Discussions

I'm nearing 60 hours with Elden Ring and, frankly, I still have no idea what's going on story-wise. Similar to previous Souls titles, the lore FromSoftware has been created by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin is a jumble of proper nouns as well as vague statements. One thing I know, however, is that a boss referred to for his title of General Radhan is perhaps the most memorable characters in the world. He might even be the most memorable Souls character of all time.

Okay, let's calm down. I know that's a big assertion! However, please don't pressure me all at once to support the overwhelming fan-favorite characters like Dark Souls pseudo-mascot Solaire of Astora or even Patches which is the universe-spanning jerk that has appeared in a number of other FromSoftware games. While these and many other Souls characters are fantastic but General Radahn is over the rest, literally as well as literally, due to the way Elden Ring mixes silly, emotional, and inspiring stories from his past and a unique boss fight which transforms the game's world.

In the moment you get to meet Radahn within Elden Ring, he's a faint resemblance of the brilliant demi-god commander who led wartime forces after the demise of the titular phenomenon. Radahn was previously brought low in fighting by his sister Malenia the Severed. She was infected with The Scarlet Rot, a sickness which turns victims into mindless ghouls with only one thing in mind to devour everything they see. As such, Radahn now is a scavenger on the battlefield, strewn with corps back of a terribly small horses (whose name is actually Leonard), waiting for the day when someone with the strength will be able to end his suffering.

Radahn's name in Elden Ring is "Starscourge," and with good reason. At some point in his past, a sorceress named Sellen tells you, the gigantic warrior "challenged the moving constellations" in and of themselves. I'm still not sure what exactly Radahn defeated stars, however his victory over these celestial bodies was so complete as to freeze them in the sky. "He has the power that repulses all stars,"" Sellen adds. "If General Radahn were to die the stars would then continue to move." Simply put, the dude is strong as fuck.

Beyond his size, Radahn's raw power is also due to his mastery of gravity itself which is a form of magic that the player themselves is able to use with appropriate stats and information. The skills make Radahn a fearsome warrior, but it's also how he's able to take his horse on his skin and bones without, you know, crushing the poor animal beneath the immense weight. In actual fact, Leonard was the main motive behind Radahn to create his gravitational powers in the first place, as outlined in this description of the item: The Red Lion General wielded gravitational powers which he learned in Selia in his youth. So that he wouldn't have to abandon his beloved, but scrawny horse.

Radahn is positioned throughout the early hours of Elden Ring as quite a difficult task. A lot of the people you encounter during your journey through the Lands Between, including a wonderful "pot goblin" named Iron Fist Alexander and my boyfriend Blaidd the Half-Wolf, chat about going to Radahn's old fortress, Castle Redmane, to be part of a celebration. Once you reach the castle yourself it is clear that the events are a pretense for putting Radahn free from his burden. They are being hosted by the loyal servants he left behind. Some of the world's most capable fighters are gathered to test their mettle against Radahn and, if they're fortunate, will finally grant him the warrior's death the man deserves.

Although Radahn can be defeated in normal circumstances, I consider the encounter to be the most recent in a long line of fun FromSoftware boss fights that play much more smoothly by making use of their unique mechanics instead of take on the challenge like you would in any other game. Consider, for instance, to Dark Souls III's face-off against Yhorm the Giant. You can certainly slash away at his huge health bar with your puny weapon of choice, but the developers wanted players to use a specific sword in the arena to whack his looming cranium with wind-powered magic instead. It turns an incredibly challenging fight into an easy task and is relevant to the theme.

Radahn's fight at Elden Ring is also all about making use of the resources readily available to you. Remember how I said several warriors were gathering in Redmane Castle for the festival? This means that you're able to summon not one, not two but six NPCs to assist you in your fight against Radahn. They don't make the fight as easy as shredding Yhorm to pieces using Storm Ruler, but having his massive attacks focused on someone else as you perform hit-and run-style strafing attacks against your horse more effective than being a victim all the time. It's even better in the event that your allies die - and trust me, they'll die a lot--you can just re-summon them repeatedly. It's a rule.

Buy cheapest Elden Ring Runes from MMOexp.com