The often goofy, tragi-comedy deaths inElden Ringmake failures a little less disheartening
The first thing you’ll usually hear about a FromSoftware orSouls-like game is its difficulty. It’s not an unfair characterization, as you will die many, many times playing these. I know I have. But every death inElden Ringhas felt a little lighter thanks to the absurd comedy it can often be.
To be fair, the tough parts ofSoulsgames have always inspired some laughs. Moments like gettingkicked off a ledge by a giant skeletonwere always a bit funny, in that “oh you got me FromSoft” kind of way.
Something aboutElden Ringjust feels like it lends itself well to the humor, though. Maybe it’s the open-world structure, where many more elements can interact than before, and combat encounters are less obviously signposted and cordoned-off. Maybe it’s the actual content itself;Elden Ringis full of enemies who are huge, angry, and able to wallop Tarnished to a pulp.
Bruh are you fr rn?@ELDENRINGpic.twitter.com/f6lDBFXMc4
— Moose (@nmoose2)May 20, 2025
Something about the way things can so quickly go south keeps me running back in. Earlier this afternoon, I took a “lunch break” (read:Elden Ringbreak) to check out a beacon that had been on my mind. When I dropped by, I saw a cart nearby, led by giants and escorted by a host of soliders.
“Easy enough,” I thought, in the same way Wile E. Coyote probably thought a roadrunner dinner would be a convenient snack. I swooped in on horseback, spear and fiery Faith magic in tow, ready to slaughter the lot of them and steal off with their treasure.
In the span of about 30 seconds, it all fell apart. I was running in circles, trying to re-summon my horse Torrent as a giant man on horseback galloped around, his blade whiffing over the top of my head. A legion of otherwise throwaway foes were now a slowly closing wall of doom. Oh, and I failed to notice the magical archers perched on the cliffs. Let’s just say they’re a sharper shot than you might think.
As horns blared out, alerting everyone in a five-mile radius that some Tarnished was trying to make off with their candlelit chest, I galloped off a cliff. Somehow, I didnotfall to my death. Just to a resting place directly in front of an enemy’s blade. It’s an important distinction.
Elden Ringis just funny at times. It’s a blend of physical comedy and best-laid-plans falling apart that I love. And the massive world ofElden Ring, with so many areas to explore and certain deaths to discover, feels tailor-made for it. Check out this clip fromDragon Agecreative director John Epler:
https://twitter.com/eplerjc/status/1498888301448556544
That’s good physical comedy. It’s the kind of laughsElden Ringis very, very good at creating.
The world ofElden Ring, like other FromSoft games, revolves around death. Outside of bosses and some special enemies, many of the enemies are just goofy henchmen, who will die and die again,just like us.
Just a year ago, I wrote about howHitmanalso has a comedic tone to it. Agent 47 is Bugs Bunny, always one step ahead of the clueless targets of his ire, waiting to bring down the opera house on top of them.
InElden Ring, I’m a bit more like Wile E. Coyote. Sure, one day I might catch that roadrunner. But I’m going to have a lot of catapults flip over on top of me first. And honestly, it’s kept me going as much as the excellent world and combat has. It’s fun to just experiment and wonder “what if,” and then find out. If it spells the end of my Tarnished, at least it was a good laugh.
