No, bell bearings do not carry over to new game plus.
Starting a new journey in New Game Plus? That’s great, but something important to know before you go further is that bell bearings don’t transfer. This means your collection of these items, vital for purchasing items, will reset. So, when you ask, “do bell bearings carry over to new game plus?” the answer is a clear no. You will need to collect them again in the next playthrough.
Do Bell Bearings Carry Over to New Game Plus?
Okay, let’s dive deep into the world of bell bearings and New Game Plus (NG+) in those exciting games that offer this feature! It’s a question that many players ponder as they finish a playthrough and get ready to start again. The short answer? It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and it really depends on the game you’re playing. This section will tell you everything you need to know.
Understanding Bell Bearings
First things first, let’s get on the same page about what bell bearings are. Think of them as special keys, not for doors, but for shops. In many role-playing games, you find these bell bearings by doing various things like fighting tough bosses or finding them hidden in the game world. When you bring a bell bearing to a special merchant, like a set of twins selling goods, they add the items that were tied to that bearing to their inventory. This means you can buy new stuff! Weapons, armor, crafting materials, all sorts of cool things! It’s a way of expanding what’s available as you go through the game.
How Bell Bearings Work
Let’s get into the specifics of bell bearings. These items aren’t like regular things you might find lying around. They’re more like keys to new possibilities with specific merchants. Here’s a breakdown of how they typically work:
Acquisition: You usually get bell bearings by defeating certain boss characters or by exploring and finding them in specific locations.
Merchant Use: Once you have a bell bearing, you take it to a specific NPC (non-player character), often a merchant. This NPC then uses the bearing to expand their shop.
Inventory Expansion: Once used, the merchant will start selling items that were tied to that particular bell bearing. These items are usually useful things like weapons, upgrade materials, or consumable items.
Permanent Additions: Once you give a bell bearing to a merchant, the items it provides stay available in their shop for the rest of that playthrough. You don’t have to give them the bearing every time you want to buy something.
The New Game Plus (NG+) Factor
So what happens to all those bell bearings you worked so hard to collect when you start a new game plus run? This is where things get interesting. In most games that have NG+, your progress is reset to the beginning, but you get to keep certain things, like your character’s level, weapons, and spells. But what about those all important bell bearings? The answer isn’t as simple as yes or no.
Why Bell Bearings are Tricky in NG+
Here’s the deal: Bell bearings essentially unlock access to certain items from merchants. When you start NG+, the game has to make a decision about this unlocked access:
Do they reset the shop back to normal, forcing you to find those bell bearings again?
Or do they keep the new items available from the start, since they were already unlocked in your first run?
The answer varies from game to game, creating a bit of a puzzle for players.
Specific Game Examples
Let’s get into some real examples. Knowing how bell bearings function in specific games will really help you understand the situation better.
Elden Ring
In Elden Ring, bell bearings mostly do not carry over to NG+. This means you’ll need to find those bell bearings again, for example, to access important upgrade materials. This system is designed to keep you exploring and challenging bosses to get those essential items.
Merchant Inventory Reset: When you begin a NG+ playthrough in Elden Ring, the twin maiden husks merchants will reset their inventory. All the items obtained from bell bearings will be unavailable until you collect the bearings again.
Motivation for Exploration: This encourages re-exploration of the world, finding hidden places, and re-fighting bosses.
Strategic Planning: You’ll need to make a plan for which bell bearings to prioritize on your NG+ run.
Other Games
Other games with NG+ can handle bell bearings differently:
Some Games Reset Them: Similar to Elden Ring, other games might require you to collect bell bearings all over again in each NG+ playthrough, adding a layer of challenge and exploration.
Some Games Keep Them: A smaller number of games might let you keep the expanded shop inventories that you unlocked in your first playthrough, meaning those bell bearing goodies are all still available at the start of NG+.
