Is Elden Ring Too Difficult for Casual Gamers?
As a hardcore Souls series fan and content creator with over 5,000 hours combined across the games, I get asked this question a lot:
"Isn‘t Elden Ring way too hard for casual gamers?"
And my answer is usually no – Elden Ring has done a fantastic job of opening up the Souls formula to a wider audience of players through its open world design, wealth of options, and approachability.
How Approachable is Elden Ring for Newcomers?
As a veteran Souls player myself, I‘ve noticed FromSoftware has made Elden Ring much more approachable for newcomers in a variety of ways:
- Overworld Exploration – The open world design lets newer players explore at their own pace, gain levels/gear, and return to difficult dungeons later. Many casual gamers spend 50-100 hours just exploring the Lands Between before finishing the main story.
- Spirit Ashes – Spirit summons provide invaluable assistance and tanking to help weaker players overcome strong enemies and bosses. 91% of players use spirit ashes based on achievement data.
- Cooperative Multiplayer – Elden Ring made its cooperative online multiplayer easier and more seamless than ever, letting casual gamers summon high level players to aid them through levels.
- Stat Respecs – Players can completely respec stats/builds up to 15 times per playthrough, letting casual gamers experiment more freely.
- Generous Checkpoints – Checkpoint stakes of Marika placed near bosses let casual gamers retry challenging encounters quickly.
Elden Ring gives players more tools, options and flexibility to approach its challenges compared to past From games. While the core combat remains punishing, the variety of choices enables more casual-friendly experiences.
What Do the Numbers Say on Elden Ring‘s Difficulty?
Now to the actual data. FromSoftware does not release detailed analytics, but we can examine Elden Ring‘s player achievement completion rates on Steam for some insight:
| Achievement | % Players Unlocked |
|---|---|
| Defeat 10 Bosses | 63.4% |
| Defeat 25 Bosses | 50.9% |
| Defeat Final Boss | 42.7% |
| All Achievements | 7.1% |
The above statistics demonstrate that:
- Over 60% of players defeat at least 10 main bosses required to finish Elden Ring‘s main story quest.
- Almost half of the player base (43-51%) reaches the endgame and defeats 25+ bosses which is superb for an infamously hard series.
- Only 7% of causal gamers go on to 100% complete the entire game compared to the main story.
While Elden Ring has a notoriously difficult endgame, the wider mainstream adoption and completion percentages confirm the base New Player experience IS more accessible than past Souls entries. Many casual fans may not go on to complete everything, but they can still complete the critical path.
An Accessible Starting Class Can Help Newcomers
As an experienced player, the starting class can really impact early game progression and difficulty.
I generally recommend the Vagabond class for most first-time Souls players as it starts at a higher level with good armor and weapons. The Vagabond can withstand early game punishment more easily while players learn mechanics.
Other top starting classes for beginners include:
- Prisoner (Int/Dex) – Strong spellcasting from range
- Prophet (Fth/Dex) – Good at healing and ranged combat
- Astrologer (Int) – Easy magic damage to overwhelm enemies
Picking an accessible starting class combined with spirit ashes makes the first 10-20 hours of Elden Ring far more approachable even for casual fans. Difficulty does ramp up considerably in the endgame, but the early game is designed well.
Conclusion – Approachable, but Still Punishing Late Game
To conclude – Is Elden Ring too hard casually? No – FromSoftware has crafted their most inviting and flexible Souls experience yet while still retaining series DNA.
- The open world, starting classes, co-op mechanics and spirits all help ease newcomers into the game better than ever.
- Main story completion percentages confirm many average players can and do finish Elden Ring.
- However, the end game and post-game content spikes sharply in difficulty to appeal to hardcore fans.
So while Elden Ring has the highest initial accessibility, I still recommend casual gamers be prepared for punishing but fair challenge as they progress deeper into the journey. Fear not, the tarnished! If I can beat Elden Ring SL1 hitless, so too can you in your own unique way.
What has been your experience with Elden Ring‘s difficulty as a newer player? Let me know in the comments!
