🔗 Share this article

Having spent time with this acclaimed title, or just about any third-person combat game, you're probably well-versed in the glorious mechanic known as the “rolling dodge.” This defensive move lets your avatar to perform a forward, sideways, or backward ground roll to avoid any enemy attacks and move away from opponents. Seems useful, doesn't it?

The evasion roll, nevertheless, has gotten a lot of flak, and not only as a result of the somersault; it's been called unintelligent, a cheap tactic, and an implausible action — and sometimes, I concur. You should see me rolling around local Doppler gangs in another popular RPG — untouchable! But Elden Ring's dodge roll stands as the roll to outdo all previous dodge rolls, and here's the reason.

For this particular game, the designers identified an excellent method to counter all sentiments claiming the maneuver is too easy: just grant each opponent overwhelming force, increase it further, and all heroes who dares come near them will be eternally grateful for their dodge-roll ability, myself included. When the stakes are this high, evading successfully seems like an accomplishment, rather than a cheap trick.

No alternative avoidance technique in the game comes close to this sense of satisfaction and reliability, because swift moves don't cover much ground and guard stances are readily overcome by tough opponents. One player advised hopping as the main game dodging technique, but in addition to lacking ideal movement, It wasn't clear to me getting my skull smashed in might boost my prospects of beating enemies (skill issue, perhaps).

Perfecting the Skill

Although the rolling dodge offers respite in an incredibly challenging experience, it isn't without skill. To begin with, Elden Ring's dodge roll just activates a window of invulnerability following you stop pressing the evasion key, which stops a hasty, frantic retreat from perilous circumstances. Additionally, although it may move you aside from enemies, it's significantly more useful to use it as an opportunity to move nearer, ideally to their rear, and strike blows. And, finally, you must still comprehend and predict opponent moves, as dodging at the start of an extended wind-up may end your invincibility before the blow lands… resulting in severe damage.

A Well-Designed Feature

While dodge-rolling in rapid sequence might seem rather absurd (kudos to the Witcher anew), this isn't really an option in Elden Ring. Certainly, that fails to transform it into a realistic combat move — which is precisely why it would be terrifying to witness it in a title like a realism-focused RPG — but this is a dazzling imaginative experience being considered, thus why worry?

Comparable to any well-executed dodge roll, this title's rolling animation is improved by a brief tumbling leap at the beginning, offering a lively impression as opposed to placing the avatar downward. According to your loadout, the maneuver might appear super agile or moderately cumbersome, however, it's consistently faster and more fluid than the evasion moves found in the earlier games. Certainly, you could plant your big blade on the floor when wielding such equipment, but that's on you for failing to use alternative arms (Just kidding — steer clear of the game with projectile weapons).

The Perfect Balance

Elden Ring's dodging mechanic forms an optimal harmony between challenge and opportunity, granting chances of triumph while endangering that very prospect at the tiniest misstep. Perfect this move, and you'll be rewarded with not just victory, but satisfaction.