Hybrid Approaches: There might even be a few games that take a hybrid approach. Maybe some bell bearings carry over while others do not, or maybe certain important upgrade materials will be available from the start, while other items have to be re-unlocked through the bell bearing system.
Why the Differences?
You might be thinking, “Why can’t every game just handle bell bearings the same way in NG+?” Well, game developers make these decisions based on the game’s design. Here are a few common reasons:
Balancing Gameplay
Maintaining Challenge: Games like Elden Ring reset bell bearings to keep the challenge consistent across multiple playthroughs. Having access to all the best weapons and upgrade materials right away in NG+ might make the game too easy.
Progressive Rewards: Requiring players to re-collect bell bearings in each NG+ playthrough reinforces the sense of progression. It gives you a reason to re-fight bosses and revisit specific areas.
Encouraging Exploration
Discovering New Things: Even if you’ve played through the game before, the reset of bell bearings encourages you to explore locations again, maybe even to find items or areas you had missed previously.
Avoiding Complacency: It makes you engage with the game world rather than just rushing through it on repeat playthroughs.
Technical Reasons
Game Engine Limitations: In some rare instances, the way the game’s engine works might impact how bell bearings are handled in NG+. It could be simpler to reset the shop inventory entirely than to keep track of what the player has or has not unlocked in previous playthroughs.
Design Choices: Ultimately, how bell bearings carry over in NG+ is a creative choice on the part of game developers. They often make these decisions based on the type of experience they’re trying to create.
Tips for Dealing with Bell Bearings in NG+
No matter how bell bearings work in your favorite games, here are some smart tactics to make your NG+ life easier:
Plan Your Run
Prioritize Essential Bearings: If the bearings reset, make a plan. Figure out which bearings give you access to the most vital items. Focus on finding those first in your new playthrough.
Note Down Locations: Keep track of the locations of the most important bearings from your first play-through. Use notes, screenshots, or videos. It’ll save you time on NG+.
Optimize Shopping Trips
Buy in Bulk: When you get to a merchant with good stuff, buy in bulk to avoid having to go back. Think about which items you will be using regularly and stock up. This is extra important if the bell bearing items you get are finite (not unlimited).
Upgrade Wisely: Always check to see if you can purchase the materials for upgrading your weapons or gear.
Use Resources
Consult Guides: If you are unsure of a bearing location, go online and look it up! There is plenty of information to make your life easier if you need the help.
Look for Community Knowledge: The game community is full of information. Check out videos, discussions, and guides for the specific game that you’re playing.
Making the Most of NG+
New Game Plus is all about doing things differently and getting extra value out of the games you enjoy. Here’s how you can approach it strategically:
Try New Builds: NG+ lets you experiment. You can use different stats and try different weapons and spells, letting you experience the game in a new way.
Take on Challenges: Challenge yourself in different ways. Perhaps you will use different starting classes, different weapons, or even just challenge yourself not to use certain healing items.
Look for Secrets: There’s always the chance that you missed something during your first play through. New Game Plus gives you the perfect opportunity to explore and find new things.
The Overall Bell Bearing Picture
So, do bell bearings carry over to NG+? Sadly, the answer is, it depends. While many games will reset bell bearing progress, some do let you keep access to the shop upgrades you unlocked in your first run. The key takeaway here is to look up how your specific game handles bell bearings in NG+, making sure that you plan and adapt. This way you will be able to get the most out of every playthrough, and will be prepared no matter what you encounter.
Whether you love the challenge of finding bell bearings again, or prefer having instant access to the unlocked inventories, understanding how they function will make every playthrough much better. Good luck on all of your NG+ adventures!
Elden Ring | The New Game+ Checklist
Final Thoughts
Bell bearings do not carry over to a New Game Plus. You must collect them again in each subsequent playthrough. This means you’ll have to revisit merchants and areas to acquire them again.
Therefore, planning your resource usage becomes key for each cycle. While items and upgrades often carry over, this important game mechanic resets. Therefore, do bell bearings carry over to new game plus? No, they don’t.
