Highlights

  • Elden Ring shakes up the formula of previous games, but could benefit from reintroducing features like the Hollow progression system from Dark Souls 3.
  • Dragon Communion in Elden Ring lacks substantial consequences compared to Hollowing in Dark Souls 3, leaving room for potential improvements.
  • Elden Ring could consider introducing new endings exclusively for players who partake in Dragon Communion to add depth and consequences to the game.

Elden Ring does a lot to shake up the formula of the games that came before it, while still feeling like a true successor to From Software’s beloved franchises. However, even with this in mind, Elden Ring leaves behind many features from its predecessors that may yet be worth reviving for future updates to Elden Ring.

Specifically, one feature that Elden Ring could use from Dark Souls 3 is the Hollow progression system. Elden Ring’s Dragon Communion feature is fairly similar to the secret Hollow system from Dark Souls 3, but there are a couple of key differences that set these two features apart from each other. Consequently, future updates from Elden Ring should consider either reintroducing a Hollow progression system or expanding upon the game’s existing Dragon Communion feature.

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Dark Souls 3's Hollow System Explained

Immediately after defeating Vordt of the Boreal Valley, one of the first few major bosses in Dark Souls 3, players will be able to travel to the Undead Settlement where an NPC can be found on a hidden path. This NPC, Yoel of Londor, will essentially allow players to earn up to five free level-ups, whereas these would normally need to be purchased with increasing amounts of Souls. That said, participating in this progression system to shortcut character levels in Dark Souls 3 isn't without consequences.

Upon agreeing to accept Yoel’s services, the player’s character will be inflicted with the Hollowing stat. One of the consequences of becoming Hollow is that this stat will increase every time the player dies, up to a max of 99. Increasing this stat is a requirement to receive all five of the ‘free’ character levels, but only 15 Hollowing is required to receive all five levels this way.

At 15 or more Hollowing, players can also take part in the necessary NPC questlines to obtain Dark Sigils, which will give players access to a new ending for Dark Souls 3. This unique ending is considered one of the ‘bad’ endings for Dark Souls 3, and rightfully so. Not only do players have to participate in a forbidden magic to achieve this ending, but it also leaves the game’s universe in the hands of sinister figures.

Players can remove their Hollowing status in Dark Souls 3 , but this will require repaying for the character levels earned through Hollowing, and it can potentially lock players out of certain questlines and endings.

How Elden Ring's Dragon Communion Can Become More Like Dark Souls 3's Hollowed System

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Dragon Communion is already a similar system to Dark Souls 3’s Hollowing, where players tap into new strengths through forbidden rituals, but the key difference is that there are no substantial consequences for Dragon Communion. According to Elden Ring’s dragon lore, partaking in Dragon Communion is a curse that will eventually transform humans into Wyrms, and while players can encounter some of these very enemies in Elden Ring, players will never face these consequences themselves.

Consequently, it can feel anticlimactic that players never face any form of consequences for participating in Dragon Communion, so Elden Ring should consider revisiting this with a proper conclusion.

For a while, parts of the Dark Souls 3 community believed that players would take increasing amounts of damage from certain enemies and Elemental damage types based on the player’s Hollowed stat. This has long since been proven to be a false rumor, but admittedly, it could still make for an interesting consequence for Elden Ring’s Dragon Communion, if not a subtle throwback reference. Otherwise, Elden Ring should consider following directly in Dark Souls 3’s footsteps by introducing new endings for Elden Ring exclusively for players who partake in Dragon Communion.