The successful launch of the long-awaitedElden Ring: Shadow of the ErdtreeDLC has seen players returning to the game in droves alongside the arrival of newcomers, leading to many brand-new Tarnished being generated. Entire builds were dedicated to being prepared for the expansion leading up to its launch, and characters are now being developed around the plethora of options that have since become available. With the flexibility of the game’s respec system practically guaranteeing that a player’s start won’t have any bearing on their build by the time they reachElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s content, however, it can feel like stats in character creation have become more superfluous than ever.
There is a vast array of ways to approach leveling and equipment inElden Ring, and several of these routes are demanding enough to lock the player out of other builds. It then makes sense that FromSoftware chose to include the ability to reset the player’s stats and reallocate these points after thedefeat of Queen Rennalain Raya Lucaria, as it would be nearly impossible to test out the extent of the game’s options without this. Now that this feature has become such a ubiquitous part of the experience, it might be fitting for the studio’s next title to ditch starting classes entirely in favor of more freedom from the beginning.
Elden Ring’s Starting Classes Only Matter in Its Early Game
Resembling Difficulty Options for New Players
Defeating a few bosses can net the player enough Runes to practically overcome the level limitations of any starting class, but this choice can be more meaningful for those who haven’t overcome those first hurdles. Knowledgeable veterans can make any start work, but theBleed effect of the Samurai starting class’ Uchigatana or the ranged capability of the Astrologer can make them especially forgiving when compared to the style of their more traditional counterparts.
Classes Are Essentially Invalidated Post-Liurnia
With Liurnia of the Lakes intended to be one of the earlier zones to be overcome by the player, most will be able to progress far enough to defeat the area’s boss and use a Larval Tear to completely reset their stat allocation. It may be true that these items are a commodity which can technically be exhausted, but few are likely to remake their character upwards of 15 times. Now thatSotE’s Larval Tearshave marked the addition of even more, the game has only moved further away from the limitations that the system was originally designed with.
FromSoftware’s Future Titles Might Benefit From Leaving Classes Behind
The Potential for a More Open-Ended Start to Leveling
Considering that there’s no shortage of min-maxing and intentional build progression withinElden Ring’s community, it might be wiser for the game that follows it to simply reward this kind of understanding from the beginning. Instead of having players choose between classes which don’t even have any bearing after a certain amount of playtime, having either more control over stat distributions in character creation, or simply having everyone begin at the same level 1 starting point could bettercomplement the Soulslike genre.
Leaning Further into Respeccing
If the follow-up toElden Ringhas an emphasis on player choice over stats from the jump, having a limited number of respec items might not feel as cohesive. It’s already somewhat jarring that Larval Tears are finite, so making this a feature which simply costs currency or a renewable resource might sustain far more build experimentation. AsShadow of the Erdtree’s buildscontinue to see players transforming their approach around singular themes or even items, FromSoft would be wise to recognize the value of this versatility throughout an entire playthrough.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
WHERE TO PLAY
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
