this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2024
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Thoughts on spirit ashes in Elden ring? (hexbear.net)
submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by Gorb@hexbear.net to c/games@hexbear.net
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Playing through the dlc I was wondering are spirit ashes the easy mode or are the bosses actually balanced around them? I had an issue with elden ring bosses being so hyper aggressive in fights with attack chains that last 3 months giving you a window for like 5 seconds to attack which as a strength user seemingly was impossible to do anything without a not strength build. Taking any boss head on feels like a challenge run in an older fromsoft games some elden ring bosses gave me more shit than sekiro.

But when I summon the fight actually kinda feels balanced around it. The attack chain agro being taken away momentarily so you can deliver some damage then playing a kind of hot potato until the fight ends.

Usually easy modes in fromsoft games are a limited resource, humanity for summoning players that also puts you at risk of invasion or finite use healing items to use when you run out of flasks (not ds2) the concept was to make the game easier there needed to be a risk nothing was given for free.

Now that's what's strange about spirit summons, they're practically free. Outside of a little fp/hp cost there is no risk and no drawback to summoning them. Which makes me wonder if the game was intentionally balanced around players using them for every boss fight.

Thoughts?

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[–] Parzivus@hexbear.net 3 points 4 months ago

Saw this post super late but personally I don't think the bosses were designed to need spirit ashes. When I use them, it feels like it's primarily to give me extra openings I wouldn't otherwise get. At least for me, it doesn't feel as satisfying, so I only use it for the really obnoxious bosses like the double fights.

That said, they definitely don't feel like they're meant to be done exclusively melee. The game gives you a lot of ranged tools, with spells, incantations, bows, some weapon abilities, and craftable items all being options. A lot of bosses become way harder if you have to be in melee to do damage, especially the giant ones that move around a lot and fuck with the camera. I haven't used ashes at all in the DLC yet, but if I was going melee only I might have had to on some of the bosses.