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For those who have experienced this acclaimed title, or nearly any third-person combat game, you're probably acquainted with the wonderful feature known as the “evasion roll.” This defensive move lets your avatar to execute a forward, sideways, or backward somersault to dodge any enemy attacks and gain space from foes. Sounds handy, wouldn't you say?

The evasion roll, nevertheless, has received plenty of criticism, and not only because of the rolling; it's been called unintelligent, a easy way out, and an unbelievable technique — and occasionally, I see the point. You should see me rolling around hostile mobs in another popular RPG — they can't hit me! But Elden Ring's rolling dodge represents the evasion to surpass every other rolling dodges, and let me explain.

For this particular game, the designers identified a clever approach to address all opinions claiming the maneuver is too easy: just grant all foes unreasonable strength, increase it further, and every Tarnished who approaches them will appreciate deeply for their dodge-roll ability, me included. When the stakes are this high, evading successfully feels like an achievement, rather than a cheap trick.

No different defensive move in the game comes close to this level of gratification and consistency, as quick dashes don't cover much ground and defensive postures are easily broken by strong enemies. Someone once recommended leaping as the primary Elden Ring dodging technique, but aside from not providing perfect repositioning, I didn't see how taking a crushing hit could enhance my odds of overcoming challenges (lack of skill, maybe).

Perfecting the Skill

But even though the dodge roll offers respite in a famously difficult title, it requires practice. Firstly, the game's dodge roll only triggers a window of invulnerability following you let go of the roll control, which prevents a quick, panicky escape from perilous circumstances. Furthermore, even though it can carry you off from enemies, it's significantly more useful to employ it as a chance to get closer, ideally to their rear, and land some hits. In conclusion, it remains necessary to comprehend and predict enemy attacks, as dodging at the start of a prolonged preparation might terminate your protection ahead of the attack striking… resulting in severe damage.

A Well-Designed Feature

Even though rolling-dodging in fast repetition could appear somewhat silly (kudos to the Witcher anew), this isn't practically possible in Elden Ring. Certainly, that still doesn't make it a realistic fighting maneuver — the very cause why it would be terrifying to witness it in a title like a realism-focused RPG — but this is a spectacular magical game under discussion, therefore, it doesn't matter?

Similar to any respectable rolling dodge, Elden Ring's dodge motion is spruced up with a little somersault-y hop at the start, providing a dynamic sensation instead of placing the avatar on the floor. Depending on your gear, the maneuver might appear incredibly quick or somewhat sluggish, but it remains swifter and more seamless than the rolling dodges used in the previous titles. Admittedly, you will stick your large weapon in the dirt when wielding such equipment, but that's your responsibility for failing to use a crossbow (In jest — steer clear of the game using ranged options).

Ideal Equilibrium

The game's evasion system creates the perfect balance between obstacle and possibility, granting chances of triumph while endangering that very prospect at the tiniest misstep. Perfect this move, and you'll be rewarded with more than triumph, but gratification.