In spite (or maybe because) of Elden Ring‘s massive scale, there are some bosses that, by the time the game is over, have worn out their welcome, and shouldn’t come back in a potential DLC – at least, not without some significant changes. While no expansions past the PvP Colosseum DLC have been announced, expectations are high for the game to follow in the footsteps of the Dark Souls series preceding it, by adding additional narrative content in at least one DLC.
Off the back of its stellar critical reception and widespread popularity, Elden Ring‘s base game has set incredibly high expectations for any prospective DLC to match it in terms of scope and ambition. With speculation ranging from the inclusion of additional biomes missing from Elden Ring, to tying up some of the game’s various loose ends, like Miquella, there’s certainly plenty left for an expansion to explore – although it’s equally likely that Elden Ring DLC could throw entirely new developments at its players. Whatever the case, there are also some aspects of the game that might be best kept out of any DLC.
Some Elden Ring Bosses Shouldn’t Return In DLC
Elden Ring‘s most repeatedly encountered bosses shouldn’t return in DLC – unless they go through some drastic changes. Ulcerated Tree Spirits, Erdtree Avatars, and the various dragons are among Elden Ring‘s most repeated boss fights, with each having minor variations across their many different encounters. With Ulcerated Tree Spirits in particular already clocking in at twelve encounters (with three being against Scarlet Rot variants), if Elden Ring DLC leaves the Lands Between, it might do well to leave these bosses behind as well. Alternatively, if these bosses do have to return, they could be made new again.
Elden Ring’s Most Common Bosses Need Some Changes To Stay Fresh
It’s worth noting that even for Elden Ring‘s most repeated bosses, there is some variety to be found in the base game – Tree Spirits and Avatars have variants afflicted with Scarlet Rot, and most dragons are associated with a different damage type or status, with a select few having unique moves. However, their encounters don’t change enough to remain engaging across the many times they’re fought – for Elden Ring‘s bosses to be better in DLC, they would need truly significant changes to their movesets, differences that would make any further encounters truly unique and force players to pay attention and adapt in drastic ways.
If FromSoftware wants to bring Elden Ring‘s repeated boss fights into any potential DLC, they’ll need more than just a handful of new moves or the ability to inflict Scarlet Rot. Further repeats of these encounters should switch them up in ways that will truly catch players off guard and force significant adaptation. With further news on Elden Ring being highly anticipated, any DLC should ideally make strides to differentiate itself from the base game.
