Summary
Elden Ringis already quite a challenging game, especially since it’s made by FromSoftware, the creators of theDark Soulsfranchise. However, even with this Action RPG testing the player’s limits withvarious boss battlesthat players are likely to die to repeatedly, some players may still wish to makeElden Ringeven harder.
Those players who enjoy a spot of masochism should take these further steps inElden Ringto make the gameplay harder for themselves if they believe that the original gameplay has gotten too easy, or even just to spice things up a little. From removing armor to never leveling, this is how to makeElden Ringas hard as possible.
8Never Use The Lock-On
Players Must Focus On Where They Hit
One of the most useful mechanics inElden Ringis the lock-on mechanic that allows a player to follow the movements of an enemy without having to manually follow where the boss has gone at all times. This is incredibly useful when taking on bosses inElden Ringthat use the entirety of the arena or have intense sets of moves that they play through quickly.
Players who are looking to makeElden Ringharder for themselves should opt tonever use this lock-on mechanicand instead must either follow the boss around manually or wait for the right moment to attack. Players may find themselves in for a challenge when taking on bosses like Malenia or Maliketh without this mechanic.
7Use Talismans That Increase The Damage Taken
Daedicar’s Woe Doubles The Damage Taken
While one way to makeElden Ringharder is byusing no talismans at all, as these usually give the player an advantage, one talisman a player can use to give themselves more of a challenge is the Daedicar’s Woe. This talisman, which the player obtains at the end of Rya’s quest, has no advantages to being used and only exists for players who want to make the game harder for themselves.
When the Daedicar’s Woe talisman is equipped, the damage the player takes is doubled. This means that not only bosses but also the regular enemies the player encounters will deal significantly more damage to them, making it far more likely that the player will die from attacks if they can’t dodge out of the way.
6Don’t Use Any Summons
Both Ashes And Players Cannot Be Used
Players that need some extra assistance inElden Ringcan either summon other players to help them or use Spirit Ashes to summon in an AI ally to either tank hits or do some extra damage for the player. These summons can makeElden Ringfar easier for players, as they don’t have to worry about doing the most damage or being the solo target of a boss.
By removing the use of Spirit Ashes or the aid of other players, it is up to only the players themselves to challenge enemies and learn how to avoid being attacked, as the boss will have no distractions. Some players that have been commonly using summons may be in for a big surprise by how much harderElden Ringbecomes.
5Magic Has Been Banned
Melee Weapons Only For A Harder Time
Elden Ringhas one of the greatest magic systems in an RPG, with the player having a wide variety of spells to experiment with. Some of the magic available is also incredibly deadly, especially if a player has built their character around using certain types of magic, which also increases the damage these spells do.
Magic also makes the game easier for players, asthe majority of spellsallow them to stay a distance away from damage but still do a decent amount of damage. Players that are looking to make the game harder should completely ban the use of any spells in their playthrough and instead focus on using melee weapons only, which would force them to stay close to the lethal bosses.
4No Healing Or Buff Items
Players Will Need To Avoid Taking Damage At All Costs
Alongside damaging spells, there are also various magic that allow the player to heal themselves. However, a player can take this a step further to make their game harder for themselves by not only stopping themselves from using magic that allows them to heal themselves but also preventing themselves from using only healing potions.
Avoiding the use of heals or items that can buff their character means a player must be even more careful when taking on both basic foes and bosses, as being hit means that health will be permanently lost until they encounter a bonfire, which resets their health.
3Only Use Low Tier Weaponry
Battles Require More Patience
While some players may be inclined to have the best of the best when it comes to both weaponry and armor inElden Ring, players looking to torment themselves in this challenging action RPG should instead attempt to play the entirety ofElden Ringwhile using some ofthe weakest weaponsin the game.
Some of these weapons may even be considered not weapons at all, such as the torch, which can do damage, but nowhere near as much as a simple sword could do. This is only one example of a weak weapon the player could use to make the game harder for themselves, though a player could even consider not using a weapon at all and instead use their bare hands.
2Never Wear Any Armor
Getting Hit Could Kill The Player
One of the go-to ways inElden Ringto makeElden Ringas hard as possible is by stripping the player entirely of their defenses. This can mean quite literally removing all the armor the player wears. Although inElden Ring, a player should avoid getting hit anyway as the damage done by bosses can be a lot, armor can reduce some of that damage while also making the player resistant to certain types of damage.
By having no armor, the player purely relies on how much their total health is in the hopes of surviving the damage taken, while also trying to avoid getting hit in general. There is one advantage to wearing no armor, and that is that the player can move a lot quicker due to no weight.
1Don’t Ever Level Up
Players Will Have To Survive With Their Starting Stats
One of the hardest challenges in theSoulsfranchise has been completing the game without leveling up. Players can even take on this challenge while playingElden Ring, as they can choose to never spend their runes to level up the stats of their character.
For those who want a challenge but not to make the game too difficult for themselves, they can decide on one of thebasicElden Ringclassesthat starts the character with a few levels, but those who want to make the game as hard as possible should start with Wretch. This class doesn’t only start at level 1 but also has no weapons or armor, meaning the player will have to work toward finding these things while still remaining at level one.
