Elden Ring's DLC Should Draw Inspiration From One Iconic Bloodborne Enemy from xhy082801's blog

One iconic Bloodborne enemy can inspire Elden Ring Runes DLC if FromSoftware promises to make it more horrifying compared to the base game.

FromSoftware games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls are recognized for many of the foes players fight. All Soulsborne games also contain designs inspiring fear either because of pure intimidation or just being disgusting, but Bloodborne could be noted as having some mortifying foes. From normal enemies such as the Brainsuckers to neigh incomprehensible bosses like The One Reborn, the Lovecraft-inspired title often pits players against beings that arguably allow it to resemble horror games.

Elden Ring continues this tradition with a few truly eldritch bosses for example Astel, but doesn't have nearly exactly the same number of terror-inducing entities. Still, its DLC presents a chance to go even more with a potential fantasy-horror theme should it take inspiration from one particularly infamous Bloodborne enemy.

Winter Lanterns Are An Unknowable Horror

The Winter Lanterns in Bloodborne are among the most terrifying enemies in a game, horror or else. Describing them is tough because it is tough to discern what they are instantly. The best way written language can express their look of them is that they are figures with lanky, almost humanoid bodies and heads that resemble giant brains with protruding eyes where eyes shouldn't be. Tentacles hang in the bottom of the head, prepared to grab anyone unfortunate to become nearby. Based on design alone, they encapsulate Bloodborne's eldritch horror by presenting players with something most words neglect to describe beyond invoking a sense of disgust and terror.

Things only worsen when describing the Winter Lanterns' abilities and actions. When players gain enough insight, a Bloodborne stat that doubles because of the game's approach to showing the player's mind unlocking the universe's secrets, they sing an off-tune song, proclaiming their presence to a little comfort. Their true terror takes over when trying to kill them, not due to a specific attack they've since they have only a grab, but simply because they inflict Frenzy on players.

Frenzy operates similarly to other ailments like bleed because it can take an enormous chunk from players' health, but is really much worse since it continues to develop even after the one that inflicted its dead. In other words, inside a game where players often have to become near enemies to battle, being close to the Winter Lanterns will most likely inflict one of the worst ailments hanging around if players have absolutely nothing to get rid of it or resist it.

This means Elden Ring should take inspiration from Bloodborne and implement an enemy type or several enemy types just like horrifying because of the Winter Lantern within the Shadow from the Erdtree DLC. Confirmed information about the DLC is scant, however, it offers a chance to dive into some of the most horrifying things in Elden Ring's universe. A concept like grafting does a great job of fusing body horror and magic but is restricted to specific areas at the beginning of the game. It still shows strong potential in further going through the most unsettling concepts in Elden Ring's world, whether or not this leans into the eldritch side or otherwise.

There isn't any equivalent to Frenzy in Elden Ring, but there's still the possibility of enemy designs that capture the raw terror over not comprehending what's being seen. Something that even if eyes meet it, any description does not capture important so unsettling.

What helps make the Winter Lantern memorable isn't just how it looks but the way it acts hanging around, so assuming Frenzy doesn't return within the DLC, there has to become something that causes it to be as horrifying to battle as it's to look at. FromSoftware will certainly introduce new abominations in elden ring items for sale Shadow from the Erdtree, but so what can help allow it to be special is that if one of them is tough to comprehend taking a look at while having useless that adds to its horror.

Elden Ring has gone out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.