in my history from softwareFor the Souls-style game, I tried all sorts of character builds and setups, but one thing was always right: I would end up picking a strong, tough character.Brute force and ignorance have always been the things that got me through these games – as well Eldon Ring.
I played the game for the first time before Elden Ring was released, and then in the New Game Plus run after the release on Steam, I followed my classic soul principle: I start with a sword and 100% shield, just enough magic to cast Occasional healing spells or summoning of spiritual helpers. I ended up with a multi-weapon setup that included a crossbow, a longsword, and a giant stick, which I used in combination with some aggressive Ashes of War abilities to stun bosses. I’m too lazy to carry any magic bottle; all health will heal, all the time. Brute force and ignorance. I had a great time.
However, over the past week, I’ve started playing Elden Ring on my Xbox console. Given that it’s clearance three, I obviously want to do something different. I chose astrologer as my starting course, and decided to become a full-time mage, eventually embracing Elden Ring’s growing focus on the feasibility of magic. And, wow – what a difference. It’s like a different game.
Of course, anyone who has played Mage knows this. But I know that among Elden Ring players, there are a lot of people who think the way the game is played is focused on melee combat. The iconic Soul “look” is a guy with a kite shield, long sword, and heavy armor, which is how many people play. I know magic works in Elden Ring – but what I wasn’t prepared for was how different it felt.
I think, right now, magic is actually a bit too powerful. I’m surprised to see magic escape from recent patches, mostly undetected. Here’s the first point, actually: I think if you understand the basic precepts of the soul, and know how to effectively dodge rolls and timing enemy attacks, mage is basically the easy mode. Even with the starting spell, you can step back and eliminate enemies from a distance. impressive.
I’m not talking about firing the Comet Azure here (though that’s definitely the way I’m building it); I’m talking about the Glintstone Pebble, a well-ranked weapon, and maybe a magic potion bottle with a buff of dodge roll potency. I’m still in the early game stage, but I easily beat all the bosses in Limgrave and Weeping Penninsula, then Margit on the first try, Stormveil on the second try and Godrick. And, seriously, it’s pretty fun.
There are several factors at play here, all of which hold little lessons. First of all, Elden Ring has incredible quality, and when you get to know the game from the inside out, it’s just as fun to play again; it’s just fun in a different way. I think it’s a very rare quality that, for me, is only shared among a handful of games at this level – like Star Fox 64, Time Crisis, some Zeldas, etc.
Second, FromSoftware does a great job of making magic workable. As mentioned, this is probably too good a job – a bit OP arguably. But it’s nice to have this option that makes it so real and fulfilling.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly for me: I think this is the best way to play Elden Ring. Melee first; learning games through the grind and pain of traditional Soul Source that I already knew and reluctantly fell in love with. Then, crushing and bruising my body against the whetstone during the race, and still winning – it was a magical victory lap where I stepped back and used magic to blast things to shreds. Incredibly satisfying…it brings a whole new life to the game, almost 200 hours.
When I talked about Elden Ring being a master at asset repurposing, I didn’t even mention that – how changing the build and playstyle can really change the whole experience. I can actually see myself playing four or five games this year, which is amazing. After a few weeks, the brilliance hasn’t faded; I’m just looking for new angles to appreciate it.
