staggering 96 Metascore.
This widespread praise and attention have put a lot of eyes on Elden Ring, encouraging many people to try their first Soulsborne game. As anyone who has played a Soulsborne game knows, the first experience with the series can be grueling. The games are notoriously unforgiving, and Elden Ring is no different. To give new players a helping hand, here are some Elden Ring beginner tips.
Updated April 1, 2023 by Jerrad Wyche: Despite Elden Ring selling over 20 million copies and announcing that a major DLC expansion titled "Shadow of the Erdtree" is in active development, FromSoftware's latest hit continues to see new players enter The Lands Between. The world is vibrant and detailed with mysteries and danger lurking behind every corner.
Sure, the Souls-like genre is home to clever and experienced veterans of the genre, but that doesn't mean the community shouldn't share tips and tricks. The best part about the hobby of gaming is growing fandoms by welcoming newcomers in with open arms, even if those arms belong to a twisted boss created by FromSoftware director Hidetaka Miyazaki.
14 Obtain And Use The Flask Of Wondrous Physick
Elden Ring's version of the life-healing Estus Flask from the Dark Souls series is known as the Flask of Crimson Tears. Players can choose to split the number of flasks between the healing red and magic-imbuing blue versions based on their gameplay approach. Those aren't the only refillable flasks at the player's disposal, though. At the Third Church of Marika on the eastern outskirts of Limgrave, players can find the Flask Of Wondrous Physick.
This tonic can be customized with the use of crystal tears players can find throughout The Lands Between with each granting their own bonus. Once consumed players obtain these bonuses for a set amount of time. Some choose to use it as a more potent and extra-healing potion, while others opt for it as a combat or magic buff. Either way, no one should be playing through Elden Ring with The Flask Of Wondrous Physick in their possession.
13 Exhaust NPC Dialogue
The core of what Elden Ring provides narratively is through environmental storytelling and item descriptions, but FromSoftware also adds plenty of details in the words and phrases non-playable characters express throughout the game. When talking to characters make sure to exhaust all dialogue.
Sure, some will only have a sentence or two, but often there are backstories and mystery-laden re-callings that breathe life into The Lands Between. It's better to accidentally hear the same line and button mash past it, than just hearing an initial thought and moving on to the next thing that catches one's attention.
12 Buy The Crafting Kit
FromSoftware is known for releasing high-quality games in their Souls-like genre, but that doesn't mean they're free of criticism in regards to their development process. Onboarding for series newcomers can be a bit obtuse at times, and one key point in which this is apparent in Elden Ring has to do with the Crafting Kit. This can be bought very early in the game from the Santa Claus-resembling merchant known as Kale.
This item allows players to craft on the go, so it's of the utmost importance that one snag this as soon as possible. Otherwise, most players assume that crafting isn't a part of the Elden Ring experience and miss out on the ability to make items and sustain a bit of confidence and/or understanding as they traverse The Lands Between.
11 Experiment With Weapons
Most gamers can fall victim to settling for the familiar thing. If one has used straight swords in previous FromSoftware titles then they'll likely feel a pull towards that same weapon class in Elden Ring. The truth is that it's hard to know what feels fun and satisfying to use if it's never tried at least once.
Between magic-wielding, bows, and other types of swords there are dozens of weapons each bringing something new and/or unique to the table. In the earlier parts of the game feel free to equip any and every new toy found or purchased from a merchant, so when the difficulty starts to ramp up the arsenal of usable weapons is customized to one's own preferences.
10 Keep An Eye On Equip Load
One of the many features of Elden Ring that some players love and others hate is its hands-off "show don't tell" approach. Equip Load is a good example of this, as some people go through the entire soulsborne game "fat rolling" - which is the term given to painfully slow roll animations - without realizing that it isn't the default animation.
The speed of the player's roll animation depends on their Equip Load stat. For those wanting to utilize quick rolls and movement, be sure to wear light armor and level Endurance.
9 Make Smart Use Of Spirit Ashes
One of the many new gameplay mechanics that Elden Ring introduces to the soulsborne series is Spirit Ashes, which are summonable NPCs that will help players fight tough bosses and enemies.
The majority of Spirit Ashes cost FP to summon - meaning only magic builds can summon some of the best ones - while a handful cost HP to use. To put it bluntly, all new players should take the time to find and collect Spirit Ashes, regardless of their build type, before trying to challenge tough bosses. Even if players cannot summon some of the game's best Spirit Ashes that can almost take on a boss by themselves, they should still consider using one whenever possible as they provide excellent distractions to let the player get a few extra hits in.
