If you just beat Elden Ring and you’re wondering if you should launch a NG+ or create a new character, you’re not the only one facing this dilemma. Let’s see what each option brings.
Why you should start a NG+
If you’re looking for an easy second playthrough, you should start a New Game Plus. Your end-game level allows you to skip early to mid game. Given your weapon upgrades, all the bosses before The Fire Giant should be a joke. The whole game should feel like a victory walk.
After all, you get to keep your upgraded stuff, maps and levels.
The more NG+ sessions you start, the more difficult each game becomes. Typically, the third or fourth NG+ playthrough becomes really challenging even for leveled-up characters.
If you accidentally killed an NPC in your first playthrough and locked yourself out of their questline, you can complete the questline you missed in a new NG+ .
Additionally, NG+ doubles Runes. If you’re interested in that aspect, then a new NG+ is the right choice for you.
Why you should not start a NG+
There’s nothing new in NG+. Additionally, your bell bearings don’t transfer. This means that you need to collect them again if you want to experiment with a different build.
Why you should create a new character
If you want to try out a completely different build, you should definitely create a new character in your second Elden Ring playthrough. Many players get much more enjoyment out of progressing from nothing in a new character class.
Using a different build makes finding the items you need to level up your character all the more satisfying. Progression and role playing are a lot more fun with a new save.
By the way, you can have multiple characters in Elden Ring. Each character has its own individual save.
Conclusion
Launching a NG+ or creating a new character comes down to how challenging you want your second Elden Ring playthrough to be. In a NG+, things are very easy but repetitive. Play a NG+ if you want to explore different endings, complete missed questlines or fight specific bosses again.
With a new character, you’ll start from scratch and you can try out a different build. If the difficulty is what makes Elden Ring fun for you, then you should definitely go for a new character. The difficulty in a NG+ scales up too slowly.
Did you manage to take a decision? What’s it gonna be: a new save and a new character or a NG+? Let me know in the comments below.