For those who have experienced Elden Ring, or nearly any action-adventure title, you're probably familiar with the glorious mechanic called the “evasion roll.” This avoidance maneuver enables your hero to perform a forward, sideways, or backward ground roll to dodge incoming harm and gain space from the bad guy. Seems useful, wouldn't you say?
The dodge roll, nevertheless, has received plenty of criticism, and not only because of the rolling; it's been called foolish, a easy way out, and an unrealistic move — and sometimes, I agree. Just imagine me tumbling about nearby enemy groups in another popular RPG — they can't hit me! But Elden Ring's evasion move represents the evasion to outdo all previous dodge rolls, and here's the reason.
For this particular game, the creators discovered a great way to counter all sentiments that the move is overly simple: merely bestow every enemy unreasonable strength, increase it further, and every Tarnished who dares come near them will appreciate deeply thanks to their rolling skill, myself included. When the stakes are this high, pulling off a perfect dodge feels like an achievement, rather than a cheap trick.
No alternative avoidance technique in this RPG approaches this feeling of accomplishment and reliability, because swift moves don't cover much ground and blocking attempts are readily overcome by tough opponents. A person once suggested hopping as the main Elden Ring evasion method, but besides failing to offer perfect repositioning, I couldn't understand how taking a crushing hit could enhance my odds of beating enemies (skill issue, perhaps).
While the rolling dodge provides relief in an otherwise brutal game, it requires practice. To begin with, the game's evasion move merely initiates a frame of protection once you let go of the roll control, which hinders a rapid, fearful withdrawal from perilous circumstances. Furthermore, while it might transport you away from foes, it's far more effective to employ it as a chance to get closer, preferably behind the opponent, and strike blows. Lastly, it remains necessary to understand and anticipate enemy attacks, because rolling prematurely of an extended wind-up could conclude your immunity prior to the hit connecting… which will seriously hurt.
While dodge-rolling in quick succession could appear somewhat silly (kudos to the Witcher anew), this isn't practically possible in the game. Certainly, that fails to transform it into a realistic fighting maneuver — the very cause why it would be pure horror to see it in a game like a historical simulation — yet we're discussing a spectacular magical game under discussion, therefore, it doesn't matter?
Like any proper evasion move, this title's evasion sequence is spruced up with a little somersault-y hop at the beginning, giving it an energetic feel rather than plopping the player onto the ground. Based on your equipment, the technique may seem super agile or moderately cumbersome, but it remains quicker and smoother than the rolling dodges used in Dark Souls. Certainly, you could plant your oversized sword into the ground when wielding such equipment, but that's your own fault for failing to use ranged weapons (In jest — steer clear of Elden Ring with projectile weapons).
The game's dodging mechanic creates the perfect balance between difficulty and chance, providing prospects of success while threatening to take that hope away at the tiniest misstep. Master this technique, and you'll obtain not only success, but fulfillment.
A digital strategist with over a decade of experience in tech consulting and content creation, passionate about simplifying complex topics.
