Yes, you can play Elden Ring DLC after beating the game.
So you’ve conquered the Lands Between and become Elden Lord – or perhaps embraced a different ending. A question likely lingers: can you play Elden Ring DLC after beating the game? Many players wonder about this as they reach the credits and ponder future adventures.
The good news is, the game allows continued play even after the main storyline conclusion. This means you can access the DLC areas with your existing character. Your progress remains intact, and you can journey into new challenges and stories at your own pace.
Can You Play Elden Ring DLC After Beating the Game?
Okay, Tarnished, you’ve conquered the Lands Between, faced the Elden Beast, and claimed (or maybe not claimed) the Elden Throne. You’re probably thinking, “What’s next?” Well, if you’re itching for more challenges, more lore, and more beautifully terrifying landscapes to explore, you’re probably wondering about the downloadable content (DLC). The big question on many minds is: can you play Elden Ring DLC after beating the main game? The short answer is, yes, absolutely! But like most things in the Lands Between, it’s not quite as simple as it sounds. Let’s dive deeper and explore what you need to know to access the extra content.
How DLC Access Works in Elden Ring
Elden Ring’s design is pretty unique when it comes to how you access its post-launch content. Unlike some games where you might need to start a new game or jump through extra hoops, Elden Ring lets you seamlessly add the DLC to your existing playthrough, provided that you meet the necessary conditions. This is good news for players who’ve poured tens or even hundreds of hours into their characters and don’t want to lose all their progress.
The Importance of Game Progress
While you can play the DLC after finishing the main story, your progression in the main game impacts your readiness for it. Think of it like this: the game’s designers have a level of challenge in mind for the expansion, and that’s generally geared towards characters that are at or above certain thresholds. Let’s go through a few of the most important things related to game progression and how they can affect your experience with the additional content.
- Character Level: Your character’s level will significantly influence your experience. The DLC will have enemies and bosses that are designed for characters with a high level. If you are under-leveled, the additional content will be much harder than it’s supposed to be.
- Weapon Upgrades: Having upgraded weapons can greatly increase your character’s damage output. The enemies and bosses in the DLC will expect you to have decent weapons.
- Key Items: Some DLC may have you go into specific areas or require you to complete specific main story parts in order to access it. For example, in some cases, it might be required to reach specific late-game areas.
Basically, you need to be strong enough to handle the new challenges in the DLC, and the main game is a good way to prepare for that.
Seamless Integration With Your Existing Character
One of the great features of Elden Ring is how well the DLC integrates into your already established adventure. It’s not a separate mode; it’s just more of the Lands Between, seamlessly added on. This means you keep everything you’ve collected, every powerful weapon you found, every single one of those precious rune levels you’ve earned – and you’ll need them! You can take your established character and immediately explore the new regions that come with a DLC, assuming that you meet the required conditions, and all of your stats will matter in those new areas.
No Need to Start Over
This is a huge plus for gamers. It means you don’t have to worry about going through the game’s massive story and map again just to access new content. It allows players to focus their energy into new experiences and new challenges, without wasting time grinding their character from the start again. Imagine if you were a veteran player, and had to experience everything from the start again just to jump into a DLC. It would not be very fun at all. Instead, you can keep going from your current progress.
Pre-DLC Preparations
While you don’t have to start the entire game from scratch, there are a few things that are recommended you do before jumping into a downloadable content for Elden Ring. It’s not mandatory, but these steps will make sure you don’t get stomped as soon as you go into the additional areas. Let’s take a closer look:
Leveling Up Your Tarnished
First and foremost, try to get your character’s level to an adequate state. For most DLC, aiming for around level 100-150 is a good idea. This level gives you a good amount of health, damage, and defense. You will be able to deal damage effectively, while also being able to survive. In contrast, if you enter a DLC with a low level, you will have a hard time with most enemies, and even normal enemies will be dangerous. Remember that, the game is very challenging on purpose, and you should always make sure your level is up to par, especially before going into a DLC.
To level up, you need to collect Runes from enemies and spend them at Sites of Grace. It’s a simple system, but you need to plan out what attributes you level up.
Upgrading Your Weapons
Next, focus on weapon upgrades. The additional content might be challenging, so you need weapons that can cause effective damage against enemies. In Elden Ring, weapons are upgraded with Smithing Stones. You can find these stones throughout the world, or buy them from vendors. Each weapon has its own upgrades path and requirements, so you’ll need to carefully choose the weapons that best fit your playstyle.
