Is it hard to 100 percent Elden Ring?
In short – yes, 100% completing Elden Ring is an extremely difficult and grind-heavy endeavor that only the most dedicated players are likely to fully achieve. As an avid Souls gamer and content creator myself, I live for these types of intense gaming challenges, but make no mistake – seeing all Elden Ring has to offer will test your skill, knowledge and patience to the very limits.
Completing Elden Ring 100% By the Numbers
To put the monumental scope of 100% completion into perspective, let‘s break down some key statistics:
- Estimated Playtime: 133 hours on average to max out the game [1]
- Player Level Cap: Reach max level of 713 by tallying 99 points in all 8 attributes
- Runes Required: You‘ll need to farm over 1.69 billion runes to hit the level cap [2]
- All Bosses Defeated: 163+ according to most counts, including DLC
- All Items Collected: 600+ weapons, spells, talismans and more
- All Locations Uncovered: The lands between have vast terrain to uncover
As these numbers show, reaching 100% completion requires an immense grind – we‘re talking about the same time investment as fully completing 3 or 4 average length games.
| Completion Activity | Estimated Hours |
|---|---|
| Main Storyline | 55 |
| Side Quests | 15 |
| Exploration | 30 |
| Farming Runes | 20 |
| Miscellaneous | 13 |
| Total | 133 |
Casual fans tempted to see everything Elden Ring has to offer would be well served sticking to completing critical path quests and freely exploring at their own pace. But for us ultra-dedicated fanatics, pushing our skills to their upper limits to achieve total domination over the lands between is an addicting prospect. The challenge excites me greatly.
The Steepest Roadblocks to 100%
Among the various obstacles standing between players and total completion, these are the most arduous to overcome:
1. Surviving Grueling Late-Game Areas & Bosses
Thought Margit was tough as an early boss? Just wait until you reach the Mountaintops of Giants or attempt the fiery final gauntlet versus Hoarah Loux and Radagon. Surviving these lethal end-game areas and defeating their unrelenting bosses will require mastering combat mechanics and character builds.
2. Maxing Out Player Level to 713
Requiring over 1.69 billion runes to max out, the grind to reach level 713 is simply immense. Most players follow specific rune farming routes that leverage bonuses from equipment like the Golden Scarab talisman. But it still involves hours upon hours of repetitious farming – not exactly glamorous work for most casual fans.
3. Finding Obscure Questlines & Items
Elden Ring doesn‘t hold your hand or use quest markers. As a result, it can be extremely difficult locating certain NPC quests chains. And finding legendary armaments like the Moonlight Greatsword often comes down to aimless exploration or checking fan wikis. Tracking down every last site of grace, dungeon and item means leaving no stone unturned.
4. The "No Hit" Boss Challenges
Think you‘ve mastered a boss encounter? Try defeating them without taking a single hit. The no hit boss challenges epitomize Elden Ring difficulty at its most extreme. While entirely optional, only the most skilled godslayers have managed to conquer this blinding feat of excellence.
Trust me, I‘ve made all of these grueling mistakes on my own road to 100% completion – and trust me when I say Elden Ring will push your skills, build knowledge and grit to their outer limits. But in my eyes, that‘s precisely what makes this a uniquely rewarding gaming achievement.
Weighing If 100% Is Right For You
Casual tarnished just looking to explore The Lands Between and follow the critical path storyline need not concern themselves with full completion – focusing instead on organically discovering what calls to them across the vast open world.
But for my fellow intensely-driven gamers who crave ultimate challenges, witnessing everything this gaming masterwork has to offer is an opportunity I can‘t recommend enough, despite requiring monk-like patience and perseverance. In fact, I fully intend to author a future guide outlining my personal tips and strategies for smoothly achieving 100% completion based on my own NG+7 playthrough – stay tuned!
So while reaching 100% completion remains firmly out of reach for most, I wholeheartedly believe that ability to pursue this lofty goal exemplifies precisely why I consider Elden Ring one of gaming‘s crowning achievements. Never has a game so boldly respected players willing to push themselves to superhuman heights. My quest to stand atop the pantheon of Elden Lords continues.
