An most scrappy Elden Ring players.
Elden Ring is arguably the most approachable and accessible FromSoftware game, but it is by no means easy. Those who choose to take on The Lands Between and all of its threats are almost certain to struggle and fail at points thanks to the multitude of strong and menacing enemies. Players do have options at their disposal for easing the strain, however; there is the normal route of progression via collecting Runes (the game's currency) and spending them on stat increases; there is the option to summon friendly players and NPCs, and there are numerous buffs like the Great Runes and Flask of Wondrous Physick that provide an edge in combat. Mastering these buffs and honing skills can end up turning Elden Ring fights into movie-quality showdowns.
Hackers can by all this, however, and one such hacker was encountered by Reddit Key_Meaning_9036. Luckily, Key_Meaning_9036 was able to dispatch this fiendish player, reaping the reward of 22 million Runes. A post from this , which was first noticed by DualShockers, is plainly titled "I killed my first cheater in an invasion." In the comments of the post, Key_Meaning_9036 explains that they plan to throw the Runes away rather than spend them via the leveling process.
To anyone struggling with Elden Ring's difficulty, Key_Meaning_9036's decision here may be somewhat baffling; after all, many players sink hours into the game in an endeavor to level up. However, this raises an interesting question regarding the difficulty of the game. While features like Elden Ring's Summoning Ashes can make the game easier, 22 million Runes would completely break the experience. Elden Ring, like FromSoftware's other releases, puts a major focus on difficulty for the purpose of elevating its narrative and the feeling of satisfaction gained from overcoming its many challenges.
The issue of difficulty will always take up a lot of space when discussing FromSoftware games. Many will argue that, without accessibility options like an easy mode, cheating is the only recourse for gamers who find the challenge too hard and is thus an acceptable practice. The gaming world may never reach a consensus on this issue, but one statement shouldn't be too controversial: in a PvP scenario, cheating should definitely be discouraged.
Elden Ring is currently available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Source: Key_Meaning_9036/Reddit (via DualShockers)
