An Elden Ring player demonstrates why retreat is not always an advisable strategy to ensure safety. More than a few boss fights in Elden Ring include attacks designed to react to player actions and, albeit intuitive, gaining distance to recompose or heal sometimes invites a whole new world of pain.
FromSoftware titles are known for not holding the hands of players, in an admirable deviation from much of the industry. While this is a significant reason why conquering the challenging boss fights can feel so rewarding, there are plenty of players from Bloodborne to Elden Ring that feel the frustration bubble up when enemies act in seemingly unanswerable ways. It has led players to accuse Elden Ring of input reading. Although disproved, it was revealed that the AI can be programmed to perform specific attacks in response to defined animations, such as when the Godskin throw a ball of darkened flame whenever the player drinks from their Flask of Crimson Tears.
A video uploaded to Reddit by HereForFreeGames showcases that this mechanical design is not limited to consumable use, nor the Godskin. During a fight with the true Godfrey, the player is far enough into the first phase so that the former Elden Lord's stomps no longer erect jagged stone directly in front, but release an area of effect that stretches across the arena. The player is hit by this during the opening few seconds and immediately begins to back up, withdrawing for no apparent reason given Godfrey's onslaught has momentarily paused, and their health is in no need of replenishment.
Yet, the Tarnished continues, draining their substantial stamina bar as they refuse to stop running. If it had been intended to create space between them and the axe-wielding behemoth then they would have been sorely disappointed, as Godfrey pursued with extreme prejudice. Charging forward and slamming down his left foot became the only attack in Godfrey's repertoire, performing it half a dozen times before opting to use his weapon for a change. With every rush towards the player, any distance that had been acquired was rendered meaningless, prompting them to caption the post "when's my turn?"
The video is a perfect encapsulation of why aggression is such a valued approach in Elden Ring, a style of play that FromSoftware has been increasingly directing the player to as its catalog develops.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
