Summary
Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is rapidly approaching its release date after a long period of development. Among other new content, theShadow of the Erdtree DLC will introduce several new weapon typestoElden Ring, as well as new variety to the existing weapon types.
The premise of new weapon types alone is exciting forElden Ring’s first DLC. However, the new repeater crossbow weapon coming in this DLC is cause for concern regarding how this weapon will be balanced among other ranged weapons in the game.
Elden Ring’s Ranged Weapons Deserve A Buff
Bows, cannons, and otherranged weapons inElden Ringare arguably underwhelming compared to most other weapon types in the game. This mainly comes down to how slow these ranged weapons take to load/reload and how they generally aren’t capable of combo attacks. So, even though some of these weapons can potentially deal high damage with a single attack, following up with additional attacks is where these weapons fall short.
The main appeal of ranged weapons is that they allow players to attack enemies from a safe distance. While their projectiles can be easy to block or dodge, few enemies can retaliate with their own attacks from such a range. Consequently, this weapon type’s range advantage arguably justifies its low damage and slow fire rates so they’re all properly balanced.
Even though the existing ranged weapons inElden Ringare long overdue for a buff that the new repeater crossbow could potentially deliver, making this weapon overpowered could also be problematic. Ultimately, the new repeater crossbow, as well as any other new weapons coming in theShadow of the Erdtree DLCmust be properly balanced.
Elden Ring’s New Repeater Crossbow Could Be A Game-Changer For Ranged Builds
The new repeater crossbow weapon coming in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC already appears to have a clear advantage over the existing ranged weapons in the game. Specifically, the repeater crossbow’s ability to rapidly fire multiple shots could be enough to set it apart from any existing ranged weapons to the point where it could compete with some of thebest weapons inElden Ringoverall.
With enough successive attacks, even thebest shields inElden Ringcan be overwhelmed, leaving enemies vulnerable to a critical attack. So with the repeater crossbow rapidly shooting multiple projectiles, it will presumably be able to stagger enemies with more consistency than any other ranged weapon.
Additionally, the repeater crossbow’s rapid-fire behavior will potentially give it a slight advantage against enemies that aren’t equipped with a shield as well. In general, any ranged attack that has an ordinary projectile speed and pathing can be dodged by bosses inElden Ringor other agile enemies. Because the repeater crossbow shoots multiple projectiles, enemies that dodge the initial projectile may still get hit by some of the additional shots from this weapon’s burst fire, making it seemingly impossible for enemies to completely dodge its projectiles when a player locks onto them.
Elden Ring’s New DLC Weapons Shouldn’t Break The Game
Aside from how it will compare toElden Ring’s current PvE meta, the repeater crossbow and other new weapons from the DLC could create division amongElden Ring’s PvP community. If these new weapons give an unbalanced advantage to players who own the DLC, this could negatively impact the multiplayer experience for players who don’t own the DLC.
With the repeater crossbow seemingly having unique advantages over most of the existing ranged weapons, its overall damage has to balance out some of its other unique advantages. The state that ranged weapons inElden Ringare in is quite underwhelming, but introducing new ranged weapons that are overpowered is a slippery slope. Instead, future updates forElden Ringshould consider improving all ranged weapons to make them compete with other meta builds.
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ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
