Elden Ring's Rolling Dodge Warrants Praise

If you've played the popular action RPG, or just about any action-adventure title, you're probably acquainted with the glorious feature known as the “rolling dodge.” This defensive move lets your avatar to perform a front, lateral, or rearward somersault to evade all incoming damage and move away from opponents. Seems useful, wouldn't you say?

The evasion roll, though, has received a lot of flak, not simply as a result of the somersault; it's been called unintelligent, a cop-out, and an unbelievable technique — and in some cases, I concur. Just imagine me tumbling about hostile mobs in The Witcher 3 — untouchable! But the title's dodge roll represents the evasion to top all dodge rolls evasion moves, and here's the reason.

Regarding this title, the creators discovered an excellent method to counter all sentiments that the move is too easy: simply give each opponent excessive power, triple that, and every Tarnished who approaches them will appreciate deeply thanks to their rolling skill, me included. Given the intense difficulty, evading successfully feels like an achievement, rather than a cheap trick.

No different defensive move in this RPG matches this level of gratification and reliability, because swift moves offer limited distance and defensive postures are easily broken by powerful foes. A person once suggested leaping as the primary Elden Ring evasion method, but in addition to lacking perfect repositioning, I didn't see how taking a crushing hit would improve my chances of beating enemies (skill issue, perhaps).

Mastering the Technique

Although the dodge roll grants reprieve in an otherwise brutal game, it requires practice. Firstly, the game's dodge roll just activates a window of invulnerability after you let go of the dodge button, which prevents a rapid, fearful withdrawal from dire situations. Moreover, even though it can move you aside from opponents, it's significantly more useful to employ it as a chance to move nearer, ideally to their rear, and land some hits. And, finally, you still need understand and anticipate foe assaults, since evading too early of an extended wind-up could conclude your immunity ahead of the attack striking… causing significant harm.

A Harmonious System

Although evasion-rolling in quick succession may look a bit ridiculous (give it up for Geralt again), this isn't really an option in the game. Certainly, that fails to transform it into a plausible fighting maneuver — which is precisely why it would be terrifying to witness it in a title like a historical simulation — yet we're discussing a dazzling imaginative experience we're talking about, so who cares?

Comparable to any well-executed rolling dodge, the game's evasion sequence is enhanced with a small acrobatic jump at the commencement, providing a dynamic sensation as opposed to placing the avatar on the floor. According to your loadout, the move can feel super agile or moderately cumbersome, however, it's consistently faster and more fluid than the rolling dodges found in the previous titles. True, you may embed your oversized sword into the ground when wielding such equipment, but that's on you for failing to use alternative arms (In jest — avoid using Elden Ring using ranged options).

Ideal Equilibrium

This title's evasion system creates the perfect balance between obstacle and possibility, providing prospects of success while endangering that very prospect at the tiniest misstep. Learn this skill, and you'll be rewarded with more than triumph, but satisfaction.

Fernando Hunter
Fernando Hunter

Elena is an urban design enthusiast and freelance writer exploring city cultures and creative spaces.