Elden Ring and the rest of FromSoftware's most popular games are known for their compelling boss fights. When asked about a favorite boss fight, fans have a lot of answers. In Elden Ring, some of the most loved fights included Maliketh, Radahn, and Malenia. The bosses are loved not only for being challenging but for their designs and arenas.
However, there is one Elden Ring boss that has gotten much criticism. It's the Elden Beast, the final boss of the game which is often supposed to be the most significant boss of all in any game title. The fan community has put the Elden Beast on blast on social media, saying things like "the final boss just sucks" and "I can't believe how bad the final boss is." Naturally, this has led some to wonder what is causing this frustration.
What Fans Have Said
The Elden Ring subreddit has had a lot to say about the Elden Beast. Its design is unique compared to the rest of Elden Ring's bosses, and not in a way some fans like. Rather than looking like a creature out of dark fantasy, it looks like a creature out of science fiction. While that works with the lore of the Outer Gods, some fans were still disappointed. They noted that it is not an intimidating boss at all, and some fans have compared its design to a Pokemon or a fruit gummy.
Some have said they wished Radagon, Godfrey, or Marika were the final boss. Radagon is a boss right before the Elden Beast, and fans loved his design and twist. Many noted that Radagon is a boss fight that feels more like a "flask tax" for the Elden Beast, making both of their fights feel cheapened (most fans hated that the Elden Beast was a second-phase fight). Godfrey is fought right before Radagon and the Elden Beast, and fans on social media noted it could have been cool if the final boss were the first Tarnished. Fans also noted they would have liked a second phase fight if it was Marika, since she and Radagon seem to share a body.
Design and phase aside, fans mostly took issue with the mechanics of the Elden Beast. The boss, though large, moves constantly from one side of the arena to another. This makes most of the fight require the player to chase the boss rather than fight it. At a distance, the boss can also spam spell attacks. Fans criticized that the giant boss's constant movement makes the camera struggle to keep up. This has made some say that the Elden Beast fight should have included Torrent. Overall, players found the mechanics to be unbalanced.
All of the above are among the kinder things gamers have said about the boss fight. A lot of them called it stupid, game-breaking, terribly designed, ridiculous, a game ruiner, and the worst boss in Souls history. There are some who love the boss aesthetically, but to find a gamer that loved the fight's mechanics is rare.
A Deeper Look At The Elden Beast Fight
There are some players that have made the argument that the Elden Beast is not the final boss, and works more as an epilogue to the game. The music, location, and the fight's slow pacing are to show the fight as a culmination of the entire game. Players do not like chasing the Elden Beast, and that could be the entire point. The unbalanced mechanics could be symbolic of the Tarnished's journey through the Lands Between, and how the Greater Will has dealt everyone an unfair hand. Ultimately, it has been an unfair God and thus will not fight like everyone else. The beast may run because the player has basically already won. The player has defeated all of its defenses from the thorns on the Erdtree to Radagon.
If this was the idea behind the Elden Beast, it has either not gotten through to the gaming community or it is not enough to excuse their grievances. The Elden Beast is yet another example of how the Soulsborne games are not for the faint of heart. There is a reason "git gud" is said so often between players of these games. When the going gets rough, players will have to just have to keep doing their best or turn off the game.
Elden Ring is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.