Well, I’m currently sitting here, trying to collect my thoughts from the current but soon-to-be ending Elden Ring Beta; or should I say Elden Ring Closed Network Test. There’s just too much to get through and talk about, and I will on both this website and via an upcoming podcast. Speaking of which, I wanted to address something that I’ve heard a few people mention and ask about, that being the kick move that was available in the Dark Souls series missing in Elden Ring. You know the one I’m referring to, It’s the move when you either want to stagger an enemy or kick that shield right out of their smug hands. Unbeknownst to what some believe, the kick did make it to Elden Ring, but there are some differences here.
In Dark Souls, all you had to do was press the light attack button while pressing forward to launch the attack. However, upon trying this in Elden Ring, I realized that this wasn’t the case. I initially thought that I was doing the input wrong, just like I used to drop Akuma’s Raging Demon in Street Fighter. But after a few attempts, I realized that it wasn’t me — something was off. It turns out that Fromsoftware made a slight change that would put off even the most hardcore Dark Souls veteran. Now, when you want to launch a kick in Elden Ring; you have to do so WITHOUT having a weapon equipped. This is because having a weapon equipped will result in you performing the sword art/special ability instead. So you’ll have to switch to an unarmed weapon slot and perform the kick with your bare hands.
Once you’ve gimped yourself, you just press the L2 button on PS4/PS5 or the left trigger on the Xbox One and Xbox Series controller, which launches a superkick that would make Sean Michaels proud. Given the enemy you’re performing it on, they’ll either have their stance broken, even if they have a shield on one or two kicks. Giving you enough time to switch to a weapon and get a riposte in. The only enemies outside of bosses that this doesn’t work on are those with great shields — just like in Dark Souls.
This video here shows you how it all goes down. I love the new animation, btw.
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In all likelihood, this will be the same once Elden Ring officially gets released and not just the Elden Ring Closed Network Test, which will be over by the time you read this. Honestly, I love the change, simply because I always hated the awkward motion that was required to pull off the kick. In fact, this new kick is very satisfying — when it connects that is. I’ve spent quite a bit of time trying to see just what enemies it works on and what it doesn’t. And let me tell you that you watching a wolf plummet to its death after being kicked is hilarious, even if it is a bit mean.
Elden Ring releases on February 25, 2022, for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
