Highlights

  • Godefroy the Grafted revisits an established boss, expanding the lore of Marika's lineage in Elden Ring.
  • The fight with Godefroy lacks the dramatic second phase that made Godrick memorable, feeling like a watered-down version.
  • Despite the disappointing fight, defeating Godefroy is worth it for the powerful talisman hidden behind the battle.

The Evergaols in Elden Ring often hide unique versions of enemies that have been locked away to be challenged as the Tarnished arrives to clear out The Lands Between's worst criminals. Included among these difficult Evergaol encounters is Godefroy the Grafted, a familiar boss who appears in Altus Plateau and guards a uniquely powerful talisman.

As the name implies, Godefroy the Grafted is a reuse of Godrick the Grafted, the first Shardbearer that most players will face off against in Elden Ring. However, the toned down nature of the fight and the importance of the original Godrick makes Godefroy infamous among fans, sometimes being used as an example of FromSoftware overfilling the game with rehashed encounters.

elden-ring-haligtree-medallion-dark-souls-2-iron-keep
Related
How One Elden Ring Area Encapsules Dark Souls 2's Biggest Problems

Dark Souls 2 has been seen as one of FromSoftware's most divisive releases among fans, but a late-game zone in Elden Ring echoes similar complaints.

Godefroy the Grafted Both Excels and Fails to Meaningfully Fill Elden Ring

The Ancient History of Godrick and Godefroy the Grafted

One of the best things that Godefroy the Grafted does for Elden Ring is expanding the lore of Marika's lineage and giving a better idea of exactly how long the Goddess has ruled over The Lands Between. In most cases, the Demi-Gods who hold shards of the Elden Ring after the shattering are direct descendants of either Marika or her alter-ego Radagon. However, Godrick's relation to Marika is often left in a strange nebulous state, only implicitly related to Godfrey, thanks to their shared naming convention.

One of the best things that Godefroy the Grafted does for Elden Ring is expanding the lore of Marika's lineage!

This gap in the lore is where Godefroy best succeeds at adding to the world of Elden Ring, filling in part of the space between Godfrey and Godrick to imply a much larger family tree than originally thought. The addition of Godefroy clarifies that both the timeline and lineage of Marika's reign aren't quite as condensed as they might seem when considering that the Goddess' direct children are almost all still alive before the Tarnished starts collecting Remembrances. Of course, that lore expansion doesn't really say much about the gameplay of actually fighting Godefroy, and that is where the boss is more than a little disappointing.

Fighting Godrick Without the Theatrics

As an early introduction to the Demi-Gods, Godrick earns his position among Elden Ring's hierarchy of bosses with two dynamic phases split by a bombastic cutscene. This is unfortunately not the case for Godefroy, who lacks both the intensely delivered dialogue and the second phase that makes Godrick such a memorable fight. Instead, Godefroy is stuck in the simpler first phase with a handful of axe swings, air launchers, and a multi-part slam attack.

Without the more intense second phase, Godefroy almost feels like fighting Godrick on easy mode.

The result of the Godefroy encounter is a disappointing reuse of a previous fight that fails to elevate Godrick in any meaningful way that justifies the boss' return. Without the more intense second phase, Godefroy almost feels like fighting Godrick on easy mode, which isn't exactly what most players will be expecting as they explore Elden Ring's mid-game in Altus Plateau. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Godefroy isn't worth hunting down, even if the actual fight is nothing new by the time players find it.

Why Elden Ring Likely Won't End Up in a Bloodborne, Sekiro Situation
Related
Why Elden Ring Likely Won't End Up in a Bloodborne, Sekiro Situation

Elden Ring still has better chances getting more installments under FromSoftware alone than the developer's previous co-published titles.

Godefroy Hides Powerful Secrets

While Godefroy might not be the most exciting boss in Altus Plateau, he is still worth fighting for the sake of the powerful talisman that is hidden behind the fight. This is the Godfrey Icon talisman, which can be especially useful for players preparing for the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

Godfrey Icon in Elden Ring

With the ability to improve the strength of charged spells and skills, this is a talisman that can slot neatly into many powerful builds. So, even if the fight itself isn't a highlight for Elden Ring, Godefroy could still be worth fighting for the sake of this unique talisman.