Game of the Year winnerElden Ringand theSoulsbornegames that preceded it are known for being unforgiving games that are difficult to beat. While becoming Elden Lord feels sufficiently rewarding after toiling in the Lands Between, many veteran players often find themselves seeking harder challenges.
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WhileElden Ringdoes not feature an actual difficulty setting, there are nonetheless many choices the player can opt for to make the game harder. Players can either choose one limitation for themselves or mix and match, while the most hardcore players will limit themselves in every way possible.
7New Game+
While most of the ways to increase difficulty inElden Ringare player-imposed choices about their gameplay, beginning a new journey with New Game+ is the only way to make enemies hit harder and have bigger health pools in the base game.
After completing the main story, players will have the option to begin a new journey at the Roundtable Hold. Doing so will respawn all the bosses and NPCs while resetting the story.For the most part, enemies will be harder, but drop more runes and players can carry over their weapons, armor, levels, and much more. This process can be repeated over and over again all the way up till New Game+7, after which players can keep restarting the game, but without any increased difficulty.
6No Summons
For those players looking to slightly increase the difficulty of their playthrough without resorting to extreme limitations that only the best can overcome, not summoning help can be a great place to start. Help for bosses and other enemies can be summoned in three different ways. The first and most common way to get help is to summonthe best Spirit Ashes inElden Ring, which can take on many forms.
By completing some quests or interactions, there are also a few NPCs that players can summon to help them as Cooperators during specific boss fights. Help from friends or online players can also be enlisted, but for more of a challenge, players can avoid all of these options and try to complete the game alone.
5No Healing
Healing comes in many forms inElden Ring, from incantations that require Faith, to the Flasks of Crimson Tears that almost all players will use on their playthroughs. There are also weapons orTalismans that can restore healthupon hits or more specific offensive interactions.
To make the game harder, players can forbid themselves from using any form of healing and only regain health when resting at Sites of Grace. This means that any damage sustained in boss fights or areas away from Sites of Grace could be fatal.
4No Ranged Weapons Or Spells
WhileElden Ringwill always be a hard game for the vast majority of players, some playstyles and tactics nonetheless make the game easier, so avoiding these is a great way to make a playthrough in the Lands Between more challenging.
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While ranged weapons, spells, and eventhe best incantations inElden Ringhave their own weaknesses, the relative safety at which they can be used makes them an easier option than most melee alternatives. By limiting themselves to melee weapons, players will have to get up close and personal with bosses, even when on a slither of health.
3No Armor
Armor is extremely important inElden Ringand not just for looking good. Beyond fashion, armor provides Tarnished with a wide range of stats and resistances that will protect them against the many different damage types in the game.
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Therefore, opting to wear no armor will increase the difficulty of the game drastically, as any hit from a boss could be fatal. One of the advantages of wearing no armor is that the player is extremely light and never has to worry about weight limits, which would normally impede the speed at which they can dodge and roll.
2Difficulty Mods
Just as mods to make the game easier exist, so domods that makeElden Ringmore difficult to beat. As many of these mods exist and more are being constantly released, players of all skill levels should be able to find a mod that suits their difficulty demands.
From mods that let players tweak almost any numbers they want, to those that spawn multiple duplicates of a boss at once, these mods can be absolutely game-changing and will often provide unique experiences.
1A Level 1 Run
Levels are everything inElden Ring. They enable players to wield better weapons and perform more advanced spells and incantations, and they provide a whole host of stats to Tarnished, providing them with more health, resistances, and damage.
With how much power these levels provide, a Level 1 run is therefore one of the hardest challenges players can impose on themselves. To do this, players will need to select the Wretch starting class which is the only class to start at Level 1, and then never upgrade their stats. Players will be limited towhat weapons they can use on their Level 1 runand must be extremely careful not to take damage due to their low health.
Elden Ringis available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