8 Always Carry Rainbow Stones
Rainbow Stones are a great item that even some experienced players don't fully utilize. The item's description initially says that they're "useful markers when placed on the ground," which makes them seem rather pointless given that Elden Ring has map markers. However, their best function is detailed in the next line "can also be dropped to gauge the distance of a fall."
Not only does Elden Ring's open world have a ton of hidden drops and fatal falls, but it's also hard to gauge whether some falls are far enough to kill the player. This is why it's always handy to carry Rainbow Stones, as players can chuck one off any ledge and see whether it breaks; if it breaks, it means that the fall is fatal.
7 Focus On A Specific Build
Due to the action-RPG genre's rise in prominence in recent years, many mainstream games now have leveling systems. However, some of these leveling systems have very little depth, causing players to be haphazard with their leveling choices.
This is a fatal error in Elden Ring, however, as every leveling choice is significant and needs careful thought. Moreover, simply leveling every stat evenly is a terrible idea in the game, as they cover a range of different playstyles. Instead, players should have a particular build in mind from the very start of the game and ensure that their class, weaponry, armor, and leveling choices all complement that particular playstyle.
6 Rolling Is Better Than Blocking
Given how many shields are available in Elden Ring, new players can be forgiven for thinking they're an essential item for melee builds. Although they certainly serve a purpose, rolling is a far better defensive method for those with good reaction times and pattern recognition.
Rolling through enemy attacks provides counter-attacking opportunities and also prevents the significant stamina reductions that come with blocking powerful attacks, which can break the player's posture and leave them defenseless to an incoming hit. The absence of a shield also allows players to two-hand their weapon, dealing more damage.
5 Move On From Tough Fights
The most significant difference between Elden Ring and the other soulsborne games is its open world. The game gives players complete freedom in where to go and what to do, with a plethora of boss fights and enemies available to fight at any time.
Consequently, if players are stuck on a boss and find that they're only doing minuscule damage, then it's important to move on to another area, as this is a clear sign the player is under-leveled. Many newcomers are having this exact issue with the Tree Sentinel, a boss that is far too tough for beginners to fight, intending to teach them the importance of moving on from tough opponents.
Instead of persisting endlessly with one fight, players should head to another area and level up a few times before returning.
4 Mark The Map
One feature of Elden Ring that newcomers to the soulsborne series are finding jarring is that the game doesn't have a mini-map, guided waypoints, or a quest log. These features are common in the open-world genre, but FromSoftware has stayed true to its ideology of immersion and challenge.
Players do, however, have a variety of markers that they can place. It's important to place these markers at points of interest, such as bosses that the player wants to return to later, as it's easy to get lost in Elden Ring's huge open world.
3 Learn Enemy Attack Patterns
In regards to soulsborne combat, people often use the phrase "it's like a rhythm game." This doesn't mean that players need to wipe the dust off their Rock Band guitar; it means that almost every enemy and boss has attack patterns that can be learned and responded to in small windows of opportunity, creating a rhythm-like tempo to one-on-one fights.
Therefore, it's important to study enemy attacks while fighting them to avoid the rookie mistake of simply trying to fight fire with fire.
2 Thoroughly Explore Each Area One At A Time
One of the many aspects of Elden Ring that is getting waves of praise is the diversity and meticulous design of its many areas. Consequently, some new players are getting into the bad habit of trying to rush through areas as soon as possible, as they're eager to explore the entire map.
This is a mistake, however, as not only will players be severely under-leveled in these new areas due to skipping handfuls of boss fights, but they'll also miss key items like Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears.
1 Obtain Margit's Shackles
Margit, the Fell Omen, is the first main boss of the game. The boss is a prime example of "gating," as his significant difficulty is in place to ensure that players have a character that is sufficiently built and leveled for the challenges that are to follow. Unfortunately, some beginners are still struggling with Margit, even after taking the time to level up.
For such people, it's worth seeking out Margit's Shackles, which will pin Marigt down, allowing the player to get a few easy hits in. To obtain the item, head to Murkwater Cave and fight Patches, who will be a familiar face to soulsborne veterans. During the fight, Patches will ask for forgiveness -- agree to forgive him, and he will sell the shackles for 5,000 runes.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.