Two mechanics that seem helpful at first glance are in fact small traps

Souls games are known for luring players into traps. Some of them are more obvious than others. If you believe German YouTuber Leviathan, two basic game mechanics in Elden Ring are also part of this. At least in certain situations.

In his latest video, Leviathan gives detailed tips on how to be successful in Elden Ring and prepares for the extremely tough DLC Shadow of the Erdtree. It is mainly about the weak points of many enemies and certain items that are of great help. But it is also about that rolling and aiming are not as good as many probably think.

Link to YouTube content

Two false mechanic friends

For many, targeting enemies and rolling in time is part of the toolkit in every Soulslike from Fromsoftware. And you will most likely be able to master Elden Ring with it. As Leviathan explains, you should still remain open to alternatives. According to the expert, vehement rolling and basic targeting can make your life more difficult.

The problems with evasion

Evasive rolls are still a useful maneuver, of course, but there are attacks in the game that are either very difficult to avoid or make it almost impossible. According to Leviathan, many area attacks in particular are difficult to avoid with the classic roll. So instead of just relying on rolling, you should use jumps more often.

When jumping, only the lower part of your body is immune to damage, but this immunity kicks in quicker and lasts longer than when rolling, so your timing doesn't need to be as precise as with some rolls. Just be careful not to jump when an attack comes from above.

The problem with aiming

In order to keep an eye on enemies, you are taught to lock onto them in every Souls game. One button press is enough and you can keep an eye on the enemy at all times. However, you can then only move in relation to the enemy you are targeting. According to Leviathan, this limits your movement options. Often, targeting an enemy can even throw them off track completely or make evading certain maneuvers much easier.

Our author André has already pointed out in his column on keyboard control that switching on can be limiting.

In addition to these two big tips, Leviathan also gives numerous other tips in his video. For example, he shows very impressively how huge the advantages of certain types of damage are against vulnerable enemies. And also how you can take certain damage much better through resistances – without any thick armor at all.