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If you've played this acclaimed title, or nearly any action-adventure title, chances are you're familiar with the glorious mechanic referred to as the “dodge roll.” This avoidance maneuver enables your hero to perform a front, lateral, or rearward somersault to dodge any enemy attacks and move away from foes. Sounds handy, right?

The evasion roll, though, has attracted a lot of flak, not simply as a result of the somersault; some have dubbed it foolish, a easy way out, and an unbelievable technique — and occasionally, I agree. You should see me rolling around local Doppler gangs in The Witcher 3 — can't touch this Geralt! But the title's rolling dodge is the dodge roll to outdo all previous dodge rolls, and here's the reason.

For this particular game, the creators discovered an excellent method to counter all sentiments suggesting the technique is not challenging enough: simply give every enemy excessive power, triple that, and every Tarnished who approaches them will feel immensely thankful for their dodge-roll ability, me included. When the stakes are this high, pulling off a perfect dodge comes across as a triumph, not a cheat.

No other evasion method in the game approaches this sense of satisfaction and dependability, since rapid sprints provide minimal movement and defensive postures are readily overcome by strong enemies. A person once suggested hopping as the main game avoidance strategy, but aside from not providing ideal movement, I didn't see how taking a crushing hit might boost my prospects of beating enemies (lack of skill, maybe).

Learning the Move

While this evasion move provides relief in an otherwise brutal game, it demands ability. To begin with, the game's dodge roll merely initiates a window of invulnerability after you let go of the roll control, which hinders a rapid, fearful withdrawal from dire situations. Additionally, even though it can move you aside from opponents, it's far more effective to utilize it as a moment to move nearer, ideally to their rear, and deliver attacks. Lastly, you still need grasp and foresee enemy attacks, since evading too early of a prolonged preparation might terminate your protection ahead of the attack striking… which will seriously hurt.

A Well-Designed Feature

Although evasion-rolling in fast repetition might seem rather absurd (give it up for Geralt again), this isn't truly feasible in this title. Certainly, that still doesn't make it a realistic fighting maneuver — which is precisely why it would be dreadful to experience it in a product like a realism-focused RPG — however, this is a spectacular magical game we're talking about, thus why worry?

Similar to any respectable evasion move, Elden Ring's dodge motion is spruced up with a small acrobatic jump at the commencement, giving it an energetic feel rather than plopping the player onto the ground. According to your loadout, the move can feel super agile or relatively slow, but it remains swifter and more seamless than the rolling dodges used in Dark Souls. True, you will stick your large weapon into the ground while equipped with it, but that's your responsibility for not just playing ranged weapons (Just kidding — don't play Elden Ring using ranged options).

Ideal Equilibrium

Elden Ring's dodging mechanic forms an optimal harmony between difficulty and chance, providing prospects of success while threatening to take that hope away at the smallest error. Learn this skill, and you'll gain not just victory, but fulfillment.