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Having spent time with this acclaimed title, or just about any action-adventure title, chances are you're acquainted with the wonderful mechanic known as the “dodge roll.” This defensive move enables your hero to carry out a forward, sideways, or backward ground roll to evade incoming harm and gain space from the bad guy. Appears practical, doesn't it?

The dodge roll, however, has gotten significant backlash, and not just because of the rolling; it's been called dumb, a cop-out, and an implausible action — and occasionally, I concur. Picture me tumbling about hostile mobs in another popular RPG — can't touch this Geralt! But Elden Ring's dodge roll stands as the roll to surpass every other evasion moves, and here's the reason.

For this particular game, the creators discovered a clever approach to address all opinions that the move is too easy: just grant every enemy overwhelming force, increase it further, and each player character who ventures close them will feel immensely thankful because of their evasion move, me included. With so much on the line, evading successfully seems like an accomplishment, not a cheat.

No different defensive move in Elden Ring matches this level of gratification and reliability, because swift moves provide minimal movement and blocking attempts get quickly shattered by powerful foes. One player advised hopping as the main game evasion method, but aside from not providing perfect repositioning, I couldn't understand how receiving a fatal blow might boost my prospects of overcoming challenges (lack of skill, maybe).

Mastering the Technique

Although the dodge roll grants reprieve in a famously difficult title, it isn't without skill. Firstly, the game's dodge roll only triggers a frame of protection once you let go of the roll control, which stops a rapid, fearful withdrawal from perilous circumstances. Moreover, although it may transport you away from foes, it's significantly more useful to employ it as a chance to advance, ideally to their rear, and land some hits. In conclusion, you still need grasp and foresee enemy attacks, as dodging at the start of a prolonged preparation might terminate your protection before the blow lands… causing significant harm.

A Harmonious System

Even though rolling-dodging in rapid sequence could appear somewhat silly (kudos to the Witcher anew), this isn't practically possible in Elden Ring. Certainly, that fails to transform it into a believable battle technique — the very cause why it would be pure horror to see it in a game like a historical simulation — but this is a spectacular magical game we're talking about, thus why worry?

Like any proper dodge roll, Elden Ring's evasion sequence is improved by a small acrobatic jump at the beginning, providing a dynamic sensation as opposed to plopping the player downward. According to your loadout, the technique may seem super agile or relatively slow, however, it's consistently faster and more fluid than the dodge rolls featured in the previous titles. True, you will stick your big blade into the ground when wielding such equipment, but that's your responsibility for not just playing a crossbow (Just kidding — avoid using the game with a crossbow).

Optimal Harmony

The game's dodging mechanic establishes an ideal equilibrium between challenge and opportunity, offering hope of victory while risking the loss of that hope at the tiniest misstep. Perfect this move, and you'll obtain more than triumph, but fulfillment.