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Having spent time with Elden Ring, or nearly any action-adventure title, you're likely well-versed in the fantastic feature called the “evasion roll.” This evasion technique lets your avatar to perform a forward, sideways, or backward tumble to avoid incoming harm and gain space from foes. Sounds handy, right?

This rolling move, nevertheless, has gotten plenty of criticism, not simply due to the tumbling; some have dubbed it unintelligent, a cheap tactic, and an unbelievable technique — and sometimes, I see the point. Picture me somersaulting past nearby enemy groups in The Witcher 3 — untouchable! But Elden Ring's evasion move stands as the roll to outdo all previous rolling dodges, and here's the reason.

In Elden Ring's case, the developers found a clever approach to address all opinions claiming the maneuver is overly simple: simply give each opponent overwhelming force, increase it further, and all heroes who approaches them will feel immensely thankful for their dodge-roll ability, myself included. With so much on the line, successfully rolling to victory comes across as a triumph, rather than a cheap trick.

No different defensive move in the game comes close to this feeling of accomplishment and consistency, since rapid sprints provide minimal movement and defensive postures get quickly shattered by powerful foes. Someone once recommended hopping as the main Elden Ring avoidance strategy, but besides failing to offer optimal placement, I didn't see how getting my skull smashed in could enhance my odds of overcoming challenges (skill issue, perhaps).

Mastering the Technique

But even though this evasion move offers respite in a famously difficult title, it requires practice. To begin with, the game's rolling dodge only triggers a window of invulnerability following you release the dodge button, which hinders a hasty, frantic retreat from dire situations. Additionally, while it might move you aside from enemies, it's significantly more useful to utilize it as a moment to move nearer, ideally to their rear, and land some hits. In conclusion, you still need understand and anticipate opponent moves, since evading too early of an extended wind-up could conclude your immunity prior to the hit connecting… which will seriously hurt.

A Balanced Mechanic

Although evasion-rolling in quick succession may look a bit ridiculous (kudos to the Witcher anew), this isn't practically possible in Elden Ring. Naturally, that still doesn't make it a believable battle technique — the very cause why it would be dreadful to witness it in a title like Kingdom Come: Deliverance — yet we're discussing a spectacular magical game we're talking about, therefore, it doesn't matter?

Like any proper rolling dodge, this title's rolling animation is improved by a small acrobatic jump at the commencement, offering a lively impression rather than placing the avatar on the floor. According to your loadout, the move can feel incredibly quick or relatively slow, but it remains faster and more fluid than the evasion moves featured in the previous titles. Admittedly, you may embed your big blade on the floor if you're carrying one, but that's on you for avoiding alternative arms (Just kidding — don't play the game with projectile weapons).

Optimal Harmony

The game's evasion system creates the perfect balance between challenge and opportunity, providing prospects of success while threatening to take that hope away at the smallest error. Learn this skill, and you'll gain more than triumph, but satisfaction.