Summary
- Elden Ring's White Mask Varre questline initially required players to participate in PvP, which is a mistake in a single-player game.
- The forced PvP in Varre's questline exposes players to infamous Invasions, which can be a deterrent to enjoying the multiplayer experience.
- It is a mistake for single-player games to force players into PvP for progress, and future FromSoftware games and expansions should avoid this error.
Elden Ring's NPC questlines are easy to miss, but most of them are worth the rewards to complete at least once. However, one particular questline in Elden Ring commits a cardinal sin against single-player games.
White Mask Varre's questline originally forced players to participate in Elden Ring's PvP, which is a rookie mistake among games that are mainly single-player experiences. The quest has since been updated and an alternative option is now available for the PvP portion of the quest, but it's still a mistake that future FromSoftware games should avoid.
Forced PvP in a Single-Player Game is a Bad Idea
Players can meet White Mask Varre in Elden Ring immediately after finishing the game’s introduction, and consequently get introduced to this NPC's questline very early on. This particular quest eventually gives players early access to a late-game region, so it's highly beneficial. However, there's one unfortunate catch, which is that it exposes players to the most infamous type of PvP in Elden Ring. The one redeeming quality of the forced PvP in Varre’s questline is that players don’t have to win the Invasions; instead, they only have to unconditionally participate in it three times.
It wasn't until a later update that Elden Ring provided a way to complete Varre’s questline without doing Invasions. This change was especially helpful for times like now when the game's popularity has waned with players waiting for the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, which consequently affects the time it takes to find a suitable player to Invade. Not to mention, players who weren’t connected to the internet didn’t have a way to progress this questline until it got updated.
Overall, it’s a mistake for single-player games to force players into PvP for progress in the single-player content. Especially considering that this questline introduces players to Elden Ring’s infamous Invasions, it generally serves more as a deterring barrier than an enjoyable introduction.
Elden Ring’s Invasion PvP Multiplayer
Not only did players have to do multiple rounds of PvP in this questline, but of all the different types of PvP in Elden Ring, it made players participate in Invasions. Invasion multiplayer has an infamous reputation in FromSoftware games, and rightfully so. Not only does this type of PvP allow players to join and sabotage other players without their permission, but there are generally no rules for how players fight in Invasions. In the other types of multiplayer, most players abide by unwritten rules for PvP in Elden Ring, although in Invasion multiplayer, anything is fair game as long as it isn’t outright cheating.
Compared to the other types of PvP in Elden Ring that are regarded as being more “fair,” it’s especially unfortunate that Varre’s questline features Invasions instead of Duels or the recently added Colosseum arena. Elden Ring’s PvP has a large following in the community, as it's a reason for players to continue playing after completing the story. However, since many players’ first impression of Elden Ring’s PvP is the Invasions during Varre’s questline, this can be a huge deterrent that turns them away from an otherwise potentially enjoyable, yet optional, multiplayer experience.
If Varre’s questline proves anything, it’s that forcing players to do PvP means that any related progress or rewards are out of reach for players who prefer playing the game solo, in co-op, or otherwise playing offline. Overall, it’s a mistake for single-player games to force players into PvP for progress in the single-player content. Especially considering that this questline introduces players to Elden Ring’s infamous Invasions, it generally serves more as a deterring barrier than an enjoyable introduction. Not only should future FromSoftware games avoid this mistake, but Elden Ring's future expansions should steer clear of it as well.
Elden Ring
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- February 25, 2022
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PS4 & PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. And BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.
George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- How Long To Beat
- 58 Hours
- Metascore
- 96
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PS4 & PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
