Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s undisputed champion in terms of popularity, but fans are convinced the reintroduction of a beloved Sekiro mechanic would extend the game’s longevity.
The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has reignited the Elden Ring fire for millions of Tarnished. Despite the new content potentially providing dozens of hours of gameplay, Elden Ring fans are already thinking of other ways to extend their time in The Lands Between.
One of the most popular suggestions is inspired by a mechanic we already know very well—Sekiro’s Reflection of Strength. Redditors are unanimous that a similar mechanic in Elden Ring would provide many more hours of fun for the most devoted members of the community.
In Sekiro, Reflection of Strength allows players to take on the game’s primary bosses in a one-on-one battle anytime they please after the boss gets defeated in a regular playthrough. This eliminates the necessity of starting a new playthrough just to reach your favorite boss again, repeating the same procedure each time you defeat it.
Something akin to Reflection of Strength was the wet dream of many FromSoftware fans as far back as the Dark Souls series, so when it finally became reality in Sekiro, it almost made up for the lack of any proper DLC for that game.
Elden Ring fans rightfully point out that The Lands Between has the perfect setting for such a game mode. The addition of the Colosseums was the first big content update for Elden Ring back in 2022, providing a dedicated PvP environment. Many supporters of the Elden Ring Reflection of Strength concept can absolutely see the Colosseums hosting our rematches with Radahn and Morgott.
Where community opinions differ is whether such a game mode should reward the player with runes or items upon defeating a boss. While some defend the idea of drops with the argument that it would be like farming regular mobs but actually fun, others are against it, noting the base game is large enough to get all the runes and items you’ll ever need. Sekiro took the latter approach, leaving the excitement of perfecting a boss fight as the sole reward in Reflection of Strength.
Rewards or not, Colosseum fights or not, some sort of a boss rush mode in Elden Ring is definitely an epic idea and would be a welcome surprise if FromSoftware decides to do this. The overabundance of bosses in the game makes us skeptical of how feasible it all is, but a Tarnished can dream.
