Making it all the way through Eldest Souls is an incredible feat for any player due to the sheer difficulty that this game presents. Players will need to face several insanely powerful bosses in Eldest Souls that all have their own unique abilities and moves capable of ending the player in just one or two hits. Those who aren't prepared to fight these beasts won't be able to get very far in Eldest Souls.
There are several ways players can increase their chances of survival, as they will be able to make their character more powerful as the game goes on. No matter what skills or items the player manages to pick up, however, much of their success will come down to their level of skill. Players will also need to understand Eldest Souls' unique mechanics and systems as well. This guide shows players some tips and tricks on how to last longer in combat in Eldest Souls.
Eldest Souls: Combat Tips and Tricks
Watch For Patterns
One of the biggest things to remember when playing any video game inspired by the Dark Souls franchise is that the bosses will always follow a specific attack pattern, so if players are patient and watch their enemy, they will be able to predict their movements before they are even made. It is essentially impossible to defeat any of the game's bosses unless players can recognize these patterns and use this knowledge to their advantage. To be successful in Eldest Souls, players should always keep track of what the boss might do next and respond to that action accordingly.
Use Charge Attacks to Your Advantage
An interesting mechanic that players can use to their advantage in this game is the Charge Attack. Whenever a Charge Attack is used, the hero will gain a buff called Bloodthirst. This buff allows the player to trigger an attack that will damage their enemy and grant the player health. The downside is that the Charge Attack is very slow, so if the player doesn't use it properly, they will open themselves to taking a high amount of damage. The trick is to wait for a good opening before trying to use this attack against a boss.
Don't Forget Perfect Dodges
It can be pretty easy to forget in the middle of a fight that Perfect Dodges can be used to completely avoid taking damage from an enemy. Whenever a dodge is timed at the correct moment, it will trigger a Perfect Dodge. Players have to wait until the very last moment before an attack hits, and then dodge through the attack. If the character flashes green as they go through this attack, then the player was successful, and the character will not take any damage from that attack. Players should practice this as often as possible early in Eldest Souls, as it will be incredibly useful against later bosses like The Guardian.
Switch Up Fighting Styles
It can be very easy to grow used to a specific fighting style in Eldest Souls, as they each have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. The problem is that some fighting styles are useful against certain bosses and then tough to use against another. If a player's preferred fighting style isn't working for a certain boss, they should try shifting to a new style and character build. This can be done whenever the player wishes with no repercussions for doing so. Skill points can be completely reallocated however the player wishes to make them more effective when defeating specific enemies.
Have the Right Shard for the Situation
Shards can provide players many useful abilities and stat boosts in Eldest Souls, so it is very important to remember which Shards are equipped on a character. Much like fighting styles, some Shards will be important use against one or two specific bosses but will have practically no use against others. Shards can be swapped out between boss encounters. Players should also remember that Shards behave differently depending on what playstyle is being used, so it is a good idea to experiment with them to find the most effective combinations.
With that being said, there are some Shards that are pretty useful throughout the majority of the game and against any boss. When all else fails, having some of these Shards equipped can be beneficial. Some of these Shards also synergize well with a variety of talents. For example, the Lightbringer Shard players unlock from defeating Azikel, God of Light is very useful when used in conjunction with the Windslide fighting style. It will greatly increase the player's movement speed when equipped and will also create a ray of light to trail behind the player and deal damage to enemies. Winter Fangs can also be used with the dash in Windslide in order to make dashing not cost stamina for a few seconds after successfully dodging an attack.
Not all shards are created equally though, as some of them are pretty worthless most of the time. For example, The Singularity Orb will grant some teleportation powers to the player depending on what slot it has been put in. This would be really interesting and useful if the player could control it, but it is instead tied to circumstances like the player teleporting on every second charged attack or when activating Bloodburst. The only time this Shard works is when it is being used as the Active Shard, which allows for the activation of an orb that deals damage to enemies and allows the player to teleport to the enemy's position. But even with these benefits, there are better Shards to put in this slot, so it will more than likely be avoided in most situations.
Don't Forget About NPC Missions
Finally, players should remember to complete any missions that they receive from random NPCs between boss fights. These NPCs will ask the player to do various things throughout the game. Edd the Wanderer and The Blacksmith, for example, both ask the player to track down various items for them throughout the game's world. The Alchemist has a much larger quest that will grant players the Empty Vessel, which allows them to collect the essence of one of the bosses they have slain and present that essence to an NPC to receive buffs to their stats and abilities. Completing NPC missions is integral to increasing the character's skills as much as possible and will further prepare the player for the final confrontation against Eldest Souls' deadly final boss.
Eldest Souls can be played on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, and PC.