As an Elden Ring enthusiast, I’ve been eagerly anticipating and following the release of the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC. What’s striking isn’t just the beauty and difficulty of the content, but the speed at which complaints had surfaced. Mere days after release, the internet was awash with cries of “too hard” and “unfair”. It’s as if many expected to waltz through the DLC like they were taking a leisurely stroll through Limgrave. I would assume this rush to judgment is symptomatic of a larger issue in our society: the inability to delay gratification and the unwillingness to invest time in overcoming challenges.
It’s crucial to remember that Elden Ring, like all FromSoftware games, is designed with a learning curve in mind. The initial difficulty is meant to be daunting, pushing players to adapt, learn, and grow. What many seem to forget is that time is a key factor in this equation. As days turn into weeks, the community inevitably uncovers optimal strategies, builds, and tactics that make even the most formidable bosses manageable.
This pattern has repeated with every FromSoftware release, yet the knee-jerk reaction to difficulty persists. It’s a microcosm of our larger societal shift towards instant gratification. We’ve become so accustomed to immediate results that the prospect of a challenge that requires time and effort to overcome is met with frustration rather than determination.
The irony is that by demanding immediate solutions or nerfs, players rob themselves of the satisfaction that comes from genuine mastery. It’s like ordering a pre-chewed steak – sure, it’s easier to consume, but where’s the fun in that? The joy of finally defeating a boss after numerous attempts, of perfecting a build over time, or of discovering a clever strategy through trial and error – these are the experiences that make games like Elden Ring truly rewarding.
This impatience reflects a troubling trend in our broader culture. We’ve cultivated an environment where quick fixes are preferred over sustained effort, where the journey is often seen as an inconvenience rather than an integral part of the experience. This mindset extends beyond gaming, affecting how we approach education, career development, and personal growth.
In our rush to judge and demand changes (to make things easier), we often overlook the value of perseverance and the growth that comes from facing and overcoming challenges. The complaints about the DLC’s difficulty, mere days after its release, showcase a collective inability to sit with discomfort and work through obstacles.
As time passes, it’s almost certain that the Elden Ring community will develop strategies to conquer even the most daunting challenges in the DLC. Optimal builds will be shared, boss patterns will be memorized, and what once seemed impossible will become achievable. This process of community discovery and individual growth is part of what makes these games special.
The lesson here extends beyond gaming. In life, as in Elden Ring, immediate success is rare. Real achievement often requires time, effort, and the willingness to learn from failure. By demanding that challenges be immediately conquerable, we risk creating a society that lacks resilience and the ability to tackle complex, long-term problems.
As we continue to navigate an increasingly fast-paced world, it’s crucial that we don’t lose sight of the value of patience and perseverance. The difficulty of “Shadow of the Erdtree” isn’t a flaw; it’s an invitation to grow, to learn, and to overcome. It’s a reminder that some of the most rewarding experiences in life come not from instant success, but from the journey of mastery.
In embracing these challenges, whether in gaming or in life, we develop not just skills, but character. We learn the value of persistence, the importance of community knowledge-sharing, and the satisfaction of earned success. These are lessons that extend far beyond the digital realms of the Lands Between, shaping how we approach challenges in all aspects of our lives.
So, fellow Tarnished, let’s embrace the difficulty, laugh at our failures, and look forward to the day when we can smugly say, “Shadow of the Erdtree? Oh yeah, I beat that ages ago.”.
What do you think? Am I going a little too far when I’m projecting the reaction of players about the “unfairness” of a game on the way our society is developing, or have you experienced the same tendencies when you take a closer look at the people around you?
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Please note: This article was created using the help of AI (claude-3-5-sonnet-20240620, DALL-E3)
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