And god help me, I'll probably do it all again. I felt like I needed a cigarette and a vacation after watching the credits roll – and I don't even smoke, plus I just took a vacation to play Elden Ring. It's the most draining experience I've had with a game in ages. I don't know if it was just open-world fatigue compounded by the mental toll of spending 100 hours in FromSoftware's madhouse, but that last act hit me harder than the conclusion of any other Souls game, and I've played 'em all. The adventure has officially stopped now it's time for the final exam. It's like FromSoftware was holding back their toughest leg-breakers all game, then they sent all of them to your front door to collect right as you approached the finish line. I stand by Elden Ring being more approachable than FromSoftware's other games, but my last few hours with it took more out of me than the previous 100. Trading blows is off the table, and good luck finding a quiet moment to heal. Maliketh, my favorite boss, is similar in that one hit from his bloody blade can trap you in a lethal combo or burn you down to cinders. His massive shockwaves and purposefully slowed grab animations demand some of the tightest timing in FromSoftware's entire wheelhouse, and he'll eviscerate you for a single mistimed roll. Godfrey is an even bigger dodge punisher. On top of that, most of his attacks deal massive, staggered AoE, so you can't comfortably dodge anywhere in his field of view. Radagon can straight-up negate a lot of spells and dish out a lethal parry in response, plus his constant teleports often prohibit ranged play. You've still got spirits and players available to help you here, but the final bosses of Elden Ring counter a lot of the tactics that can carry you through the rest of the game. Maliketh, Godfrey, and Radagon have uniquely brutal abilities of their own, and their unbridled aggression forces you to play extremely carefully. The Elden Beast is a more straightforward, smack-its-ankles behemoth, but it's got some frankly busted spells up its sleeve. Everyone’s first Souls game is the hardest in their eyes. With the exception of Malenia – the hardest boss FromSoftware's ever made, for my money, and likely one of the only optional bosses you'll have left at this point in the game – I'd say they're among the hardest bosses in Elden Ring. Answer: If you’re just starting out, pretty much EVERY souls game is hard. ![]() To put it mildly, these four are not easy. The elite four of Elden Ring are a more devious surprise, and an unflinching reminder of how FromSoftware operates. But four? At least Sekiro had the decency to put some distance between the likes of the Demon of Hatred and Isshin the Sword Saint, and besides, I knew what I signed up for with that game. ![]() Most Souls games end with a punishing boss, or at worst two. In a vacuum, I don't think any of these bosses are harder than the legendary name-takers in FromSoftware's previous games, but they're an enormous hurdle altogether, and running into them all at once after such a long and relatively chill journey makes it so much more jarring. Do you know how painful something has to be to make you miss this? (Image credit: Bandai Namco)
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