Does Elden Ring Get Harder In New Game Plus?

Does Elden Ring Get Harder in New Game Plus?

Alright, let’s dive into the Lands Between again, but this time with a twist! You’ve battled through bosses, explored every nook and cranny, and finally, you’ve beaten the Elden Beast. Congratulations, Tarnished! Now, you’re faced with a choice: start a fresh adventure or jump into New Game Plus (NG+). But does Elden Ring get harder in NG+? That’s the million-Rune question, and we’re here to answer it. The short answer is yes, it does get harder, but it’s more nuanced than a simple difficulty spike. Let’s explore the ins and outs of NG+ in Elden Ring.

The Core Changes in New Game Plus

When you begin NG+, you’re not just replaying the game. There are key changes made to the world that you must know. This will affect how you approach enemies and your overall combat strategy.

Increased Enemy Health and Damage

The most noticeable change in NG+ is the increase in enemy health and damage. Every single enemy, from the basic soldiers to the mightiest demigods, hits harder and can take more punishment. This means that the strategies that worked before may not be as effective in NG+. You will need to be more tactical in your approach to encounters, be more strategic.

• Basic enemies become more threatening. Even those pesky little imps can be dangerous if you are careless.
• Bosses require more patience and precision. You can’t expect to simply overpower them like you may have done on your first play through.

Scaling Difficulty

Elden Ring’s NG+ system uses a scaling difficulty mechanic. This means that the jump in difficulty in NG+ is not a constant, rather it continues to scale. The increase in enemy health and damage is not a one-time bump; it continues to increase in each subsequent playthrough you initiate, up to a certain point (which is NG+7). This ensures that NG+ will always feel challenging, even if you are coming in with powerful weapons and stats. In simple words it means the higher the NG+, the tougher it gets.

Item Scaling Remains The Same

While enemy stats increase significantly, it’s vital to understand that item drop rates do not change in NG+. This means you won’t get higher quality items than you did in the regular game, and the rune gains will remain the same. What this means is that your strategy of item farming will be the same as what you already did in your first playthrough, you will not get better items. The only difference that will exist will be in the increase of enemy stat. So if you enjoyed farming runes or items in your first playthrough, you may have to make more attempts.

How Your Character Changes in New Game Plus

Starting NG+ isn’t a complete reset. You carry over a lot of your progress from the previous playthrough which makes your overall experience a little bit different from your first attempt. Let’s look at what you keep and what’s reset.

What You Keep

Here’s what you retain in NG+:

• Character Level and Stats: All your hard-earned levels, and attribute points stay with you. This is a huge advantage, you won’t have to start from level 1 all over again.
• Weapons and Armor: All the weapons, armor sets, and shields you collected will remain in your inventory. You can use those powerful weapons right from the start.
• Talismans: All talismans you have collected, including legendary ones, will also carry over.
• Spells and Incantations: Any magic you have learned will be available from the start of NG+.
• Key Items: Certain key items like your Flasks of Crimson and Cerulean Tears, and upgrades to those flasks carry over to your new game.
• Crafting Recipes: Your recipes carry over, so you don’t need to find them all over again.

What Gets Reset

Things that will get reset when you start a new game plus are:

• Sites of Grace: All the graces that you activated in your first playthrough will be reset and needs to be reactivated.
• Story Progression: All your story progress, including quest lines and boss fights, will be reset.
• Bell Bearings: Bell Bearings given to merchants reset.
• Great Runes: These runes will need to be reclaimed in order to be used again.

Specific Enemy Changes in NG+

Let’s take a closer look at how certain enemy types fare in NG+.

Regular Enemies

The regular enemies you encounter at the beginning areas will not be that easy anymore. The increase in health and damage will make them less of fodder and more of a threat. You might have brushed off the soldiers in Limgrave in your first play, but this won’t be the case in NG+.

Mini-Bosses and Field Bosses

Remember those roaming mini-bosses? They will have much more health, and you have to be much more patient when dealing with them in the world. Bosses like Tree Sentinels and the Night’s Cavalry will not be a walk in the park, and may even catch you off guard if you don’t respect their increase in power. Be mindful of these bosses and adjust your strategies.

