FromSoftware's Rolling Dodge Merits Praise

For those who have experienced Elden Ring, or nearly any action-adventure title, chances are you're well-versed in the fantastic feature called the “evasion roll.” This evasion technique allows your character to perform a front, lateral, or rearward somersault to avoid any enemy attacks and create distance from foes. Seems useful, right?

The evasion roll, however, has received plenty of criticism, and not just due to the tumbling; it's been called unintelligent, a cop-out, and an implausible action — and sometimes, I concur. Picture me somersaulting past nearby enemy groups in The Witcher 3 — can't touch this Geralt! But the title's rolling dodge represents the evasion to surpass every other rolling dodges, and I'll tell you why.

In Elden Ring's case, the designers identified a clever approach to address all opinions that the move is too easy: just grant each opponent excessive power, increase it further, and every Tarnished who dares come near them will feel immensely thankful thanks to their rolling skill, I'm no exception. Given the intense difficulty, evading successfully comes across as a triumph, instead of an unfair advantage.

No other evasion method in the game comes close to this sense of satisfaction and reliability, because swift moves don't cover much ground and guard stances are readily overcome by strong enemies. One player advised jumping as a go-to game evasion method, but besides failing to offer optimal placement, It wasn't clear to me taking a crushing hit would improve my chances of overcoming challenges (inexperience, possibly).

Mastering the Technique

But even though this evasion move provides relief in an otherwise brutal game, it isn't without skill. Firstly, this title's evasion move only triggers a period of immunity following you let go of the dodge button, which hinders a hasty, frantic retreat from dangerous scenarios. Additionally, although it may move you aside from enemies, it's significantly more useful to utilize it as a moment to move nearer, ideally to their rear, and land some hits. In conclusion, you still need understand and anticipate enemy attacks, because rolling prematurely of a long charging animation might terminate your protection prior to the hit connecting… which will seriously hurt.

A Well-Designed Feature

While dodge-rolling in quick succession may look a bit ridiculous (kudos to the Witcher anew), this isn't really an option in Elden Ring. Naturally, that still doesn't make it a realistic combat move — exactly the reason it would be dreadful to see it in a game like Kingdom Come: Deliverance — but this is a spectacular magical game under discussion, therefore, it doesn't matter?

Comparable to any well-executed evasion move, this title's dodge motion is spruced up with a small acrobatic jump at the beginning, providing a dynamic sensation instead of dropping the character downward. Depending on your gear, the maneuver might appear extremely nimble or relatively slow, but it remains swifter and more seamless than the dodge rolls found in the earlier games. Certainly, you may embed your large weapon in the dirt if you're carrying one, but that's on you for failing to use alternative arms (In jest — avoid using Elden Ring using ranged options).

Ideal Equilibrium

This title's evasion system forms an optimal harmony between difficulty and chance, providing prospects of success while endangering that very prospect at the tiniest misstep. Perfect this move, and you'll gain not only success, but fulfillment.

Lisa Lopez
Lisa Lopez

A passionate gaming journalist and esports analyst with over a decade of experience covering industry trends and competitive gaming events.

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