A snippet of gameplay from FromsSoftware's Elden Ring shows the vast distances a Sol Knight is willing to travel to strike back when provoked. The clip is a hilarious reminder that death is the only guarantee in Elden Ring.
On December 7, 2022, FromSoftware released its Colosseum update for Elden Ring, bringing an all-new PvP mode and opening up several previously unreachable locations on the map where players can get together and duke it out with one another. The update provided a healthy boost to the player base and a nice resurgence to Elden Ring's place in the current public discourse. Coming off its win at the Game Awards for game of the year award and FromSoftware's recent reveal of an Armored Core revival, it has been an exciting time to be a fan of a studio that can seemingly do no wrong.
User ohlordwhywhy took to Reddit to show off their exploits from the Lands Between in Elden Ring. Perched high on a snow-dusted cliff, presumably safe, ohlordwhywhy fired a beautiful shot from their One-Eyed Shield, arching the flaming cannonball down onto an unsuspecting Sol Knight's head while it patrolled a castle's ramparts. The satisfaction from the shot was short-lived, however, as the incorporeal Sol Knight teleported what some might guess an impossibly-far distance to arrive face-to-face with ohlordwhywhy and proceeded to launch an onslaught of blows with its twin swords. In their ensuing panic, ohlordwhywhy attempted to flee and ended up dodge-rolling off the side of a cliff.
The clip is an interesting glimpse into the sort of play/counterplay dynamic seen across the encounters of Elden Ring. While certain enemies and bosses in the game might seem impossible at first, there is always some fatal flaw in their mechanics waiting to be exploited. Unfortunately for ohlordwhywhy, their tactic did not play to the Sol Knight's weakness. The One-Eyed Shield is an intriguing and unique weapon design; a great shield that offers a long-range option to an archetype typically reserved for a beefy, melee-oriented play style. Its downside, however, is if an enemy gets in close, say, by teleporting right next to a player, they are left at a significant disadvantage.
Death is plentiful in Elden Ring. It is one of the fundamental tools in teaching a player how to overcome the game's grueling obstacles. Ohlordwhywhy's death was a stark lesson that having a range advantage and the high ground is not always as great as it seems.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
