Part two of my musing over the Elden Ring plat. Here’s part one. I ended that one by talking about how I’m not a min-maxer and I mostly just go by feel. I know there are people who live for that and I thank them for their diligence because I can check out the stats on the wikis in a pinch. But for me, I’d rather just play and maybe do suboptimal damage, but not caring because it’s fun. With that said, let’s continue my recitation of the plat run.
There was a boss I had discounted as an actual boss in the march towards the finish. It’s Gideon Ofnir, who was a piece of cake in both NG playthroughs. I got him on the first try the first time and the second try the second time (and it only took two because he has a blast effect that can insta-kill me). I had no reason to think it’d be much different on try three, but it was. In part because I could not summon my Mimic Tear for whatever reason the first time I tried. So I went solo a few more times and got slaughtered. He has all the magicks at his fingertips (though, fun fact, he can only use specific boss magicks if you tell him about them back at the Roundtable Hold), and he can spam them over and over and over again. He has no FP restrictions nor any stamina bar, apparently. And you can’t summon for him. At least I don’t think you can.
I was getting nervous. Until I tried out Wolf’s Assault on him after summoning my Mimic Tear. I just spammed Wolf’s Assault over and over again, and he could not do a damn thing. This was on the fifth or so try, and I got him easy-peasy. One of those times, I feel like he summoned a big version of himself, but I’m not sure that actually happened or it’s just my brain.
Godfrey/Horah Loux/big lion was up next. I didn’t have a problem with him in my first playthrough and got him in two with my Mimic Tear. I had more of a problem with him in my second playthrough, but still got him in three or four with summons. NG+ was harder. His stamp that goes across the whole arena got me almost every time. It was irritating as fuck, but it still only took five or so times with summons.
Then, it was time for the final boss. Radagon of the Golden Order and the Elden Beast. I was nervous because the first time I fought them, I did the cheese on the Radagon part of the fight before knuckling down and beating the Elden Beast with the Mimic Tear by my side. Then, I got a summon on my second playthrough who did the work. I actually summoned two people, but one died during the Radagon portion of the fight.
On NG+, theoretically, it should not have been harder to find a summon. But, the bosses would have more health because it was NG+ and I’m assuming proportionally more in addition to the bump they get for summoning. I got someone fairly easily and Radagon/Elden Beast wasn’t no thing. Seriously. My summon was a beast, pun intended, and demolished Radagon/Elden Beast by themselves. I helped, yes, but I was very much ancillary to the fight.
I was so happy that it was painless given the high number of assholes I’d summoned in previous fights who noped out halfway through. Honestly, they were my biggest obstacle to the plat so I was relieved with the fantastic summons who finished the fights for me.
How many bosses did I fight to get there? Let’s see. Margit, Goddrick, Red Wolf of Radagon, Rennala, Draconic Tree Sentinel, Godfrey (Golden Shade), Morgott, Fire Giant, Noble Duo, Beast Clergyman/Maliketh, Gideon, Godfrey/Horah Loux, and Radagon/Elden Beast. Thirteen. That’s all you need to fight to finish the main storyline. Which took me fifteen hours or so.
Way back when, before the game was released, a FromSoft spokesman said that it would take 30 hours to finish the main storyline. It was repeated as if it were engraved in gold. We all had a hearty laugh because that was so clearly not true. But, it is indeed possible once you know what you’re doing, are in NG+ to have fully upgraded gear and being over-leveled, and can just hoon it to the end with a little help from your friends. That’s a lot of qualifiers, but it’s true. And I dicked around a bit here and there, so I could have done it in less time. I went in with the intention of beelining it for the end, but as always, I started doing the side bits.
I thought it would take longer, but once I got going, I breezed through it. It was so easy, especially in the beginning, that I was constantly amazed by how little resistance there was. Obviously, I didn’t get to see much of NG+, but there wasn’t much more to it. I do wonder if there are secrets I didn’t see because I skipped so much of it.
I’m a bit lost, I’ll be honest. The game consumed me for so long, I don’t quite know what to do now. In addition, while I was happy to get that final achievement, I wasn’t elated because I had already considered it mine. The only reason I didn’t have it earlier is because the save-scumming cheese strat didn’t work on Steam. I’m not saying it doesn’t work on Steam in general, but it didn’t for me. I tried for a few hours to make it work, but it did not.
It broke my heart because I had taken such pains to get the plat in one playthrough, which is unlike me. I don’t even look at the achievements before I start playing a game. Which, whatever. It’s neither here nor there. Nor do I really look at them during my first playthrough, either. Actually, I don’t look at all because I didn’t even think about platting the Souls games until I watched Krupa plat the first one.
With Elden Ring, though , I had to at least take a peek as I got near the end of my first playthrough. When I realized I could get the plat on one playthrough, it was on. I painstakingly got all the bits and bobs I needed to get the plat in one playthrough. I stated above the one putative obstacle that turned out not to be a problem.
Somehow, it was twice as heartbreaking not to get it in one when I planned ahead so carefully. I actually had to mentally shift my thinking, which took a day, in order to get over not officially having the plat after one playthrough.
Now that I’m done, I really don’t know what to do with the hours I suddenly have free. Maybe I’ll play some Cozy Grove (Spry Fox). They’ve announced a sequel and what a way to get back into it. For now, I’ll just savor my Elden Ring plat and consider it a job well done.