Elden Ringis a massive accomplishment for a number of reasons, and among the most significant is how it manages to combine and remix a number of mechanics from earlier FromSoftware games. There’s a healthy dose of inspiration from theSoulsgames, naturally, but the influence of spin-offs likeBloodborneandSekirocan be seen as well—some may even wish thatElden Ringturned out a bit more like those games.
The greatest sign ofSekiro’s influence onElden Ringcan be seen in the player’s movement toolkit.Sekirowas the firstSouls-adjacent FromSoftware game to introduce features like traditional jumping and crouching, the latter of which feeds into one of its greatest mechanical distinctions fromDark Souls: stealth. FromSoftware has attempted to incorporate stealth systems in its games before, with mechanics like backstabbing and invisibility magic in theSoulsgames clearly intending to offer this additional layer of choice in enemy encounters, butSekirois the closest that the studio has gotten to success in this regard. While it would be nice to say thatElden RingborrowingSekiro’s stealth mechanics led to an equally robust degree of flexibility, that is sadly not the case.
It’s worth noting thatSekiro’s stealth gameplay isn’t exactly a home runeither—it’s merely the closest FromSoftware has come to a fleshed-out rendition of such mechanics.
Elden Ring Never Managed to Stick the Landing With Stealth
Lackluster Stealth Returns in Elden Ring
The ability to crouch, hide in tall grass, and perform stealth attacks, not to mention a dedicated Bandit starter class, all suggest that stealth is a viable playstyle inElden Ring. It may not be totally worthless—players can thin out certain enemy herds, especially in the overworld, with stealth tactics, for example—but it’s never truly as effective as traditional melee, magic, or ranged combat. While many were hopeful thatShadow of the Erdtreewould deepenElden Ring’s stealth mechanics, they unfortunately remain underbaked.
Generally speaking, stealth feels like something of an afterthought inElden Ring. Aside from the fact that it is nowhere near as deep as melee combat, making it not as enjoyable as an alternative, it’s simply not a realistic or effective tool.Action-RPGs likeSkyrimmake room for dedicated stealth builds, allowing almost any encounter to be resolved through stealthy means. Other examples of this sort of freedom can be found in immersive sims like 2017’sPrey, which provide players with robust tools for handling conflicts through covert or avoidant means, limiting instances where players are forced into a certain playstyle.
By comparison,Elden Ringmore or less requires players to face enemies head-on in most instances. Even beyond boss battles, which would be a reasonable venue to railroad players into a more aggressive playstyle, most combat arenas don’t provide opportunities for stealth, and enemy AI is either unrealistically adept at spotting the player or too easy to cheese, making stealth either frustrating or unsatisfying. Put plainly, whileElden Ringmay have marginally better stealththan some of its predecessors, it still never feels like the “right” way to play the game, even when it technically works.
The Future of Stealth in FromSoftware Games
Having said all that,Elden Ringcould be a step in the right direction when it comes to stealth. If FromSoftware can build off the rudimentary stealth mechanics ofElden RingandSekiro, while finding a way to smoothly incorporate them into the overall build variety thatSoulsgames are prized for, then it could lead to any number of exciting opportunities. Then again, maybeFromSoftware’s traditional combat designshouldn’t be messed with too much, and something like stealth should be saved for its own dedicated game.
Elden Ring
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ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
