For those who have experienced this acclaimed title, or nearly any 3D action game, chances are you're well-versed in the glorious feature known as the “rolling dodge.” This avoidance maneuver allows your character to carry out a forward, sideways, or backward somersault to dodge incoming harm and create distance from foes. Appears practical, doesn't it?
The evasion roll, though, has received significant backlash, and not only because of the rolling; it's been called foolish, a cop-out, and an implausible action — and occasionally, I agree. You should see me somersaulting past hostile mobs in another popular RPG — they can't hit me! But the title's rolling dodge represents the evasion to outdo all previous rolling dodges, and I'll tell you why.
For this particular game, the developers found a clever approach to address all opinions suggesting the technique is not challenging enough: simply give each opponent excessive power, multiply it, and each player character who approaches them will appreciate deeply thanks to their rolling skill, I'm no exception. With so much on the line, successfully rolling to victory seems like an accomplishment, instead of an unfair advantage.
No other evasion method in the game matches this level of gratification and reliability, as quick dashes offer limited distance and guard stances get quickly shattered by powerful foes. One player advised jumping as a go-to Elden Ring dodging technique, but aside from not providing ideal movement, I couldn't understand how receiving a fatal blow would improve my chances of beating enemies (lack of skill, maybe).
Learning the Move
But even though the dodge roll grants reprieve in an incredibly challenging experience, it isn't without skill. To begin with, the game's rolling dodge just activates a window of invulnerability once you release the dodge button, which stops a hasty, frantic retreat from dire situations. Moreover, although it may transport you away from foes, it's much better to employ it as a chance to get closer, preferably behind the opponent, and deliver attacks. And, finally, you must still grasp and foresee foe assaults, as dodging at the start of a prolonged preparation could conclude your immunity prior to the hit connecting… causing significant harm.
A Harmonious System
Even though rolling-dodging in rapid sequence may look a bit ridiculous (credit to Geralt once more), this isn't practically possible in the game. Of course, that doesn't render it a plausible battle technique — the very cause why it would be dreadful to experience it in a product like a historical simulation — however, this is a dazzling imaginative experience we're talking about, so who cares?
Like any proper evasion move, this title's dodge motion is spruced up with a little somersault-y hop at the commencement, providing a dynamic sensation as opposed to dropping the character onto the ground. Based on your equipment, the move can feel super agile or moderately cumbersome, yet it's always faster and more fluid than the dodge rolls used in the earlier games. True, you could plant your large weapon into the ground while equipped with it, but that's your own fault for not just playing ranged weapons (In jest — don't play Elden Ring using ranged options).
Ideal Equilibrium
The game's avoidance feature establishes an ideal equilibrium between obstacle and possibility, granting chances of triumph while risking the loss of that hope at the slightest mistake. Learn this skill, and you'll be rewarded with more than triumph, but fulfillment.
