🔗 Share this article

For those who have experienced this acclaimed title, or most other third-person combat game, chances are you're familiar with the wonderful mechanic known as the “dodge roll.” This evasion technique enables your hero to carry out a forward, sideways, or backward ground roll to evade all incoming damage and move away from foes. Appears practical, wouldn't you say?

The dodge roll, however, has gotten significant backlash, and not only because of the rolling; some have dubbed it foolish, a easy way out, and an unbelievable technique — and sometimes, I concur. You should see me somersaulting past nearby enemy groups in The Witcher 3 — they can't hit me! But the title's dodge roll represents the evasion to surpass every other rolling dodges, and I'll tell you why.

For this particular game, the designers identified an excellent method to respond to all views that the move is too easy: simply give every enemy excessive power, increase it further, and all heroes who ventures close them will appreciate deeply thanks to their rolling skill, myself included. With so much on the line, successfully rolling to victory seems like an accomplishment, instead of an unfair advantage.

No alternative avoidance technique in Elden Ring comes close to this feeling of accomplishment and reliability, since rapid sprints offer limited distance and guard stances are easily broken by strong enemies. A person once suggested leaping as the primary game dodging technique, but besides failing to offer perfect repositioning, I couldn't understand how taking a crushing hit might boost my prospects of overcoming challenges (inexperience, possibly).

Perfecting the Skill

Although the dodge roll grants reprieve in an otherwise brutal game, it demands ability. To begin with, this title's dodge roll merely initiates a period of immunity following you let go of the evasion key, which stops a hasty, frantic retreat from dangerous scenarios. Additionally, although it may carry you off from enemies, it's significantly more useful to utilize it as a moment to advance, optimally at their back, and strike blows. In conclusion, you still need comprehend and predict foe assaults, as dodging at the start of an extended wind-up might terminate your protection ahead of the attack striking… which will seriously hurt.

A Harmonious System

While dodge-rolling in rapid sequence may look a bit ridiculous (kudos to the Witcher anew), this isn't really an option in this title. Naturally, that doesn't render it a plausible fighting maneuver — which is precisely why it would be terrifying to witness it in a title like Kingdom Come: Deliverance — yet we're discussing a spectacular magical game we're talking about, so who cares?

Similar to any respectable rolling dodge, Elden Ring's evasion sequence is improved by a small acrobatic jump at the beginning, giving it an energetic feel instead of placing the avatar downward. Depending on your gear, the technique may seem super agile or relatively slow, yet it's always faster and more fluid than the rolling dodges featured in Dark Souls. Certainly, you may embed your large weapon into the ground when wielding such equipment, but that's on you for failing to use ranged weapons (I'm joking — don't play the game using ranged options).

Ideal Equilibrium

Elden Ring's dodging mechanic establishes an ideal equilibrium between obstacle and possibility, granting chances of triumph while endangering that very prospect at the slightest mistake. Learn this skill, and you'll gain not only success, but satisfaction.