Personally, I was hooked by Elden Ring Runes the hype ahead of the release, and decided the beautiful open world, the visual style of the characters and more. was enough to jump in.

But here's the truth. I'm a little older now. I work, have children, a dog which frequently requires walking... generally, I have obligations. What I don't have much of is time.

The time to focus on beating the foe whom I pursue, but then watching my health points drain completely from one huge whack of a sword as large as a typical five-door saloon, bringing me back to a small glow-y flame point, devoid of any running runes I've accumulated.

Now, I absolutely, totally, completely don't want to suggest the game mechanic that is beloved by an author should be replaced with a less diluted 'one size fits all' approach that is able to accommodate the abilities of most gamers.

Yet, I'm unable to come up with a rationale for why there shouldn't be a different option that is geared towards players who don't want to dedicate their gaming time until they achieve success. I'm talking about a method where enemy hits result in some HP, or parry windows can be slightly more tolerant... You have the idea.

"But the people have never had that choice! You have to be better!' is the usual response on the subject on cheap Elden Ring Items other message groups.