Summary
Elden Ring, just like theDark Soulsgames that preceded it, is a game that is defined by its challenge. While it has enjoyed copious amounts of praise since its release nearly two years ago, there is some discussion about its overall design, especially as it pertains to its difficulty. Common criticisms revolve aroundElden Ring’s boss designsand enemy encounters, with detractors arguing that the game’s challenge isn’t always fair.
One particular debate aboutElden Ringthat emerged in the months following its release had to do with the issue of input reading. Input reading, simply put, is when a game’s AI reacts to the signal sent by a player’s control input, rather than reacting to something like a collision or the presence of a ray or game object. The inclusion of input reading can often present players with an unfair challenge.
How Elden Ring Uses a Form of Input Reading
Elden Ring Has Animation Reading
For instance, if a game features input reading during a boss fight, then the boss will be able to react to a player’s attacks and movements in the fraction of a second that it takes them to depress a button or move a joystick. This massive disadvantage for the player can thwart strategic efforts and trivialize skills like quick reaction times.
Even the mostwell-preparedElden Ringplayersare surely familiar with one common scenario: a boss reacting, quicker than most people feasibly could, to an attack, dodge, or healing action. In these situations, it can feel like these bosses can read minds, deftly and brutally responding to a player in the same instant they commit to swinging their sword or taking a swig from their flask. For some players, these instances are clear examples of input reading, but it’s not that simple.
Elden Ringdoes not feature input reading, but animation reading. Essentially, animations associated with certain actions can trigger an enemy’s code, causing them to respond with a predetermined action. This is why many enemies can begin dodging as soon as the player launches a projectile, orpunish with deadly attacksright when the player decides to take a swig of their Flask of Crimson Tears. Since these enemies, and bosses in particular, can identify and react to an animation during its first few frames, it can sometimes feel like input reading—but it’s not.
Why Animation Reading Doesn’t Break Elden Ring
While animation reading is distinct from input reading, its implementation inElden Ringcan make the difference between the two seem moot at times. After all, it doesn’t make much of a difference to the player if an enemy reacts the instant a button is pressed versus a few milliseconds after it’s pressed. Having said that,howElden Ringdesigns its boss fightsand enemy encounters goes a long way toward making animation reading a bit more palatable and balanced.
For one thing, enemies inElden Ringdon’t read every animation performed by the player-character. For instance, it’s common for an enemy AI to have a scripted response for something like the player’s healing animation, but not for other animations, such as those associated with dodging or attacking with a melee weapon. Because of this, the enemy AI will behave in a manner that is mostly independent of the player-character’s animations, with the reading of the healing animation only existing to punish poorly timed healing. In other words, a player can still outsmart the enemy AI, as it doesn’t have a set response to every single action.
Animation reading serves to accentuateElden Ring’s brutal difficultyand is a natural part of what makes its high-speed, methodical combat enjoyable. It can certainly be frustrating, but it’s designed to keep fights balanced and comes with the territory of a combat system built around making the player feel underpowered.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