Main Bosses

Main bosses have the most drastic changes in health and damage. For example, Margit may have been a relatively simple boss the first time, but you may have to reconsider your plan when you face him in NG+. You will not be able to rush them like you did before. Each boss fight will need much more of a calculated effort to succeed.

The Benefits of New Game Plus

Okay, so NG+ makes the game harder. But why would you want to do it? There are some good reasons to jump into another playthrough.

Re-experiencing The Story and World

Elden Ring has a complex story with lots of lore and hidden details. NG+ gives you a chance to see the game from a new perspective. With your upgraded character, you can take your time exploring the world without being easily defeated. You will be able to focus more on the hidden areas and lore and less on trying to survive.

Trying Different Builds

Want to try a different style of play? NG+ is the perfect time to do it. Since you keep your levels and stats, you can respec your character with larval tears. Experiment with magic, different weapons, or new armor. You can also take the time to upgrade the armor and weapons that you didn’t get to use in your first playthrough.

Access to Late Game Areas with an Optimized Build

In a standard playthrough, you may have a hard time getting access to the late game areas. Starting in NG+ with an optimized build, you will be able to access these areas much earlier, and you will also have more tools at your disposal to tackle these areas. This makes the NG+ experience quite different and fresh.

Completing Missed Quests and Content

Due to the open world nature of Elden Ring, it’s very common to miss some quests and content in your first playthrough. NG+ will give you a chance to see more of what Elden Ring offers and to tie up any loose ends. This also adds some additional replayability for players who are looking for more challenge.

Strategies For Conquering New Game Plus

Now that we know the challenges of NG+, here are some useful tips and tricks to help you conquer this new challenge.

Optimize Your Build

Before you jump into NG+, make sure that you have a solid character build. Respec if you need to make any improvements. Try to make the best out of your current character, or if you want to try a new character build you may do so too. You can use this as an opportunity to try that new build out.

• Focus on attributes that suit your playstyle.
• Experiment with different weapon types and combinations.
• Always use talismans to give you that advantage in any combat situation.

Upgrade Your Weapons

Upgraded weapons are a must for NG+. Since enemy health is higher, you will need to ensure you are doing the most possible damage. Find smithing stones to further increase the power of your weapons and if you find any somber smithing stones, prioritize upgrading your somber weapons as well. Maxing out your weapons, is critical to tackling the challenge of NG+.

Use Status Effects

Using status effects like Bleed, Poison, and Frostbite can give you a huge advantage in NG+. Status effects can make it easier to take down those enemies that have an abundance of health. These debuffs will give you an upper hand when you need it the most.

Utilize Summons and Spirit Ashes

Don’t be afraid to use your summons and spirit ashes. These can provide invaluable assistance, especially when facing multiple enemies. Spirit Ashes are a game-changer and will continue to be a useful tool. Use them to your advantage, they are there to help you. Experiment with different spirit ashes as they have their unique abilities and can make NG+ a lot more manageable.

Learn Enemy Attack Patterns

Knowing enemy attack patterns will make NG+ a little more manageable. Study each enemy and take your time. Don’t rush in, and instead try to understand what they will do next. Once you master their moves, you will be able to anticipate the attacks better and this will make combat a lot more easier for you.

Be Patient and Strategic

Don’t just rush through NG+ like you did in your first playthrough. Take your time and plan your attacks. Rushing through an area without a plan will always lead to death. Always be patient and think things through. Use the environment to your advantage, and look for any weak points on enemies. A slower, more strategic approach will always yield better results.

Additional Considerations

There are some additional things to consider while going through NG+

Multiplayer

Co-op play can be a great way to take on the challenges of NG+. Playing with friends always adds an additional layer of fun. You can make some unforgettable memories while exploring the lands between with a group of your friends. However, you will be scaled to the host’s world, so be mindful of that while co-oping with others. Additionally, you can also invade other players. This adds an extra layer of challenge and excitement to NG+ if you are interested in invading.

Choosing When to Start NG+

There is no rush to start a NG+. Take your time to explore as much of the world as you want before doing so. Take the time to get all the items you need, and try to defeat all the bosses you need to, before starting NG+.