Elden Ring Difficulty Analysis and Challenge Overview

Is Elden Ring Difficult? Definitely. But beyond "yes," it is not that straightforward. FromSoftware's giant open world is full of harsh combat, brutal bosses, and requires a lot of timing, patience, and adaptability from players. However, around half of Steam users have cleared Elden Ring (optimistically), which is pretty good in comparison to a lot of well-known AAA titles, if we were being honest with each other. Therefore, whether Elden Ring feels impossible or just difficult primarily relies on your gaming experience and how you choose to utilize the tools you are given. This guide will break down the pain points of early game through the much more difficult Shadow of the Erdtree* DLC for you to have a better understanding of what you will be dealing with come 2026.

Is Elden Ring Hard for New Players?

You will probably find that if you are new to Elden Ring, you will struggle initially. This is true for most Souls-like games as there is a learning curve and, while that curve will eventually reward you, it is going to be frustrating in the beginning. If you are coming from RPGs with heavy storylines or action games that are less demanding in terms of action gameplay and don't have long tutorials covering stamina control, you'll be experiencing a rude awakening when you get your first few hours into the game. Specifically, it will feel very disjointed and different, and you will find yourself getting crushed repeatedly by regular enemies because you are at a much lower level than they are.

Margit, the Fell Omen is typically the first thing you run into that blocks your path into the Stormveil Castle, and is usually the first major wall for many players. The game's actual challenge arrives with Margit as the most challenging initial fight in the game due to his combat style of using delayed and extended attacks. He is able to randomly create holy blades during a combo sequence, all while punishing any transitional rolls or spam attacks with extreme prejudice. This is where Elden Ring makes its introduction clearly to newer players in that adapting to the different fighting styles will be essential.

Elden Ring differs from previous FromSoftware games because there are various paths to take that you can take to remove these barriers. Instead of being stagnant just stuck at Margit destroying your character, after dying a hundred times, find Torrent and ride through Limgrave and into the Weeping Peninsula. Collect rune fragments, earn better gear, and return to Margit to crush him. This ability to explore freely is very impactful to the game's overall ability to beat it according to Steam achievement data shows that about 50% of people have been able to complete the base game at least once. While the average amounts of time spent by gamers in an individual playthrough is less than 50, the above statistic illustrates the fact that it is possible for even beginner players to complete their quest through exploration as opposed to attempting to overcome barriers continuously.

Why Elden Ring Is So Difficult

Many of the variables and mechanics are all compounding upon one another to create an atmosphere of pressure during historical development, and the combination of learning how to exploit these mechanics provides an opportunity for players to have a better chance of completing the game.

Players should note that both Stamina Management and Spacing are part of the calculation of almost every single encounter of the game. Players cannot continue to evade through dodging or to continue attacking indefinitely from the same stamina bar, so one mistake in either of these processes will result in a player being left vulnerable to Margit's melee attack because they did not have enough stamina to roll, block, or attack Margit again. Enemies tend to beat you up when they "win".

Rune loss adds a degree of stress. The moment you die, your runes will appear where you fell. In order to get your runes back, you have to run back to that spot without dying again. This creates real tension, particularly when you have enough runes to level up. It also contributes to players' frustration in a very human way. As soon as players become frustrated, they start rushing; when they rush, they often die again.

Also, the game offers very little quest and navigation guidance. If you completely miss an NPC quest line, accidentally wander into an area that you are not prepared for, or accidentally skip an essential item, Elden Ring doesn't really care. NPCs will give only vague hints, the map will provide little guidance, and there will be no objective markers as you would expect to find in an RPG to guide you to where to go. For some, that is part of the game's charm; for others, it just makes the whole experience much harder than it truly is.

Last but not least, the game has bosses that delay their actions to catch players off guard. This is one of FromSoftware's favorite tricks, and Elden Ring utilizes it even more than usual. Many bosses will hold their attacks an extra moment before they swing them, allowing you to dodge when you are actually supposed to be reacting to the real swing. You will need to get used to the timing of when the boss will hit you to fight them; by the time you have it down, the game will make much more sense.

Elden Ring is full of ways to make the game easier, which is not only an aspect of difficulty. Using these game modes can make the game more accessible.

