Much discussion has been made about whether Elden Ring, the latest megalithic FromSoftware opus, is more or less difficult than Dark Souls, Sekiro, or any of the veteran developer's previous titles, and the truth is that those who take the time to explore its open world will find it to be far easier than it might at first seem. On the surface, Elden Ring is very bit as punishing as its predecessors, but the vast world of the Lands Between offers players more choice and opportunity to mitigate difficulty than ever before.
Elden Ring has already made a reputation for itself as a difficult game, but even to those who didn't like Dark Souls, Elden Ring potentially has a lot of attractive qualities. Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro all followed a general template of requiring players to move through bosses that were chokepoints for difficulty. While each had some degree of an open world that allowed for exploration, the context was far more limited. Elden Ring bucks this trend by letting players explore the majority of the game world right from the very beginning.
Elden Ring still has plenty of difficult bosses, and it's a challenging game that will require players to make use of their own personal mental and physical resources in addition to the tools that the world provides. That said, overleveling for an area or finding extra crafting ingredients, tools, Spirit Ashes, and Ashes of War can make an enormous difference in how difficult those challenges ultimately are.
Elden Ring's Open World Hides Everything Players Need To Mitigate Difficulty
For those who have found early game challenges like Elden Ring's Godrick boss too hard, turning around and heading to new areas of the map is more than just a viable option, it's the easiest and most straightforward way of making Elden Ring an easier game to play. The world itself holds plenty of smaller challenges, and these are less frustrating ways that players can not only level up through experience gain, but also find new tools to help them in their quest. Spirit Summons can be found through defeating minor bosses, and the dungeons where they can be found provide the means to upgrade them to higher tiers. Other characters can be met in the world that will offer various services. New weapons and the Ashes of War that will turn them into powerhouses can be found, to say nothing of the stones used to beef up their stats. Perhaps most importantly, the Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears that provide more and better healing can be acquired right from the start of the game for intrepid players willing to ride around and seek them out.
It will take players a little extra time to find some of Elden Ring's hidden secrets, but the world's bounty is there for anyone who wants it. Those who struggle with Godrick (or Margit before him) can simply ride north to Liurnia of the Lakes or south to the Weeping Peninsula, where plenty more content will await them, and even after exhausting those lands, further adventure awaits to the north and to the east. Elden Ring isn't afraid to offer big challenges, but it's also not unwilling to give players many options for circumventing them through simply exploring its giant, beautiful world.
