Summary
FromSoftware has evolved as a developer from all the way back in theKing’s Fieldera to the modernElden RingandArmored Coretitles. In this process, the developer has continued to take old concepts that might not have originally landed well and found new ways to introduce them, with the Omenkiller inthe Village of the Albinauricscompletely reinventing a fight that had been criticized inDark Souls.
The rework seen inElden Ringcomes as a response to the Capra Demon boss in the originalDark Souls, which has often been highlighted as one of the worst bosses in the series. Regardless, this new version of an old boss elevates greatly from the original as the Omenkiller takes more than just a moveset from the Capra Demon in order to reinvent this wheel.
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An Omenkiller and their Dogs
One of the biggest similarities between the Omenkiller and Capra Demon fights doesn’t just come from the movesets or weapons, but in the way that both bosses come with backup. However, while the dogs included in theCapra Demon fight inDark Soulshave been one of the aspects that is the most harshly criticized, these same enemies appearing alongside the Omenkiller are far less frustrating. In part, this is becauseElden Ringregularly pits players against bosses with extra enemies or companions, while this same can’t be said for the majority ofDark Soulsleading up to Lower Undead Burg.
Another change from the Capra Demon to the Omenkiller comes in the form of an NPC that can be summoned ahead of the fight in the Village of the Albinaurics. While it is possible to not have access to the NPC summonNepheli Louxby the time the Omenkiller is challenged, having help available can completely change how players engage with this aggressive boss and its backup. Then there are always the Spirit Ash summons that can give players a major upper hand across the many bosses similar to Omenkiller that come with their own backup.
Elden Ring Places the Pack in a Village Square
The main aspect of the Capra Demon that is highlighted as a criticism inDark Soulsis not the inclusion of the dogs specifically, but how all three enemies are shoved into a tiny room that the camera struggles to deal with. This is where the Omenkiller really manages to improve on the original design, by simply giving the player the space needed to properly dodge and move around the arena. In fact, there are very fewlocations acrossElden Ringwhere the arenas themselves are quite as small as the original Capra Demon’s fight.
Of course, while this additional space removes some of the problems of the original fight, it also proves to simplify the encounter with Omenkiller and make the boss much easier than the previous variant. This then gives developer FromSoftware a difficult task tokeepElden Ringchallengingwhile reworking some of the more unfair ways that older games were as hard as they were. So, the Omenkiller has been given a handful of new attacks onto the double great-machete moveset that the boss inherits from the Capra Demon, along with a much more aggressive AI.
When comparing the Omenkiller and the original Capra Demon, the similarities are immediately clear, but this new fight is an improvement on essentially every level. Not only is the arena where the Omenkiller fight is held much fairer than the Capra Demon’s, but the new boss is also a tougher challenge on its own regardless of the extra space to maneuver. It is only one of many ways thatElden Ringshowcases the ways that FromSoftware has continued topolish theSoulsborneformulawith every new entry.
Elden Ringis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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