After Elden Ring, From Software Should Leave One Obscure Feature Behind (2024)

After Elden Ring, FromSoftware’s next project in the Soulslike genre they famously created currently remains unknown. Whatever FromSoftware’s next Souls game after Elden Ring is, be it a sequel or a new IP, it should arguably leave one of the studio’s most obscure features behind. Specifically, future FromSoftware Souls games should consider doing away with their co-op multiplayer barriers and forced PvP.

While Soulslike games are typically known for their steep difficulty curves, Elden Ring notably introduces plenty of new features that help to make the game’s difficulty more subjective and accessible. However, the barriers to co-op multiplayer in Elden Ring that have been passed down from the studios’ previous games stick out like a sore thumb now more than ever because of this. It might be worth adopting a more mainstream approach to co-op multiplayer in FromSoftware’s future Soulslike games.

The Case for FromSoftware to Retire Invasion Multiplayer from Future Souls Games

From Software Should Take Notes from Elden Ring’s Modding Community

In order to play co-op in Elden Ring, players are forced to open up their game to PvP Invaders, which can be a pretty risky trade-off. This has been a recurring feature in FromSoftware’s Soulslike games that came before Elden Ring, so it’s generally become a normalized convention of the genre by now, at least among longtime fans of Soulslike games. However, many players have turned to community mods for Elden Ring to circumvent this feature, as well as other restrictive barriers set in place when playing Elden Ring co-op — specifically, by using the Seamless Co-op mod.

Currently, the Seamless Co-op mod created by LukeYui is the all-time most popular mod for Elden Ring on Nexus Mods, with over 3.5 million total downloads and 37 thousand endorsem*nts. So considering how popular this community mod for Elden Ring has become, FromSoftware should consider making changes to how co-op multiplayer and invasion PvP works in future Soulslike games.

Elden Ring’s Forced PvP Sticks Out Like a Sore thumb

Elden Ring’s invasion PvP can lead to some exciting battles, funny encounters, or both, though this doesn’t justify the game forcing players into PvP in what’s otherwise a single-player or cooperative game. Originally, one of Elden Ring’s NPC questlines required players to participate in invasion PvP to progress. However, the forced PvP in this questline was later made optional. So in hindsight, it’s time that this change came to Elden Ring’s invasion PvP altogether.

While the past FromSoftware games might have relied on invasion multiplayer to maintain the game’s PvP community, Elden Ring seemingly doesn’t have to do this anymore because of the game’s overall popularity. Given that there’s already a dedicated community that supports the other forms of PvP in Elden Ring, it might be for the best to retire invasion PvP going forward, or otherwise make it an optional feature for players who prefer the original experience.

Dying in the Lands Between is typically only ever a minor setback, considering that players can farm runes in Elden Ring to make up for any lost progress. Still, though, PvP isn’t for everyone, let alone Elden Ring’s invasion PvP, which can be an unwelcome surprise that pits players against uneven opponents. Future FromSoftware games don’t have to entirely remove invasions, but making them optional could improve players' experience in Elden Ring without having to rely on community mods.

Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set in a world co-created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the influential Dark Souls video game series, and George R.R. Martin, the author of the best-selling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. This collaboration between two renowned creators has resulted in FromSoftware's largest game to date, filled with danger and discovery at every turn. Hidetaka Miyazaki, president and game director of FromSoftware, has a history of directing highly acclaimed games in franchises such as Armored Core and Dark Souls.

Platform(s)

PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC

Released

February 25, 2022

Developer(s)

From Software

Publisher(s)

Bandai Namco Entertainment , From Software

Genre(s)

RPG , Action

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op , Online Multiplayer

Engine

Proprietary

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

How Long To Beat

58 Hours

Metascore

96

Platforms That Support Crossplay

PS4 &PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S

PS Plus Availability

N/A

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