• Spirit Ashes: Spirit Ashes can draw aggro, do damage, and provide openings to attack that are safer than going in alone. Mimic Tear and Black Knife Tiche are examples of Spirit Ashes that will be used more often. However, early summons like Lone Wolf Ashes can add significant additional help.

• Online Co-Op: Having other players help you tackle the boss fights can relieve some of the pressure for you. It costs 1 Furlcalling Finger Remedy to summon the additional player; however, a lot of players will find that to be a reasonable cost for the help they will receive.

• Overleveling: One of the most significant ways to reduce the overall game's difficulty has been to overlevel. If you are not able to defeat a boss, you can always leave and farm runes and come back with a stronger character.

• Weapon Upgrades: In many instances, upgrading the weapon will matter more than the base character level is. If you upgrade a weapon to +10 or +4 depending on the type of upgrade it has undergone, it could decrease your chances of dying while fighting against a boss.

• Exploration: Finding a new talisman, a weapon that is better than the one you currently possess, or a damage type that works more effectively than the others can greatly increase your chances of winning a fight.

One important tip is to get your Vigor (HP) up to at least 40 early to give you greater chances of surviving in the game. Many deaths in the game could be attributed more to having low HP than skills.

Elden Ring Difficulty Based Upon Playstyle

Not all players are experiencing the same game with regards to Elden Ring. Both your build as well as the way you can play will dictate how challenging of a game you have; therefore, some players make those adjustments to the difficulty of the game. Solo melee is the traditional experience, and it is also what most people think of when they ask if Elden Ring is hard. Playing this way puts a great deal of responsibility on you: you must have clean timing on your dodges, proper stamina control, an understanding of spacing, and a good knowledge of the boss's attacks. While the punish window exists, it is usually very small. For new players, it will be by far the hardest way to learn.

Magic/ranged builds are typically much easier than melee builds. Sorceries allow you to pressure enemies from a safe distance from their most dangerous attack range, and that will significantly affect how much you complete the game as is designed. However, playing ranged is not free; you have to manage your FP, deal with casting times, and not get interrupted. Furthermore, the later game bosses and DLC bosses typically close the distance much faster to prevent players from being able to play passively.

The biggest difficulty adjustment option within Elden Ring is using summons vs not using summons. Choosing not to use Spirit Ashes or type co-op when facing a boss is a valid choice if you wanted to introduce more of a challenge to yourself - but it's also acceptable if you decide to use them. There are no penalties for using these tools because the game has given them to you for that reason.

Base Game Difficulty

While the difficulty progression in Elden Ring is not linear, it is mostly linear and is appropriate. Players will encounter 3 areas of exploration based on difficulty level: Limgrave, Altus Plateau, and Leyndell, Royal Capital. While players have ample opportunity to over explore areas early on in Limgrave, throughout the mid to late game (during the legacy dungeon phases), players will progressively come across game bosses who will hit harder, take more damage, and string together longer combos. That’s why a lot of players feel like the game really spikes up at this point.

Then there’s Malenia, Blade of Miquella, who lives outside of the main road and clearly stands apart from the rest of the bosses. She isn’t a standard difficulty boss and is instead a skill check for players who want one of the hardest fights in the whole game. Her lifesteal on every hit, including blocked hits, shuts down a lot of typical defense habits and forces you to take a far more aggressive stance. On a PS5, only a small percentage of players have defeated her, which basically tells you all that you need to know about her.

Shadow of the Erdtree Difficulty

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which was released in 2024 and is the largest expansion to Elden Ring through 2026, is an entirely different kind of game. One of the biggest ringlets of this DLC is the Scadutree Blessing system which adds another layer of progression to the Shadow Realm. By collecting fragments of the Scadutree, you will increase both the amount of damage you deal, as well as the amount of damage you are protected from while playing against the DLC enemies.

If you go into this DLC without enough Scadutree Blessings, the experience can be astoundingly punishing. This is part of why the feedback was so polarizing after the game was released. Messmer the Impaler and Promised Consort Radahn are both extremely hard and relentless attackers and there is very little opportunity to reset. If you attempt those fights without having properly blessed yourself, they can feel overly punishing as they leave you feeling like they went from hard to "totally unfair."

