Demystifying New Game vs New Game Plus: An Epic Gamer‘s Guide
So you‘ve soaked in every last drop of adventure from the expansive realm of [insert game here]. The credits roll and you‘re prompted with a choice – start a New Game or carry your hard-earned progression into a subsequent playthrough via New Game Plus (NG+)? As veterans know, this key decision dramatically impacts your upcoming journey, but what‘s ultimately the difference between the two? Let‘s analyze their distinct properties in full to decide the ideal path.
Defining Features: New Game vs New Game Plus
New Game represents a complete reset – you‘re returned back to square one just as if booting up for the very first time. This means:
- Character level, stats flattened to starting values
- All items, weapons, spells, crafting recipes wiped out
- Map exploration erased, fog of war returned
- Quest logs cleared out – all tasks reset
- Game difficulty restored to initial state
Meanwhile New Game Plus preserves your endgame strengths while adding special twists:
- Character level, core stats carry over
- Gear, weapons, magic abilities, recipes retained
- Map data, shortcuts, secret finds all saved
- Quest logs tracked for additional completion
- Enemies level up for heightened challenge
So in summary – New Game erases everything for replayability while New Game Plus empowers greater exploits through accumulated advantage. Let‘s examine the appeal of both before seeing these key differences play out in Elden Ring specifically.
Weighing Pros and Cons of Each Mode
| New Game | New Game Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Pros | – Chance to replay early content you loved – Lower difficulty lets you appreciate story – Experiment with fresh character builds | – Tackle new challenges with beefed up character – Retain all those rare crafting ingredients and recipes – Flexibly respec character into new build combos |
| Cons | – Enduring early grind again to level up – Hunting down favorite gear pieces again | – Content can feel repetitive – Dramatic difficulty spikes late game – More time commitment with each run |
New Game reignites the spark of initial mystery and wonder – letting us fall back in love with those unforgettable opening beats. Meanwhile New Game Plus doubles down further into skill expression, build mastery, enemy exploitation, and battle-hardened supremacy. Let‘s see how these tradeoffs play out in mega-hit Elden Ring next.
Spotlight on Elden Ring: NG+ Adoption and Difficulty
As a poster child for modern NG+ implementation, Elden Ring attracts droves of gamers hungering after each additional run. Let‘s break down key statistics:
- 329 million attempts logged against iconic boss Malenia herself (source)
- 18% of all Steam players have defeated the game on New Game Plus difficulty (source)
- Nearly 50% of polled players identify NG+ as their preferred way to play (source)
This data demonstrates players‘ eagerness to confront heightened NG+ challenges armed with their elite-tier hunters. Furthermore on the difficulty debate:
- Early game areas made drastically easier by upgraded stats
- Late game bosses introduce new mechanics and tighter windows
- Additional enemy waves and remixes keep veterans on their toes
- Max NG+7 sees health/damage values nearly doubled
So while the journey begins smoothly, experts agree the culminating battles reachfearsome new intensity never before seen. Next let‘s break down exactly what carries over into this exciting gauntlet.
Elden Ring: What Transfers Over into NG+?
| Kept On New Game Plus | Not Kept | |
|---|---|---|
| Character | – Level – Stats – Appearance | – None |
| Gear | – Weapons – Armor Sets – Spells – Ashes – Crafting Recipes | – Quest reward gear |
| Progression | – Smithing Bell Bearings – Map Discoveries | – Golden Seeds – Sacred Tears |
So while questlines must be completed again, your established build and toolkit stay intact – opening crazy hybrid combinations by respec‘ing stats around found gear. Feel free to experiment with sorceries, incantations, armaments you missed the first time without the work reacquiring them!
Preparing For Adventure: NG+ Readiness Tips
Entering New Game Plus armed with foreknowledge makes all the difference. Before triggering Journey 2, be sure to:
- Cash in quest, NPC, achievement rewards still outstanding
- Farm up rare crafting materials like Ghost Glovewort for future use
- Respec at Renalla to optimize stats for intended NG+ build
- Top off weapon upgrade levels if smithing stones left over
- Stockpile 5-10 Larval Tears for respec‘ing in NG+ as needed
- Review missed collectibles if aiming for 100% completion
Handling this business pre-NG+ means you can focus on tackling challenges head-on rather than being under-built.
Open your map one last time before crossing into Journey 2, fondly reminiscing on the trials overcome thus far. Then brace yourself as you pass through the fog gate, girding your loins to face elite incarnations of once-vanquished foes! The Lands Between eagerly await your return…hew your path forward and write legend through New Game Plus glory!
