🔗 Share this article

For those who have experienced this acclaimed title, or nearly any 3D action game, you're likely acquainted with the fantastic feature known as the “dodge roll.” This avoidance maneuver lets your avatar to carry out a forward, sideways, or backward ground roll to avoid any enemy attacks and move away from foes. Sounds handy, right?

The evasion roll, though, has attracted plenty of criticism, and not only due to the tumbling; some have dubbed it foolish, a easy way out, and an unbelievable technique — and sometimes, I concur. Picture me rolling around nearby enemy groups in another popular RPG — can't touch this Geralt! But this game's dodge roll stands as the roll to surpass every other rolling dodges, and I'll tell you why.

For this particular game, the designers identified a great way to counter all sentiments suggesting the technique is overly simple: merely bestow all foes overwhelming force, triple that, and all heroes who dares come near them will appreciate deeply thanks to their rolling skill, myself included. When the stakes are this high, pulling off a perfect dodge comes across as a triumph, rather than a cheap trick.

No other evasion method in Elden Ring comes close to this sense of satisfaction and dependability, since rapid sprints offer limited distance and defensive postures are easily broken by powerful foes. One player advised leaping as the primary game evasion method, but besides failing to offer optimal placement, I couldn't understand how receiving a fatal blow could enhance my odds of defeating bosses (inexperience, possibly).

Learning the Move

While the rolling dodge provides relief in a famously difficult title, it demands ability. First of all, Elden Ring's evasion move merely initiates a period of immunity after you let go of the roll control, which hinders a hasty, frantic retreat from perilous circumstances. Furthermore, although it may transport you away from opponents, it's significantly more useful to utilize it as a moment to get closer, ideally to their rear, and deliver attacks. Lastly, you still need understand and anticipate foe assaults, since evading too early of an extended wind-up might terminate your protection ahead of the attack striking… causing significant harm.

A Balanced Mechanic

While dodge-rolling in fast repetition could appear somewhat silly (kudos to the Witcher anew), this isn't truly feasible in this title. Of course, that fails to transform it into a realistic combat move — the very cause why it would be dreadful to witness it in a title like a historical simulation — but this is a dazzling imaginative experience being considered, thus why worry?

Similar to any respectable rolling dodge, Elden Ring's evasion sequence is enhanced with a brief tumbling leap at the start, offering a lively impression as opposed to plopping the player downward. According to your loadout, the maneuver might appear incredibly quick or moderately cumbersome, however, it's consistently faster and more fluid than the evasion moves featured in the earlier games. Admittedly, you may embed your big blade into the ground while equipped with it, but that's on you for avoiding a crossbow (I'm joking — steer clear of Elden Ring with projectile weapons).

Ideal Equilibrium

The game's evasion system forms an optimal harmony between difficulty and chance, providing prospects of success while threatening to take that hope away at the slightest mistake. Master this technique, and you'll gain not only success, but fulfillment.