Elden Ring picked up dozens of Recreation of the 12 months awards in 2022 and was loved by thousands and thousands, so FromSoftware will certainly be eager to return to the Lands Between. Listed below are a couple of methods DLC may doubtlessly deliver enhancements.
In case you’ve labored your method by way of the entire Elden Ring achievements, likelihood is you will be hungry for an excuse to move again to the Lands Between for extra wonderful vistas and brutal boss battles. Whereas nothing has been formally introduced, the wild success of FromSoftware’s punishing action-RPG make DLC really feel like an inevitability — the entire Darkish Souls video games had further post-launch content material, in any case, as did PS4 unique Bloodborne with the excellent The Outdated Hunters, which might be the benchmark for which any new Elden Ring content material needs to be aiming. Since blasting by way of the sport final yr, we have been pondering over issues we might wish to see any such DLC deliver to the (spherical) desk, so we thought we might share a couple of of our ideas with you right here.
Elden Ring DLC: Six issues we might like to see
Do not broaden the map an excessive amount of
Whereas we clearly need loads extra attention-grabbing sights to see, that does not essentially have to contain the present map rising past its present borders an excessive amount of. There’s a lot area within the Lands Between already the place new landmarks may pop as much as utterly change how an space appears to be like and feels, the place new caves or dungeons may seem to make the acquainted really feel unfamiliar and intriguing as soon as once more, or the place we may go deeper, with a number of present areas proving simply how cool underground exploration might be in Elden Ring. Filling out the present map with much more content material, even when solely as a part of any potential new content material, could be an superior solution to make all of it really feel recent once more… perhaps even give gamers the choice upon beginning a file whether or not they need the unique map or the revised and expanded one, director’s cut-style. There’s already precedent in Roundtable Maintain for being whisked away to areas that technically exist off the map too, which might be a neat solution to present us one thing utterly distinctive with out having it have to by some means tie into the pre-existing world — Bloodborne has some examples of From pulling this stunt to nice impact, from the frozen gothic grandeur of Cainhurst Fort to the oppressive nightmare realms. Elden Ring’s world can already really feel a bit too large for its personal good at instances, which you will have felt for your self if you happen to’ve performed by way of it a number of instances now, however making it even just a bit denser could be preferable to tagging on one more expansive land mass.
Alternatively, do not broaden the map in any respect — ship us someplace utterly new. A smaller, denser play space that’s all utterly unknown could be improbable, and as many different trendy video games show, larger is not all the time higher. Packing extra stuff into smaller areas offers extra alternatives for that thrill of discovery and fewer downtime as you run or journey by way of empty areas you have already picked clear. From can be actually good at hiding issues in its video games, so that you would not even essentially really feel such as you had been getting by way of every little thing faster simply because the play space was smaller… there’d nonetheless be loads of scope for lacking stuff and exchanging tales with different gamers in regards to the wild stuff you every discovered that others might need missed, which is all the time attention-grabbing. Heck, the Souls video games have made total strings of areas elective or missable — in my first Darkish Souls 2 run, I by no means even noticed Huntsman’s Copse or past, leaving tons of recent stuff to see in NG+ after I finally realized easy methods to get there. Leveraging secretive issues like that is nice for replayability, and given how properly Elden Ring already hides a few of its bosses and secrets and techniques, we absolutely count on to see much more mysteries if and when From expands the world, and even adjustments it…
Convey the world to life
With out going too deep for concern of spoiling stuff for individuals who won’t have performed it but (or have not received far sufficient to note this), Elden Ring has a couple of wonderful moments when story beats enact everlasting change on the map. As with a few of the issues talked about above, this may very well be a tremendous solution to refresh the world in some really artistic and significant methods — what if a brand new Legacy Dungeon may have us preventing our method by way of a preserve, then beating the boss sees the fort razed, turning it right into a second, completely new dungeon as we decide our method by way of the ruins, as an illustration? Maybe a key story beat may see a ravine cleaved clear by way of a progress-blocking mountain, successfully unlocking a shortcut between areas (we all know how a lot From loves its shortcuts) whereas including to that improbable sensation of the world evolving round you. One potential problem with issues like that is that altering the panorama could make issues missable, however that is virtually a part of the purpose of Souls video games and their ilk. They do not need you to search out and accumulate every little thing (even when achievement lists typically recommend in any other case), with their most cryptic secrets and techniques and deeply buried surprises indirect by design, bringing the entire group collectively to piece collectively mysteries and share areas of particular objects so out of the way in which that the majority gamers would by no means have an opportunity of discovering them with out figuring out how to take action.