Entry to the DLC itself is a filtering mechanism because you must defeat both Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood to be able to access the DLC. The expectation of baseline skill and progression within games is what defines your skill level at the time you arrive at the game; therefore, many seasoned Tarnished players have identified the DLC bosses as some of FromSoftware’s toughest work ever, with Promised Consort Radahn being considered by most as the hardest fight in all of Elden Ring.

ELDEN RING VS. OTHER SOULS GAMES (DIFFICULTY CONTINUUM)

Your place on the FromSoftware difficulty continuum is going to vary depending on the specific challenge that you struggle with the most.

Game	Primary Difficulty Driver/Challenge	Mitigation Availability
Elden Ring	Boss Variety; Non-Linear/Open World	Spirit Ashes; Co-op; Over Leveling
Dark Souls	Level Design; Enemy Placement	Methodical Gameplay; Shield Usage
Dark Souls II	Fast-Paced; More Aggressive Bosses	Estus Usage; Builds
Sekiro	Posture System with No Build Variety	Purely Skill Based; Parry Mastery
Bloodborne	More Aggressive Speed and Healing Mechanics	Trick Weapons; Chalice Dungeons

Elden Ring is often seen as a more approachable entry point for those new to FromSoftware games as compared to Dark Souls. Dark Souls tends to be harsher in different areas (e.g., there’s much tighter level design, longer runbacks, and less freedom), whereas you have complete freedom in an open world to pick another area if you find yourself struggling in a specific area. When you find a difficult area in Elden Ring, you can usually find a different location to level up and come back better prepared later. Compared to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Elden Ring has less mechanical demanding aspects, thus allowing for greater build variety, summoning, and overall level of completion compared to Sekiro. Sekiro limits the amount of freedom allowed when solving each problem as you can only learn how to acquire a parry and achieve an enemy's defense. This is the primary reason that Sekiro is still viewed as the leading game for melee difficulty.

Generalizing, Bloodborne provides an intermediate experience, as the fluidity of its combat and rate of fire allow for a more aggressive playstyle along with a regain system that rewards engaging after taking damage. This feels more natural for some compared to Elden Ring, which has a more methodical tempo with respect to timing and distance for hitting and avoiding attacks.

If we look at general accessibility, then Elden Ring is the easiest From Software title to complete for most players. This is mainly due to its open world design, co-op and tracing abilities, and ability to "level up" prior to major encounters. Regardless, the overall difficulty of Elden Ring is high compared to any action game currently on the market.

Helping you Start Out Easier if Elden Ring is Too Difficult

One impediment to success in Elden Ring is often due to the matchmaking system within the game. If you find that you are struggling to get past the beginning waves of enemies, here are a few simple tips that may help you break through the initial barriers.

1. Use the Vagabond or Samurai Classes

Both Vagabond and Samurai Class builds have superior durability, armor, and melee weapon choices than the other character types; therefore either class should help you succeed when using this route to fight this game.

1. Using Vigor Early

If you are unsure how to spend your character options for attribute points, then using Vigor is always the best option until approximately 20 levels or whenever you feel you have plenty of options to help you reach success.

1. Level Up Your Weapons before Chasing Notable Bosses

Starting out with standard smithing stones is helpful to make the transition from smith to warrior much less daunting. So, upgrading a weapon will help you deal more damage and increase your chances of getting shorter play times than attempting to upgrade your weapon to max.

1. Utilize Summoning with Less Guilt

While you may feel guilty using Spirit Ashes, these items are part of the overall game design and should not be considered an easy mode cheat; instead they are used as tools to help you learn how to survive in this game while also allowing you to progress further the more you use them.

Other items can assist you in your gameplay in Elden Ring, such as the Golden Scarab Talisman, which improves the efficiency of Rune Farming, and Rune Arcs, which provide additional support whenever you need additional help. No matter how difficult the game may be, the answer to how to overcome your difficulties will always relate to "playing better" and "utilizing all of the tools provided in the game."

Conclusion

Is Elden Ring difficult? Absolutely and as already stated, much more so than traditional modern action games. However, if you enter the game with an open mind, a willingness to learn new gameplay strategies, and a desire to experiment with new strategies, you will find that even with continued practice and patience, defeating enemies and becoming a better player will not be impossible. In addition, you will also find that every death will teach you something and over time; opportunities for improvement will become apparent.