Elden Ring's Evasion Move Warrants Praise

If you've played Elden Ring, or most other third-person combat game, you're likely familiar with the wonderful technique called the “rolling dodge.” This avoidance maneuver allows your character to carry out a front, lateral, or rearward tumble to dodge incoming harm and gain space from foes. Appears practical, wouldn't you say?

The evasion roll, nevertheless, has attracted a lot of flak, and not just because of the rolling; it's been called foolish, a easy way out, and an unrealistic move — and occasionally, I see the point. Picture me rolling around hostile mobs in The Witcher 3 — untouchable! But this game's rolling dodge stands as the roll to outdo all previous rolling dodges, and let me explain.

In Elden Ring's case, the creators discovered a clever approach to address all opinions claiming the maneuver is too easy: just grant every enemy unreasonable strength, increase it further, and all heroes who approaches them will be eternally grateful because of their evasion move, I'm no exception. When the stakes are this high, successfully rolling to victory feels like an achievement, rather than a cheap trick.

No alternative avoidance technique in this RPG matches this sense of satisfaction and consistency, since rapid sprints don't cover much ground and blocking attempts are easily broken by strong enemies. A person once suggested jumping as a go-to game avoidance strategy, but in addition to lacking ideal movement, I couldn't understand how taking a crushing hit would improve my chances of defeating bosses (lack of skill, maybe).

Learning the Move

But even though this evasion move offers respite in a famously difficult title, it requires practice. Firstly, this title's evasion move merely initiates a frame of protection once you let go of the dodge button, which stops a quick, panicky escape from perilous circumstances. Furthermore, even though it can move you aside from opponents, it's much better to employ it as a chance to advance, ideally to their rear, and strike blows. Lastly, you must still understand and anticipate foe assaults, as dodging at the start of an extended wind-up may end your invincibility ahead of the attack striking… which will seriously hurt.

A Balanced Mechanic

While dodge-rolling in quick succession could appear somewhat silly (kudos to the Witcher anew), this isn't practically possible in Elden Ring. Naturally, that still doesn't make it a believable fighting maneuver — which is precisely why it would be dreadful to see it in a game like a historical simulation — however, this is a flashy fantasy title we're talking about, thus why worry?

Similar to any respectable evasion move, this title's evasion sequence is spruced up with a little somersault-y hop at the beginning, offering a lively impression rather than plopping the player on the floor. According to your loadout, the move can feel extremely nimble or somewhat sluggish, but it remains faster and more fluid than the evasion moves found in the earlier games. Admittedly, you could plant your big blade in the dirt while equipped with it, but that's your own fault for not just playing a crossbow (I'm joking — steer clear of the game using ranged options).

Optimal Harmony

This title's evasion system forms an optimal harmony between difficulty and chance, providing prospects of success while threatening to take that hope away at the smallest error. Master this technique, and you'll obtain not only success, but satisfaction.

Samuel Miles
Samuel Miles

A seasoned journalist with over a decade of experience covering international relations and geopolitical developments across multiple continents.