The world of Elden Ring is full of secrets. But if you put your Sherlock Holmes hat on, you’ll find a plethora of amazing hidden features and game mechanics. For example, did you know that you can unlock secret paths by hitting illusory walls? Or that rain and water reduce the efficiency of Fire spells?
Are you curious to learn more? Let’s jump right in!
25 Elden Ring mechanics you might have missed
⇒ 1
You’re temporarily invincible while getting onto Torrent. You’ll take no damage whatsoever. By the way, your horse can double-jump. Did you know that?
⇒ 2
You can attack on both sides when you’re riding Torrent by pressing LB/ LT and RB/ RT.
⇒ 3
Giant enemies can inflict friendly fire damage to their allies. Use this mechanic to your advantage when fighting giant dragons, trolls, crabs, and so on.
⇒ 4
If there’s a yellow glow around your character and you see golden leaves falling around you, that’s the blessing of the Erdtree bestowed upon you. You can farm more Runes during this time.
⇒ 5
You can use the mirror in the Roundtable Hold to change your character’s appearance for free as often as you want. You can change your name as well. The only thing you can’t change is your starting class.
⇒ 6
You can sprint while crouched. This makes stealth much easier. Your enemies will have the same reaction as if you were moving at a slow speed.
⇒ 7
You can use the Crepus’s Vial Talisman to completely quiet your footsteps.
⇒ 8
Darkish, reddish holes on the map mark the places where mines are located. Go there to get your hands on some Smithing stones, if you need them.
⇒ 9
If you’re on your horse, you can hold the triangle button and press R1/R2 to swap your right hand weapon with your left hand weapon. Use this switch if you have a staff left hand and want to use it while riding Torrent.
⇒ 10
The hunchbacked statues with skulls as faces shine a blue light towards a nearby dungeon where you are can find Ash Summons. They stop shinning once you collect the Ash Summons.
⇒ 11
You can use Rainbow Stones to test if you can survive a fall. If they shatter, this means the fall will kill you. If the stones start glowing, you’ll survive the fall.
⇒ 12
Use the “Talk to Melina” option at specific Sites of Grace to learn pieces of lore. Combine them with the sword grave epitaphs to learn more about The Lands Between.
⇒ 13
If you’re running low on Runes or you’re looking for a quick way to gain Runes at low levels, smash the glowing skulls you’ll see scattered around. Each is worth 200 Runes.
⇒ 14
If you kill the giant dragon in Limgrave, you can get 74K runes. The catch is that he won’t attack you unless you hit his head. He’ll also drop 5 Dragon hearts.
⇒ 15
You can shoot a short bow or long bow while jumping. Shoot as soon as you jump to fire at the peak of your jump.
⇒ 16
If Torrent dies, instead of using a flask to revive him, simply take out the last enemy. When your flasks are refilled, Torrent will come back to life.
⇒ 17
If you kill all the merchants, you can have all their shop items into a single place. However, killing them early will lock you out of their questline and you won’t be able to earn quest-specific rewards.
⇒ 18
You can hit the dodge button to drop off a ladder and kill the enemies beneath you.
⇒ 19
When you find stone enemies in mines, you can make them explode by hitting them with fire. They carry bombs on their backs and will quickly explode once you set them aflame. That’s why you should buy a torch from Kalé when visiting the Church of Elleh.
⇒ 20
To move a bit faster in an area that forces you to move really slow, such as lava zones, equip a dagger. Repeatedly tap L2 to move faster.
⇒ 21
To clean off poison, use soap. This item can help you clean off poison instantly. By the way, when you’re walking across an area covered in poison, you can jump on various items and rest for a while waiting for the poison meter drain back down.
⇒ 22
There is a wall over in Volcano Manor that you can break down only after hitting it 50 times. Behind it, you’ll find Rya and Knight Bernhal’s room.
⇒ 23
Ultra Greatswords are called Colossal Swords in Elden Ring. Use them to take out bosses. These Strength-based weapons are extremely powerful and will send enemies flying.
⇒ 24
You can use Golden Runes as Rune saving accounts. You won’t lose your Gold Runes when killed. Sell Golden Runes only when you’re planning to use them.
⇒ 25
If you’re not getting all your Runes back when killed in Stormveil Castle, you should know that Gatekeeper Gostoc is the culprit. He’s always stealing your Runes shortly after you die. If you kill him, the problem is gone.
I hope you learned a few things after reading this guide.
If you’ve got other interesting tips and trick to share, feel free to list them in the comments below.
Happy gaming!
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