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If you've played the popular action RPG, or nearly any third-person combat game, chances are you're well-versed in the fantastic feature known as the “evasion roll.” This defensive move allows your character to execute a front, lateral, or rearward ground roll to avoid any enemy attacks and gain space from the bad guy. Appears practical, doesn't it?

This rolling move, nevertheless, has received plenty of criticism, and not only because of the rolling; it's been labeled dumb, a cheap tactic, and an unrealistic move — and in some cases, I concur. Picture me tumbling about nearby enemy groups in The Witcher 3 — can't touch this Geralt! But the title's evasion move is the dodge roll to outdo all previous evasion moves, and here's the reason.

For this particular game, the developers found an excellent method to address all opinions that the move is not challenging enough: just grant all foes unreasonable strength, triple that, and every Tarnished who dares come near them will appreciate deeply thanks to their rolling skill, I'm no exception. With so much on the line, pulling off a perfect dodge feels like an achievement, rather than a cheap trick.

No alternative avoidance technique in Elden Ring approaches this feeling of accomplishment and dependability, because swift moves provide minimal movement and defensive postures are easily broken by powerful foes. One player advised hopping as the main Elden Ring dodging technique, but aside from not providing perfect repositioning, I couldn't understand how taking a crushing hit might boost my prospects of defeating bosses (skill issue, perhaps).

Learning the Move

But even though the rolling dodge grants reprieve in an otherwise brutal game, it demands ability. To begin with, the game's evasion move only triggers a window of invulnerability following you let go of the evasion key, which stops a quick, panicky escape from dangerous scenarios. Additionally, while it might carry you off from foes, it's much better to employ it as a chance to get closer, preferably behind the opponent, and strike blows. Lastly, you still need understand and anticipate enemy attacks, as dodging at the start of a prolonged preparation may end your invincibility ahead of the attack striking… which will seriously hurt.

A Well-Designed Feature

While dodge-rolling in fast repetition could appear somewhat silly (credit to Geralt once more), this isn't truly feasible in this title. Naturally, that still doesn't make it a plausible battle technique — the very cause why it would be dreadful to experience it in a product like a historical simulation — but this is a dazzling imaginative experience we're talking about, therefore, it doesn't matter?

Comparable to any well-executed dodge roll, the game's evasion sequence is improved by a brief tumbling leap at the beginning, offering a lively impression rather than placing the avatar on the floor. Based on your equipment, the maneuver might appear extremely nimble or relatively slow, however, it's consistently quicker and smoother than the evasion moves used in the previous titles. Certainly, you will stick your oversized sword on the floor while equipped with it, but that's your responsibility for failing to use a crossbow (Just kidding — avoid using Elden Ring using ranged options).

The Perfect Balance

Elden Ring's avoidance feature forms an optimal harmony between difficulty and chance, granting chances of triumph while risking the loss of that hope at the tiniest misstep. Master this technique, and you'll be rewarded with more than triumph, but gratification.