Is the Elden Ring Co-Op Experience Worth Your Time?
Elden Ring may have launched on February 25th, but so expansive is the game and enhanced in difficulty (when compared to what many gamers are used to), that a huge chunk of its player base is still in the Lands Between. Many will even start again to see if they can perfect that one quest, go a different way, or best a boss more tactically a second time around.
Besides, it seems to have only gained traction since the initial launch, with word of mouth and review scores all putting the game in a great light. The Metacritic reviews have it at 96 by the critics, which is nothing short of exemplary. In theory, this makes it the frontrunner for game of the year, even ahead of the highly-praised Horizon Forbidden West.
So here, we’re looking into the co-op experience of Elden Ring, how it works, and the functionalities, as well as the core principles of the game that make it so highly rated and potentially a great pick for co-op gamers.
Elden Ring is designed to be a co-op experience
Elden Ring is an online co-op game, with the Co-Optimus guide showing that there isn’t a local co-op, but that up to three players can join forces online. However, there is a distinctly Dark Souls-esque twist to playing online co-op – Dark Souls-esque in the sense that its aim is to be particularly punishing. While you have co-op options open, you become susceptible to PvP battles, via invasions, which draw hostile players into your realm.
So, if you’re out and about with your party of three, your co-op quest to take on a particularly tricky foe with a set design for combat can quickly turn into a battle against an unpredictable and intentionally aggressive player. Or worse, you could be drawn into a one-vs-one duel. Still, even with this in the mix, it makes for an interesting dynamic to the game that increases its novel degree of punishment.
As intense as these invasions sound, the core co-op part can be as exclusive as you’d like. Similar to its predecessor, Dark Souls, you placemarks on the ground that can be password protected, allowing only your friends to join. Alternatively, to be pulled into a random player’s world as an ally, you can list yourself as a Blue Phantom. So, there’s something for everyone in the online co-op feature of Elden Ring.
The true draw of Elden Ring co-op is its difficulty
Perhaps the main allure of Elden Ring’s online co-op feature is the fact that so many players want some help with the enemies in the game. They are tough, even if not quite as tough as those in previous games, and the game can be very punishing if you don’t clock each save point. This is why there’s a stack of Elden Ring guides for everything from individual quests to the best spirit summons.
The thrill of playing Elden Ring, exploring its pitch-perfect open world, and taking on the numerous enemies is the challenge of the game itself. Sharing that challenge with others and helping each other out only becomes all the more rewarding, particularly as you hone your skills to specialize and develop strategies.
You may only get a team of three, but co-op in Elden Ring is superb, even if it comes with the caveat of getting invaded by less friendly players.