Exclusive: Miyazaki Confirms Unique Difficulty Scaling in Elden Ring DLC
New challenges await veterans in the forthcoming expansion
If you thought you had conquered Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC content with your 200-hour file and NG+ character, prepare for a whole new level of difficulty. Hidetaka Miyazaki, the mastermind behind FromSoftware’s highly acclaimed games, recently revealed in an exclusive interview with Famitsu that the expansion will introduce a unique progression system reminiscent of 2019’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, aimed at ramping up the challenge for both new and seasoned players.
Miyazaki explained that this new system is designed to give players the freedom to explore various areas and tackle challenging bosses in a non-linear fashion. By restraining the player’s attack power in specific expansion areas, similar to Sekiro’s mechanics, the DLC promises to deliver a heightened level of difficulty even to high-level Elden Ring veterans. Miyazaki’s interview, translated via Reddit and reported by GamesRadar, unveils the development team’s intention to create a compelling experience that demands player skill and strategy.
A New Leveling System to Test Your Mastery
In Sekiro, players couldn’t rely on the traditional level-up system found in other FromSoftware titles. Instead, they had to garner prayer beads from major bosses to enhance their character’s health and attack power. Progressing through Sekiro required players to rely on skill rather than grinding for experience points. Elden Ring’s expansion is poised to introduce a similar mechanic in the shadow lands of the Erdtree, potentially nullifying or overriding specific stats and attributing a new attack power solely for the DLC. While the exact details of Elden Ring’s expansion mechanics remain unclear, Miyazaki’s deliberate reference to Sekiro’s system offers a robust blueprint for what players can expect.
Possibly adopting a non-linear approach, players may embark on non-sequential boss battles and delve into dungeons, collecting the equivalent of prayer beads unique to the Elden Ring expansion to gradually level up. It’s speculated that the newfound strength gained within these expansion areas may not directly scale with other stats until players return to the base game’s version, allowing them to wreak havoc on opponents once again.
Preserving Challenge with Novel Gameplay
The introduction of this unique leveling system in the expansion will address the immense amount of time players have invested in Elden Ring, while still presenting a formidable challenge. Miyazaki’s commitment to capturing the sense of vulnerability and grandeur prevalent in the base game offers a promising return. Despite the increased difficulty, the objective is to strike a balance that feels challenging yet reasonable, preserving the essence that initially captivated players.
