WhileSekiro: Shadows Die Twicemay not be an official part of the Soulsborne franchise, as an action RPG developed by FromSoftware, it shares a lot of similarities withDark Souls,Bloodborne,and the developer’s latest title,Elden Ring.Sekiro,however, introduced a lot of experimental ideas into FromSoftware’s usual formula. It had a linear story, for example, which didn’t lead most players down a Google rabbit hole to be figured out. Most obviously, though,Sekiro’sbiggest departures came in the form of its combat, with things like parrying and the prosthetic arm being very unique mechanics.
Some ofSekiro’sinfluence has made its way intoElden Ring, but for many fans, it is clear to see that FromSoftware wanted to base its latest title on games likeBloodborneandDark Souls. However, this hasn’t stopped someElden Ringmodders from trying to instill the game’s combat with aSekirofeel. The Sword Mastery - Total Combat Overhaul mod was created by AntiSteak and looks to do exactly what the title suggests.
RELATED:Elden Ring Player Shares Clip of Boss-Killing Glitch
Adding new combo attacks and changing up the wayElden Ring’smelee weaponswork, the Total Combat Overhaul mod is an impressive rework of a lot of the systems in the game. Of course, with a mod that looks to add some ofSekiro’smechanics toElden Ring, deflections have been brought into the game as well. While there isn’t a posture bar like the one inSekiro, which lets a player know when they can go in for a death blow,Elden Ring’sdeflections will give the player a short burst of stamina regeneration.
Deflections also appear easier to land inElden Ring, as AntiSteak explains that the mechanic shows an icon to the player when they can stop an incoming attack. However, the modder also promises that this won’t giveElden Ringan easy mode, as it’s not possible to block multiple heavy attacks in a row. To avoid those heavier strikes, a player can use the overhauled dodge mechanic to step quickly away from an attack in any direction. If they dodge around the newly introduced “perilous attacks,” anElden Ringplayer will also have a chance to punish their opponent with a guard counter.
Moreover, when facing a humanoid enemy or one wielding a sword, clashes have been introduced toElden Ringas well. One of the lesser-known mechanics ofSekiro, a sword clash occurs when both player and opponent strike at the same time, leading to an impressive visual that can give a fight more of an epic feeling. There are plenty of other changes brought about in the Total Combat Overhaul mod, but for anyElden Ringplayer who doesn’t want to change up the melee mechanics of the game, there are a number of other options.Elden Ringhas a whole host of modsavailable for it that can bring changes to the gameplay, character models, and more.
Elden Ringis available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
