A recent update for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has delivered something that countless players have been begging for since its launch. Though it has been the recipient of copious amounts of praise, Shadow of the Erdtree was also criticized for being too difficult, and this patch is aiming to remedy that in one key way.
Spoilers ahead for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
Of all the complaints about Shadow of the Erdtree's difficulty, none have been more widespread or spirited as those surrounding the final boss fight against Promised Consort Radahn, who has teamed up with Miquella to become more menacing than ever before. The two-phase battle starts off as hard but reasonable before becoming chaotic, terrifying, and a strong contender for FromSoftware's most challenging boss fight. Following a torrent of criticism, much of which is warranted, Elden Ring's 1.14 patch made a number of key changes to the Consort Radahn encounter, though whether this is a good or bad thing is a matter of subjectivity.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Gives Players the Best of Both Worlds with One Weapon Type
Of all the new weapon types introduced in Elden Ring’s massive Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, one of them provides an unmatched level of versatility.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's Radahn Nerf: The Good and the Bad
Consort Radahn Is a Far Easier Fight Now
The 1.14 patch came to Elden Ring on September 10, implementing the following changes to Consort Radahn's boss fight:
- Changed the action pattern when the battle starts.
- Adjusted some attack moves.
- Decreased the damage of some attacks.
- Decreased stamina damage of some attacks.
- Decreased the attack range of some non-weapon-based attacks.
- Improved the visibility of some attack effects.
While some of these changes, as they are described in the patch notes, are vague, it's clear what problem areas FromSoftware was targeting. The improved visibility of attack effects may be the most impactful and wise change introduced in this update, as overabundant visual noise was one of the most prevalent and poignant critiques of the Radahn fight. Other tweaks, like the decreased stamina damage dealt by certain attacks, are clearly designed to facilitate shield-focused builds, making specific defensive options more viable.
In general, these changes seem motivated by a desire to make the Shadow of the Erdtree finale less frustrating, but not necessarily easier. One of the biggest problems with the original Radahn fight was how it could railroad players into a certain playstyle. For example, high-faith-defense, high-HP builds were essentially required for the pre-patch fight, as many of Radahn's faith-based attacks in phase two were incredibly difficult to dodge, and could easily one-shot the player. Thus, these changes should make for a better overall experience, but they don't come without issues.
Some Elden Ring Players May Find Consort Radahn Too Easy
Just like with Elden Ring's first Radahn nerf, these changes to Consort Radahn's fight could undermine the DLC's final challenge. Though several vocal critics have denounced the original Consort Radahn fight as being poorly designed, there are many others who appreciated its difficulty. Contrary to what some detractors say, none of Consort Radahn's attacks are impossible to avoid—they just take a keen eye and a good amount of trial and error to work around. Moreover, making Consort Radahn less aggressive and lethal may actually make him underwhelming, much like how many players found the post-nerf Radahn of the base game to be far too easy after getting updated.
From both a narrative and gameplay perspective, Consort Radahn ought to pose a significant, almost impossible-to-overcome challenge: Consort Radahn will be the last boss most Elden Ring players face, so it's important that he is appropriately tough, and perhaps even frustrating. Then again, even the most dedicated FromSoftware fans were having issues with the original Consort Radahn fight, so there's certainly reason to believe this power shrinkage was the right call.
- Released
- June 21, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Base Game
- Elden Ring
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, FromSoftware
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- Proprietary
WHERE TO PLAY
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware's groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
