One of the best ways to experience Elden Ring they may be struggling with - but the option of having a permanent co-op save could make it even better.
Elden Ring, the latest title from Dark Souls and Bloodborne developer FromSoftware, sees players take on the role of a Tarnished in a fantasy setting called the Lands Between. Elden Ring's lore was developed with the involvement of Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin, with players encountering all manner of creatures and fantasy staples as a number of different warrior archetypes, plucked from multiple eras of real-world history. Elden Ring, like its predecessors, is extremely difficult, but it also provides multiple resources for players who may find certain encounters difficult - one of them being co-op.
Although FromSoftware's latest title arguably works best when players are on their own, toiling as a Tarnished against the unending hordes of ruthless enemies that roam the Lands Between, there are ways that Elden Ring's co-op and summoning enhances the experience. Playing with friends is a big plus, but summoning strangers can also lead to wholesome interactions, as well as the opportunity to look at another cool-looking player and how they tackle a given boss or group of enemies. Elden Ring and previous Souls games are an exercise in learning and adapting, and though co-op provides a way of brute-forcing through more difficult foes, it can also help newer players to improve. Still, these cooperative interactions are usually brief; summoned Tarnished return to their own world after a boss or significant foe has been vanquished, and in order to continue playing in the same world they have to be summoned again.
How Shared Worlds Could Change Elden Ring Co-Op
Elden Ring recaptures Dark Souls' thrill of the unknown and, like that game, is uniquely compelling to play solo. The sense of satisfaction and accomplishment derived from felling enemies solo is gratifying, but there's another way to play Elden Ring that emphasizes shared discovery; it can be just as fun to explore the Lands Between with a friend as opposed to playing alone, but there are certain features co-op prohibits. The ability to summon spirits is justifiably removed, but so too is Torrent, the faithful horse companion who is essential to traversing Elden Ring's massive world in good time. Summoned players also boast a reddish glow when in another Tarnished's world - a minor aesthetic difference, but one that makes them feel slightly out of place. A shared world would logically change both these elements, and enable up to three Tarnished to explore the Lands Between together at all times.
Ultimately, it's understandable as to why co-op in Elden Ring is only temporary. Bosses are much easier to defeat with allies, and part of the charm of the Souls games is that sense of solo adventure. Equally, though, there's a completely different kind of enjoyment that can be derived from sharing that experience with other players. Shared worlds dedicated to co-op play would enable players to progress through the game together and remain at a similar level, as opposed to the current system which may match a higher leveled Tarnished with one who has little experience. This would also eliminate the need for friends to have to constantly alternate between being summoned or doing the summoning if they plan on lengthy co-op sessions together.
Elden Ring's multiplayer and summoning elements enhance its experience in multiple ways, whether it's the messages left behind by other players or the ability to play online with friends and strangers. It helps convey the idea that, although not always together, there are countless other Tarnished also toiling and striving to overcome the next enemy or area, and that they're there to everyone doing the same thing. That in itself affords Elden Ring another layer of unique charm, but going one step further with a shared world would provide another way for players to experience its majestic setting.
