With Shadow of the Erdtree, Elden Ring players are seemingly trying new ways of going against foes. This includes the introduction of many new weapons, some of which are the highlight of the revamped combat system for quite a few weapon types in the game.
For instance, the Light Greatswords are a hybrid between dexterity and strength styles of playing. Furthermore, this simply puts the return of the spotlight on some fluid movements that we saw in games like Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Move, Dodge, and Dance Your Way Through Battle
During my playthrough of the game, a key highlight remained with how FromSoftware chose to switch up movement in Elden Ring. The expansion’s focus on movement mechanics has introduced some of the most enjoyable styles of weapon combat (including boss movesets) that may feel a bit nostalgic to those who enjoyed other games by the company.
Take for example the newly introduced weapons Milady and Backhand Blade focus on the player’s overall movement rather than just a combination of attacks. When using the Backhand Blade, players can slash through multiple enemies as they cover quite a bit of ground, almost as if walking/dodging normally.
This has been showcased in detail by content creator VaatiVidya in his video about exploring the initial areas of the Shadow Realm. At 3:28 in the video, you can spot the new and improved movement mechanics. This is just scratching the surface of all that the game has to offer.
Is Shadow of the Erdtree a Hint at More Movement-Focused Gameplay in the Future?
In Bloodborne, players could use weapons like the Whirligig Saw that combined a series of fun and satisfying movements. In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, players had access to tools like Mist Raven that almost made them feel like shadows, in the sense that dodging and sneaking around enemies would feel more fluid.
Similarly, Shadow of the Erdtree has introduced a range of new movement options for players to test out. Given how this is only limited to weapons, maybe we can hope from the future of FromSoftware that more games/expansions will build on this and give us movement mechanics that let players feel more agile and smooth in combat.
At the same time, there are certain players who enjoy slower and “heavier” movement that improves on a sense of strength and bulkiness. That’s all fair, yet can be made to feel tranquil in nature. A good example of this would be the Light Greatswords in Shadow of the Erdtree.
As players continue to explore the Shadow Realm, new playstyles, and builds are going to be more relevant, and some of these will focus on a mix of strength and dexterity.
What do you think of the revamped and newly introduced movement mechanics in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree? Let us know in the comments below.
