Summary
The player-versus-player experience of FromSoftware’s titles is one of many aspects that keeps players engaged and returning to games likeElden Ringlong after the initial surge after launch. To showcase what thePVP experience inElden Ringcan potentially feel like, the developer has included several encounters against NPCs that attack and respond similarly to players, such as the late-game boss Sir Gideon Ofnir, The All-Knowing.
Unfortunately forElden Ring, many of the NPC bosses and other encounters run into the normal issues that come with trying to have AI-controlled enemies act like players. However, Gideon specifically runs into some unique design details that come with removing player restrictions from the general player moveset, specifically the need to manage stamina and FP.
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AI Fails To Emulate Human Input
Gideon Ignores Meta and Reacts Poorly
The most obvious impairment to Gideon acting as an introduction toElden Ring’s high-level PVPcomes in the way that NPCs simply can’t make decisions and take actions too similar to actual players. As a result, Gideon fails to really plan out his attacks and spells in a way that measures the positioning between himself and his opponent. Similarly, Gideon also spams his attacks in a way that keeps the pressure on the player, but really leaves himself open to be countered by anyone who can get close enough to cause any type of stagger.
Gideon Also Perfectly Counters Elden Ring’s Strongest Builds
Theinput reading inElden Ringhas become a bit of a controversial subject, with some players denying that this is how the game works and others specifying that the game is actually reading animations rather than direct controller inputs. This input reading workaround is present in several bosses, including Gideon, who will dodge any spells thrown his way. So, while Gideon quickly spams spells in rapid succession, his AI makes it nearly impossible to land any kind of ranged hit unless a player is specifically using a spell like Magic Glintblade or Night Comet that is built to get around the animation reading.
Gideon Doesn’t Play With Elden Ring’s Limits
Player Limits Inform Decisive Action
One major way that Souls-like combat excels, especially in the FromSoftware catalog, is in how it limits players and forces them to overcome those limits to defeat enemies. This is most notably seen in the HP, FP, andstamina that must be managed inElden Ringin order to survive and dish out the needed damage to win any specific fight. However, many of the NPC fights don’t seem to be restricted by two out of three of these aspects of combat, which leads to bosses like Gideon falling out of interesting fights and into frustrating encounters.
Gideon’s Unlimited Spamming Quickly Devolves Into Chaos
The result of Gideon never needing to stop to recharge his stamina or replenish FP means that the boss will often just spam spells endlessly, with little hope of escaping from his range in his tiny arena. This usually means that if players don’t break the distance from Gideon quickly, they can easily be held back indefinitely, as they are forced to constantly dodge the endless onslaught of sorceries and miracles. Gideon does fortunately spend the start of his fight patiently waiting and talking to the player, which can lead to one ofElden Ring’s quickest and funniest boss kills, but that usually requires some preparation and only works on the first attempt.
Gideon’s Best Concept Falls Short in Execution
It’s unfortunate that Gideon doesn’t properly capture the thrill of PVP combat because the concept of the fight is very interesting on paper. This specifically has to do with Gideon’s available spells at the time he is fought, which expands based on how many major bosses the player has defeated before challenging him. However, without putting limits on how much he spams these attacks, it just becomes a pretty showcase ofElden Ring’s most interesting spellsthat either ends before actually showing anything off or becomes too frustrating to appreciate the concept.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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