There are additionally methods to change the world with out making such extreme bodily adjustments, and once more, the bottom sport already does this somewhat. However FromSoftware has performed round with this concept in far more depth beforehand, and it was simply unimaginable. We’re going again to Bloodborne chatter once more, of us, and extra particularly, its ingenious Perception mechanic. Perception can virtually be seen as Bloodborne’s twist on a sanity mechanic, with sure encounters and objects elevating the stat as you acquire extra forbidden data and your eyes on the within start to open to see the world because it really is… that method insanity lies. As Perception rises, the unseen reveals itself to you. Hulking eldritch monstrosities cling to buildings and block out the solar, once-hidden enemies be a part of the hunt as they smart as much as your rising consciousness of this grim actuality, and distant cries punctuate the howls of Yharnam’s beastly residents. It is a wild journey, and whereas the mechanic could not actually be lifted wholesale for Elden Ring, even one thing so simple as a brand new key merchandise that means that you can see what you could not earlier than would give but another excuse to discover the world anew in quest of much more secrets and techniques.
Improve the arsenal
It is essential for the Souls video games and others like them to have a diversified array of weapons and armour, as I am certain my fellow Trend Souls gamers will agree, and whereas Elden Ring is already no slouch on this entrance, there’s all the time room for enchancment. It is not nearly including new stuff — it is about including related new stuff. In case you comply with Elden Ring’s speedrun or PvP scenes, you are possible sick of seeing the identical few weapons used continually, and we actually want any new gear added to supply a motive to place down these outdated favourites and check out the brand new stuff. Energy-creeping the unique gear out of the headline slot is not very best (particularly as it might unbalance PvP within the favour of DLC homeowners), however including weapons that may stack as much as the top-tier gear would assist make aggressive play and informal reruns alike far more attention-grabbing. Perhaps even introduce some extra novel or out-there weapons that deliver one thing completely new with how they perform — Elden Ring already affords a couple of distinctive weapons like this, however Bloodborne (there it’s once more… it is not my fault it is From’s greatest sport) is constructed round them with its multi-function Trick Weapons, equivalent to a cane that may disassemble right into a whip or a sword that comes with a free anvil into which it which might be plunged to kind the deal with of a large hammer. Every weapon is successfully two, every with their very own properties — think about how helpful one thing like that will be in taking over Elden Ring’s many and diversified challenges.
Elden Ring’s mechanics imply it is not simply the weapons and armour items themselves that might see upgrades, however the Ashes of Struggle as properly, with virtually limitless potential for brand spanking new weapon abilities that might immediately flip underperforming weapons into real threats. As with weapons, abilities are inclined to boil all the way down to the identical few apparent picks lots of the time, however curious gamers have possible already discovered some fairly busted off-meta combos even simply with the bottom sport’s equipment. Once more, the staff would both have to be conscious of non-DLC gamers when balancing this type of stuff or break up the Colosseum swimming pools for versus play to account for the variations in accessible choices, however in a sport about loading up on cool gear, we’re by no means going to say no to much more cool gear. On that word, boss gear typically did really feel somewhat underwhelming in Elden Ring in comparison with a few of the Souls choices (particularly contemplating the variety of bosses within the sport), so making any new stuff in that pool really feel somewhat extra particular would even be neat.
Much less repeated content material
The tail finish of a completionist run of Elden Ring can really feel like a little bit of a chore, with many dungeons and elective areas enjoying host to boss fights that are simply reruns of outdated ones. As a lot as we could love the wild design of the Erdtree Avatar — mainly “what if Asylum Demon was really a tree?” — it begins to lose its lustre come the sixth encounter with the identical rattling boss, and others are reused much more closely than that. One among Elden Ring’s largest strengths is that sense of marvel and discovery that dominates the early sport as you first begin to discover your toes on this unusual land, however dredging up the identical large bads for landmark encounters, as a lot as it would make sense within the context of the world, feels prefer it flies within the face of that considerably. It additionally makes that combat really feel much less particular, like going by way of the motions with one other boss for having a boss’ sake… it is higher, I believe, to have a smaller collection of distinctive bosses than one thing like Elden Ring’s bloated rogues’ gallery the place virtually each large enemy seems not less than twice.
The tail finish of a completionist run of Elden Ring can really feel like a little bit of a chore, with many dungeons and elective areas enjoying host to boss fights that are simply reruns of outdated ones. As a lot as we could love… see? Will get outdated, would not it? We’ve to understand that assets are restricted, and we should not count on a whole bunch and a whole bunch of unique bosses, a few of which most gamers won’t ever see. But when you are going to retread outdated floor, it actually must be completed extra creatively than easy reruns or ‘ummmm okay, now combat two directly,’ which admittedly might be ace when completed properly, though From will wrestle to keep away from comparisons with Smough and Ornstein, having peaked with the primary Darkish Souls in relation to duo bosses. Elden Ring does toy with altering up mechanics with a few of them, however there’s loads of potential for one thing like this to be taken a bit additional with out creating an excessive amount of further work.
