FromSoftware’s catalog of Soulslike games has been praised for its difficulty, bosses, gameplay, world-building, and much more, with Elden Ring no exception. One aspect that tends to be overlooked, however, is customization. Looking good can be just as important as being good. Elden Ring does allow players to alter their gear (assuming they haven’t missed the items necessary to do so), but those looking for drastic changes to their favorite pieces of armor may feel a little disappointed.
As of now, players can only make slight changes to equipment. For example, on Blaidd’s armor, the cape can be taken off at the expense of some defensive and weight stats. Most notably, doing so will also change the item description, not only on the armor of Elden Ring's summon-able Blaidd, but any piece of equipment that can be altered in the game. Getting a different armor description is neat, but in terms of going all in on Fashion Souls, players’ options are fairly limited. Even with the golden needle, it’s more of the same - instead of removing a cape on a normal piece of armor, players can remove a cape on boss armor.
In a game with such extensive character customization, it's quite a surprise that equipment doesn’t have nearly as many options. Many complaints upon the game's release pointed toward the lack of utility when it comes to altering garments. A popular request from players is armor dye; the ability to adjust the color or tint of armor would change the Fashion Souls scene entirely. With such changes needing to overhaul existing systems, better garment alteration would likely have to come alongside any Elden Ring DLC.
Stat Allocation Would Improve Elden Ring's Armor Customization
In other, different RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, players are able to wear any piece of armor they like while keeping their stats. This means that players can be both fashionable and functional. This is a luxury Elden Ring players unfortunately aren't often afforded. If the game were to receive some sort of DLC or update that expanded upon its current system, stat allocation would be a significant upgrade. There are players who would sacrifice their defense to equip an outfit becoming of an Elden Lord, but they shouldn’t have to. Having the ability to mix and match any piece of armor without the worry of stunting stats would give players peace of mind to experiment with a plethora of equipment combinations.
For a game that’s so expansive, Elden Ring falls short in armor customization options for those who take pride in the look of their character. FromSoftware created hundreds of unique armor pieces for Elden Ring. For all the hard work that goes into creating the descriptions and details of each piece of equipment, it would be a waste if all players could do is simply remove and reattach a cape.