Sekiro: Shadows Die Twicewas a pretty significant departure for Soulsbourne games, even compared toBloodborne’s drastic mechanical changes. Movement and battle mechanics were overhauled to match the faster pace and offense-oriented samurai gameplay.Dark Soulsemphasized greater freedom in its combat and gameplay design, with character and class creation, unlikeSekiro’s linear approach. However, FromSoftware is returning to more open-ended design withElden Ring, with multiple classes available for players to pick and choose their playstyle. What’s interesting is that a few of these classes implement some of the best mechanical evolutions fromSekiro.
Many of the best aspects ofSekiro’s gameplay design and mechanics appear to be influencing the design ofElden Ringas well.Dark Soulsis typically associated with class and build complexity, but the movement mechanics are vastly different in comparison toSekiro.Bloodbornewas the first Soulsbourne game to iterate on the established core components ofDark Souls, like introducing trick weapons and firearms for parrying, alongside faster movement design.Sekirotook things several steps further, and beyond walljumps and platforming mechanics, movement and attacking frame data is much faster, something certainElden Ringclasses seem to share.
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Some of Elden Ring’s Classes Somewhat Emulate Sekiro
In terms of classes that seem to borrow the most from aSekiro-esque gameplay style,the Warrior class inElden Ringis the closest parallel. Shown in theElden Ringgameplay trailer utilizing a variety of dexterous spells, one-handed weapons, and a bow, various aspects of the Warrior’s moveset seems to emphasize greater mobility and weaving in between opponents attacks. Unlike some of the other classes like Champion or Bloody Wolf that resemble more commonDark Soulscharacter archetypes, the more niche dexterity-based classes seem to have a greater degree of movement, evidently drawing fromSekiro’s design to some degree.
Even in a more general sense, movement inElden Ringis incorporating elements of traversal fromSekiro(andBloodborne) moreso than classicDark Soulsgames. Similar toDark Souls 3, movement in general is a bit faster and smoother on lighter builds, allowing for more generous dodge rolls and rewarding players with good reaction time.Elden Ring’s gameplay traileralso shows off some stealth gameplay, clearly borrowing fromSekiro’s stealth mechanics, which makes sense with its open-world structure. In general,Elden Ringwill certainly benefit from refined movement mechanics, and taking inspiration fromSekiroin that respect is a boon toElden Ring.
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Elden Ring Should Borrow From Sekiro, Sparingly
Granted, borrowing too much inspiration fromSekirowould probably be a detriment toElden Ring.Soulsfans enjoyedSekiroon release, but understood that it’s a fundamentally different game from a narrative and gameplay perspective. Paired with a vastly different setting compared to the gloomy, medieval-based settings that Soulsborne games are known for,Sekirosucceeded as a linear standalone game because of everything it did differently.Elden Ring, on the other hand, returns to the medieval setting, which meansDark Soulsfans are going to be expecting an experience most similar toDark Souls 3, mixed in withBloodborneandSekiroinfluence.
However, likeDark Souls 3,Elden Ringwill ultimately benefit from stealing some influence fromSekiro, even if its subtle. Things like greater freedom of movement in certain character classes, as well as stealth capabilities, will certainly lend themselves well to the exploration of open-world environments. One specific aspect ofSekiro’s world design thatElden Ringcertainly borrows is the game’s emphasis on verticality.Various portions ofElden Ring’s The Land Betweenis separated across vast mountain ranges, all traversible with the protagonist’s mount. Giant “Spiritspring” launchpads allow the player to traverse huge cliffs with ease on horseback.
So far, at least based on the game’s first impression, trailers ofElden Ringseem to emphasize that the upcoming title is borrowing sparingly from its predecessors. That’s certainly a good thing, especially considering how different games likeSekiroandBloodborneare in comparison.Influence fromSekirocan only extend so farbefore it ends up negatively affecting the title’s reception, straying too far from its Soulslike roots into dedicated spin-off territory. However,Elden Ringis clearly harkening back to FromSoftware’s seminal RPG series in design and aesthetic, so borrowing sparingly fromSekirocould improve the game’s mechanics immensely.
Elden Ringreleases on June 16, 2025, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
