As if Elden Ring wasn't challenging enough already, one player decided to up the ante by playing with just one hand while using only the Brass Shield and without leveling up. FromSoftware games are notorious for their difficulty, with each of the studio's releases known for their punishing gameplay. In fact, it's probably this brutality that's the reason these games have become so popular, particularly among those who like their titles to be as hard as possible.
So popular is Elden Ring that it won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022 and also picked up accolades for Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction, and Best Role Playing. Going up against the likes of God of War Ragnarok, A Plague Tale: Requiem, and Horizon Forbidden West, the competition was clearly tough, but FromSoftware's action-RPG managed to shine through, which is not too surprising given its immense popularity, particularly when it launched just under a year ago. It even won the Steam Awards' Game of the Year, again beating out Ragnarok.
However, one person evidently felt that Elden Ring wasn't challenging enough, so they tested their mettle and completed the game with a number of hindrances. Twitch user Sivicks recently spent a good few hours playing the game using just one hand on the controller. That's not to say they used a specific one-handed pad, as it looks as though it was just a normal PS5 controller. To make things even more difficult, they went through the entire playthrough using just the Brass Shield. As if that wasn't enough, they also didn't level up, which would have made things even harder. A clip posted to Reddit shows the final moments when Sivicks defeats the end boss, with a total of 601 deaths.
People try some remarkable challenges, even on punishing titles. Last year, another Elden Ring player finished the game using a piano as a controller. There is evidently a section of the gaming community that sees FromSoftware games as a means of trying out unique ways to get to the end credits while at a disadvantage, and it's always entertaining to watch.
Hopefully, the developer is not done with the game just yet. There's already been speculation that Elden Ring may get DLC at some point, but there's been no confirmation from the studio as of yet. The popularity of FromSoftware's latest offering, as evidenced by all the awards it won last year, is no doubt a sign that fans will be hungry for more content.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.