The Game's Rolling Dodge Merits Recognition

Having spent time with this acclaimed title, or nearly any 3D action game, you're probably familiar with the fantastic feature called the “evasion roll.” This evasion technique allows your character to perform a forward, sideways, or backward ground roll to avoid any enemy attacks and create distance from the bad guy. Sounds handy, right?

The evasion roll, nevertheless, has gotten a lot of flak, not simply as a result of the somersault; some have dubbed it foolish, a cop-out, and an unbelievable technique — and occasionally, I see the point. Picture me rolling around local Doppler gangs in The Witcher 3 — can't touch this Geralt! But Elden Ring's rolling dodge is the dodge roll to surpass every other evasion moves, and here's the reason.

Regarding this title, the creators discovered an excellent method to address all opinions that the move is too easy: merely bestow every enemy excessive power, multiply it, and each player character who ventures close them will feel immensely thankful thanks to their rolling skill, me included. When the stakes are this high, pulling off a perfect dodge feels like an achievement, not a cheat.

No different defensive move in Elden Ring approaches this feeling of accomplishment and reliability, since rapid sprints offer limited distance and guard stances get quickly shattered by powerful foes. Someone once recommended hopping as the main Elden Ring evasion method, but besides failing to offer ideal movement, I didn't see how taking a crushing hit might boost my prospects of defeating bosses (inexperience, possibly).

Learning the Move

But even though the dodge roll provides relief in an incredibly challenging experience, it isn't without skill. To begin with, this title's rolling dodge only triggers a window of invulnerability following you stop pressing the roll control, which prevents a hasty, frantic retreat from dangerous scenarios. Moreover, although it may transport you away from foes, it's far more effective to utilize it as a moment to advance, optimally at their back, and strike blows. In conclusion, it remains necessary to understand and anticipate enemy attacks, as dodging at the start of a long charging animation might terminate your protection prior to the hit connecting… which will seriously hurt.

A Harmonious System

While dodge-rolling in rapid sequence could appear somewhat silly (kudos to the Witcher anew), this isn't practically possible in Elden Ring. Naturally, that fails to transform it into a believable fighting maneuver — the very cause why it would be pure horror to witness it in a title like Kingdom Come: Deliverance — but this is a dazzling imaginative experience under discussion, therefore, it doesn't matter?

Similar to any respectable rolling dodge, the game's dodge motion is enhanced with a brief tumbling leap at the beginning, giving it an energetic feel rather than placing the avatar onto the ground. Based on your equipment, the move can feel extremely nimble or relatively slow, but it remains quicker and smoother than the rolling dodges found in the previous titles. True, you could plant your big blade into the ground when wielding such equipment, but that's your own fault for avoiding ranged weapons (I'm joking — don't play Elden Ring using ranged options).

Ideal Equilibrium

This title's dodging mechanic establishes an ideal equilibrium between challenge and opportunity, offering hope of victory while threatening to take that hope away at the slightest mistake. Learn this skill, and you'll be rewarded with not just victory, but satisfaction.