10 Souls Series Features Fans Hope To See In Elden Ring, According To Reddit

Elden Ring is right around the corner, promising the mixture of a classic Dark Souls game journey within a brand-new, expansive open world. FromSoftware is famous for pioneering these types of experiences, defined by a few features that fans have grown to love.

While they continue to innovate systems of combat, exploration, story, and level design, there are still a few aspects of the Souls series that have become timeless. So timeless, in fact, that many players have expressed their desire to see them reimagined in Elden Ring‘s world.

Puzzle Bosses

Perhaps the most famous staple of the Souls series is the notoriously difficult boss fights that define the experience. While most boss fights are challenging due to the attack strength and move set of the opponent, some come with a more mechanical challenge.

Reddit user _Leeoon_ hopes to see “one really well-done puzzle boss” during the journey around Elden Ring. It’s always a welcome change of pace for the player to experience different enemy varieties, especially one that challenges the player’s mind more than their loadout.

Memorable NPCs

While the Souls games are not very heavy on traditional storytelling, they do have some of the best in-game characters that let the player piece together little bits of their background. From Sieglinde of Catarina to Solaire of Astora, they offer the player fun dialogue and even companionship along the way.

Redditor Equinfsw simply commented they want “memorable NPCs” to inhabit the world once again. There is no doubt that FromSoftware will be able to create more unique characters, especially given the new possibilities in an open-world setting.

Power Stance

Dark Souls II features a new element of combat in the form of the Power Stance. This ability allowed players to strike simultaneously with dual-wielding weapons at the cost of points dedicated towards more strength and dexterity.

Since then, it has not made a return to the series, but Reddit user Db5_16 wants “Power Stance from DS2” to once again be featured for combat. It has the potential to change the way players approach combat situations, so paired with a new gallery of Dark Souls-inspired weapons, it seems almost inevitable to come back.

Complex Level Design

One of the coolest features throughout FromSoftware’s games is the interconnectivity from one zone to another, creating the feeling of one fluid landscape. There is almost nothing more gratifying than unlocking a new pathway that rewards the player’s exploration and journey.

Redditor secondspassed describes a wish for “different variations on the route I can take through the game, like DS1 on steroids.” In an open-world setting, it will be interesting to see how From Software continues to astonish the community with clever pathways and hidden entrances.

A Sense Of Discovery

Another praise given to the Souls games was the environment they were able to craft with so many secrets and items to discover. The zones can feel truly uncharted, like an untamed land yet to be explored by any player before.

In fact, Redditor dmetcalfe34 points out that this sense of discovery “has always been more interesting to me than boss fights.” It goes to show that it’s not all about combat for some fans of the series, but rather the excitement of stepping into new lands that create a sense of wonder and constant surprise.

PVP

When playing online, all three of the Dark Souls games gave players the option to invade the worlds of other players. This gave them the chance to take down the player in a live duel, collecting treasures upon victory depending on the type of invasion.

This feature quickly became a fan-favorite feature-turned-staple of the series. User assassin10 says, “I just want whatever gets me into PvP the fastest.” For many skilled players, the AI is simply not enough of a challenge, so more PVP elements will grant them more replayability and mastery of the combat systems.

Better Bow Viability

While melee weapons have become the forefront of the series in terms of usage and effectiveness, other weapon types, like the bow, are less than desirable. They could be used, but never had great control or enough damage output to dedicate an entire playstyle to.

Redditor mynameisntreallykyle wants “better bow mechanics” to finally become a reality. At this point, they really do deserve an upgrade in terms of mechanics, controls, and effects. Ideally, it will allow players to create an entirely new build for certain boss encounters, rather than relying on the usual sword and shield.

Rich Lore

As mentioned earlier, the Dark Souls series does not tell its story through exposition and cutscenes, like most titles. Rather, the story is pieced together by the players through the interactions they have in and around each area, becoming more and more complex as new zones are unlocked.

Fans like fantalas want more of this “deep lore” to feature in Elden Ring. The lore within these games is actually some of the best environmental storytelling in all of gaming. The Lands Between is another perfect venue to showcase its history, inhabitants, and conflicts by way of subtle hints throughout the journey.

Character Classes

At the beginning of each Dark Souls game, players have the option to choose which class they wish to become, such as warrior, thief, sorcerer, and more. These classes dictate their starting loadout and a few available items to take during their quest.

According to Duv1995, the class system should be expanded upon “to affect dialogues and NPC questlines to some extent, and even the endings.” It’s a wonderful idea, as it can give Elden Ring the true feel of the best RPGs, adding more consequence and meaning behind decision-making right from the start.

Reallocation Of Stats

In order to encourage more experimentation, Dark Souls II introduced the concept of reallocating stat points across each ability, known as a “respec.” This allowed players to reinvest all earned points into new abilities without starting a brand new game from scratch.

With so many new combat features coming to Elden Ring, user heartlessphil agrees that “a way to re-allocate … stats” is absolutely necessary. If the enemy variety and strategy are as diverse as the Elden Ring gameplay trailers advertise, it should be the player’s ability to shift between playstyles at their will.