Elden ring It’s in the wild, and as you’d expect from FromSoftware, it’s a punishingly tough action RPG that will have you repeatedly throwing yourself at bosses in ill-fated attempts to destroy them. More unusually, however, it also seems like it might be best enjoyed with friends.
As with previous Souls titles, Elden Ring doesn’t force you to bear your hardships alone. You can summon friends and strangers to your game to help. You may simply want company or, more likely, you desperately need some help against a boss who has repeatedly knocked you to the ground for the past eight hours.
Some players have taken their co-op fights to new heights, joining bosses in incredibly coordinated, sharp, and sometimes simple brawls that have the Elden Ring community all excited.
Take a look at this duo who are able to sync each of their attacks perfectly for what could be a record-breaking takedown.
sometimes_you_play_with_that_one_friend_a_little from r/Eldenring
“Was that choreographed?” asked a Redditor, possibly in complete disbelief at the sheer synchronicity of the fighters. “That was a symphony,” said another user, impressed by the duo’s martial efficiency. If there’s one thing Elden Rings players love more than overcoming the game’s brutal enemies, it’s seeing others kill them with ease.
This Spotted couple approached an unconscious enemy, combining a simultaneous surprise attack with a barrage of backstabs, seemingly with no need for planning or communication.
i_was_playing_with_this_random_guy_without_saying from r/Eldenring
This pair, meanwhile, was a little more tactical, using an ability that allowed them to mimic stone statues to lure an invading player into their trap.
me_and_my_friend_both_mimiced_statues_and_jumped from r/Eldenring
And then, of course, there are the players who are not so lucky and are better at coordinating timely kills than wins.
my_friend_has_never_played_a_souls_game_before from r/Eldenring
Take a cursory look at the Elden Ring subreddit and you’ll find plenty of players thanking strangers for lending them a hand, photos of new players friendship to an advantage, and others praising the coordination of these cooperative fighters.
Analysis: Harder than it looks, but worth a try
So how do you play Elden Ring co-op with friends? It’s not as simple as you might think. As with previous Souls games, you cannot start a multiplayer lobby, but you will have to summon other players to your world after loading. You will only be able to do this after collecting the necessary items.
Using the Furlcalling Finger Remedy (a craftable item), you will be able to see summon signs that have been placed all over the world by other players. Interact with them to invite others to join you. Grab the Tarnished’s Coiled Finger early in the game, however, and you’ll be able to place summon signs that allow others to invite you to their sessions.
If you want to play with friends rather than strangers, you’ll have to make some simple tweaks to the game’s options menu. Go to the Network tab, agree a “Multiplayer Password” for you and your friends to log in, and that’s it! Whenever you summon players in the future, only those who have entered the same password as you will be called into your game.
Up to two other payers can join you in the game, which means groups cannot be larger than three. Still, that’s enough for some pretty impressive tag team fights.
If you like to try, get a copy of Elden Ring.
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