Gathering Items and Resources
It is always a good idea to stock up on any useful items before venturing out into any new content. Gather as many healing items as you can, such as flasks and consumables. Also, collect other resources, like materials for crafting. These resources will always be helpful. Some items you might want to consider include:
- Flasks of Crimson Tears (healing)
- Flasks of Cerulean Tears (for FP)
- Various Boluses (cures status ailments)
- Crafting Materials
- Smithing Stones (for weapon upgrades)
Potential Access Points for DLC
Where and how will you enter the new areas? This is something that can change with each DLC, but we can explore general concepts based on previous games from the developer and other similar titles. Usually, there’s a specific point, or multiple points in the main game map, that acts as a gateway. These access points tend to be linked to parts of the story or locations you can only reach after a decent amount of progress. Let’s look at a few potential examples:
Existing Areas on the Map
DLC entrances can be part of areas you already know, but usually in a location that you might not have explored properly yet. They often involve going back to a familiar region and then finding a new way in, such as finding a hidden pathway or entering a previously inaccessible structure. Sometimes you have to activate something to start the DLC content, for example a portal or a NPC that was not there before.
New Locations in the Main World
Sometimes, a DLC adds an entirely new region that is accessible from the main map, usually through a special point or portal. These locations can be visible and obvious, but are not accessible until the appropriate expansion is installed. When you meet the requirements to enter, these locations become portals to the new content. These areas sometimes feel like they belong to the main game, while still offering unique challenges and experiences.
Special Items or NPC Interactions
Another option is that you may need a key item or a specific interaction with an NPC to start the downloadable content. For example, you might need to find a special artifact or complete a new questline that is linked to the DLC story. This is a common way that developers implement expansions, as it provides an easy way for the game to integrate the DLC to the story.
What to Expect From Elden Ring DLC
From Software, the creators of Elden Ring, are well known for their interesting design of their expansions. We can try to figure out what to expect from the downloadable content, based on previous examples. Below are some of the common traits that the studio has in their expansions.
New Areas to Explore
The biggest draw of DLC is always the promise of brand-new areas to explore. Expect more of Elden Ring’s beautifully designed landscapes, filled with intricate details and dangerous enemies. These new regions can be vast, with unique geographical features and challenges. They may include new towns or cities, dark dungeons, or huge open areas. These areas are the perfect places to get lost and discover many secrets.
More Challenging Enemies and Bosses
Get ready to face some seriously tough foes. DLC generally introduces new enemies with complex attack patterns and special abilities. The boss fights will be even more challenging, testing your skills and patience. These challenges provide an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and improve your skills in the game. Many players love to fight a tough boss, and From Software are well-known for this.
Additional Story and Lore
A good DLC usually expands upon the already existing world, providing context to unanswered questions. Expect the DLC to delve deeper into the mysteries of the Lands Between, offering new insights into its history, characters, and the enigmatic nature of the Elden Ring itself. These narrative additions can be the biggest draw for lore fans.
New Weapons, Armor, and Items
Of course, what would a DLC be without new gear to collect? Expect new weapons, each with unique movesets, armor sets to further customize your character, and items with powerful effects. These new additions will be highly sought after by players, and provide a good incentive to explore every corner of the DLC. Collecting powerful gear is an essential part of the game, and provides a sense of accomplishment for the player.
Increased Difficulty
It’s very common for DLC to have increased difficulty compared to the base game. This means enemies will do more damage, have more health, and may have different abilities that you’re not used to. This increased difficulty provides a challenge even for experienced players. It is also a way to reward players who are already good in the game. Be ready to learn new boss patterns and enemy attack patterns.
In short, the downloadable content for Elden Ring is designed to be played by people who have either already beaten the game, or who are near the end of the game. It expects you to have a high character level, powerful weapons and armor, and enough experience to deal with the new challenges.
So, to reiterate, the answer to the question “can you play Elden Ring DLC after beating the game?” is a definite yes. You can jump right into the DLC with your existing character, as long as you’re prepared for the challenges ahead. Make sure your character is leveled up, you have good gear, and be ready to explore new parts of the world. With that in mind, you’ll be ready to take on whatever new horrors the Lands Between might throw at you.
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Final Thoughts
Yes, you can play Elden Ring DLC after beating the game. Your character progress carries over; this means that your level and gear will remain available when accessing new content. No need to start a fresh save just to experience the DLC.
Therefore, you can directly jump into the new areas after completing the main story. Make sure your character is strong enough for new challenges. Remember, ‘can you play elden ring dlc after beating the game’ is a simple yes, you absolutely can.