Extra Legacy Dungeons
Legacy Dungeons had been one of many highlights of Elden Ring for me: an opportunity to substitute the sensation of getting misplaced within the intimidatingly enormous open world with that of getting misplaced in cramped, labyrinthine corridors and caverns nearer to what we might count on from a Darkish Souls sport. There is a sense of familiarity to them for any Souls veteran, but additionally trepidation — you simply know these epic castles and manors are going to be residence to a few of the worst issues Elden Ring goes to throw at you, in any case. It is essential that these make a comeback if/when From returns to this world, as they function an superior change of tempo and their density is welcome as a counterpoint to a few of the extra barren open expanses of the map. I would not even be averse to potential DLC being simply Legacy Dungeons… pepper the present map with much more main landmarks and as talked about above, you have already made significant change to the world whereas introducing a bunch of recent content material, though this is able to admittedly kind of miss the purpose of Elden Ring’s open world shift so I can not see it taking place.
One different concept that I really like is utilizing any new Legacy Dungeons (and even any new areas) to faucet into a few of the extra attention-grabbing and unique PvP features that the Darkish Souls video games have supplied prior to now. Covenants typically are one thing which have all the time appealed to me in regards to the different video games, although I respect they’re to not everybody’s tastes, particularly with how obtuse some may very well be (and with the busywork they entail when associated achievements are included). Nonetheless, two collection standouts that serve my level listed below are Darkish Souls’ Forest Hunter Covenant — which routinely allowed you to invade ‘trespassers’ who dare stroll the grounds you and yours shield — and a private favorite, Darkish Souls 2’s Rat King Covenant, which arrange for reverse invasions the place interlopers had been pulled into your model of a few the crypt-type areas, which you’d possible laced with traps and left loads of enemies roaming round in. This sort of artistic multiplayer integration is lacking totally from Elden Ring, and I for one really feel its absence. However then once more, I used to be all the time a Gravelord fan in Darkish Souls who simply loved flooding different gamers’ worlds with extra highly effective enemies, so perhaps I am only a unsuitable’un. Screw it, Covenants had been cool. Convey these again too.
Normalise randomisers
It is completely wild to me that extra video games do not embody randomisers as customary. The modding scene for the Darkish Souls video games is rife with all method of mods that change up merchandise and enemy placement to make each play distinctive, with extra excessive ones going even additional to muddle the map so that you by no means know the place doorways or portals may take you. Having this as an choice constructed right into a sport as customary simply offers it virtually limitless replayability — you could adapt to no matter you occur to search out and encounter, that means you may hardly ever fall again on the identical builds you utilize on a regular basis, and also you may uncover enjoyable new methods to play that you’d by no means have tried in any other case. Hitman is getting what’s successfully a randomiser mode, and it is nice to see this type of performance beginning to hit the mainstream and hopefully it’s going to solely develop extra widespread. Some could groan on the concept of video games like this leaning extra into roguelike territory, nevertheless it’s sometimes an choice, and extra choices is sort of all the time a very good factor. I might say do not knock it till you have tried it, too… I used to be somewhat sceptical at first because it simply appears daft to play one thing so inherently unstructured, however I could not let you know how a lot time I’ve put into numerous Pokémon and Hyperlink to the Previous randos since coming round to the thought, in addition to Cadence of Hyrule, which is successfully a Zelda-themed Crypt of the Necrodancer randomiser. Embrace the chaos.
Apparently, From really already has embraced it… are you able to guess the place? That is proper, it is Bloodborne (final time, I promise), which had a whole aspect mode devoted to random dungeons. If something, although, the Chalice Dungeons ought to function an essential lesson in how not to do randomisation in a sport like this. The issue was merely a scarcity of areas within the ’tile’ set, which led to most ‘random’ dungeons feeling just about precisely the identical: wander an identical corridors, discover lever, pull lever, go to door, see which boss needs a bit, kill, rinse, repeat. It is the identical type of wasted potential we noticed in Future 2’s Infinite Forest — in concept an ever-changing dimension that provides distinctive challenges and rewards on every go to, however in observe only a slog after the primary few instances whenever you realise how little selection there really is. Whereas it is most likely not viable on assets to place a full-scale location randomiser into an already advanced sport, it would not essentially want it. Simply having the ability to combine up merchandise and enemy placement could be sufficient to supply boundless replayability and a brand new expertise each time.
And that is our lot. What would you wish to see if and when From goes again to the Lands Between? Tell us down within the feedback!