Does Elden Ring End After Ending? A Deep Dive into Post-Game Content
The Lands Between are vast and unforgiving, and the journey to become Elden Lord is a monumental undertaking. But after facing the final boss and choosing an ending, a common question arises: Does Elden Ring truly end after the ending? The short answer is: not entirely. While the main narrative concludes, the game’s structure and mechanics offer avenues for continued play, exploration, and new challenges. Let’s break it down.
The Post-Elden Beast Landscape
Upon defeating the Elden Beast, the true final boss, you’re presented with a Grace site right at the battle’s conclusion. You’ll also find an interactable statue where you choose your desired ending by interacting with Fractured Marika. This choice is pivotal, as it determines the fate of the Lands Between. After selecting an ending, you have a choice: you can stay in your current world or immediately transition to New Game Plus (NG+).
Staying in the Current World: Choosing to remain in your current playthrough allows you to continue exploring the world, completing any side quests, or battling optional bosses you may have missed. The state of the world will reflect your chosen ending, but the core gameplay remains the same. You’ll still have access to all your items, levels, and unlocked locations. This is a great opportunity to polish off any unfinished business, prepare for NG+, or simply enjoy the world you shaped.
Transitioning to New Game Plus (NG+): Choosing to embark on NG+ is where Elden Ring truly begins anew. This option takes you back to the beginning of the game, but with all your character progression intact. This means you retain all your levels, equipment, and items. The difficulty is increased, enemies deal more damage, and their health pools are higher, providing a fresh challenge. The NG+ cycle allows you to experience the game with a different character build, explore different narrative paths, and even achieve alternate endings. The cycle can be repeated multiple times, each time with increased difficulty, making it a great way to extend the game’s life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many endings are there in Elden Ring?
Elden Ring boasts six different endings, each with unique implications for the Lands Between. These endings are contingent on specific choices and actions made throughout your playthrough, requiring you to experience the game multiple times to see them all.
2. What happens in the “standard” Elden Lord ending?
The standard Elden Lord ending, the one Melina guides you towards, is achieved by choosing to mend the Elden Ring at the interactable statue after defeating the Elden Beast. You become the Elden Lord, taking your seat upon the throne and ushering in a new era.
3. Do all Elden Lord endings give the same reward?
Yes, all four variations of the Elden Lord endings grant you the same Trophy/Achievement. This means you only need to play the game at least three times to earn all ending-related rewards, not six.
4. Can you continue playing after beating the final boss?
Yes, after defeating the Elden Beast, you can choose to continue exploring your current world or immediately start New Game Plus (NG+). This allows you to finish any side quests or explore the world in the state you left it.
5. What is the most morally good ending in Elden Ring?
Many consider Ranni’s Age of Stars ending to be the most morally “good” ending, as it aims to bring about a better future for the Lands Between and separates the world from the influence of the Greater Will.
6. What is the “Age of the Duskborn” ending?
Fia’s ending, also known as the “Age of the Duskborn,” introduces a mist into the Lands Between, tied to the end of immortality. This ending is achieved by completing Fia’s questline.
7. What is the hardest ending to achieve?
The Lord of Frenzied Flame ending is considered the most challenging to achieve. It requires completing a highly convoluted questline that many players may miss during a normal playthrough.
8. What is New Game Plus (NG+)?
New Game Plus (NG+) allows you to replay the game with all your progress and levels intact but with increased difficulty. It’s a great way to try new builds, unlock different endings, and challenge yourself.
9. Does Elden Ring have a “happy” ending?
The ending most often perceived as the “happy” one is the Age of Order ending, achieved with the Mending Rune of Perfect Order. It brings stability and is seen by many as the “goody-good” ending.
10. What happens in the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending?
In the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending, you take on the mantle of the Lord of Frenzied Flame. This path involves a drastic transformation and is considered the most destructive outcome, leaving Melina vowing to seek vengeance.
11. Does Melina always die in Elden Ring?
Melina’s fate is tied to the Elden Lord endings. She is destined to sacrifice herself to burn the Erdtree, unless you deviate from the Elden Lord path and seek alternative ways to kindle the flame, specifically with the Frenzied Flame path.
12. Is Melina “good” or “bad”?
Melina is largely considered a loyal and helpful character, without ulterior motives. However, her fate is often tragic if you follow the Elden Lord path, leading many to seek out ways to avoid her death, such as through the frenzied flame ending.
13. Can you miss endings in Elden Ring?
Yes, you can miss specific endings if you don’t follow the required questlines or make specific choices. This is why multiple playthroughs are necessary to experience all possible outcomes.
14. Does your ending choice affect future NG+ cycles?
No, your chosen ending does not affect future NG+ cycles outside of the story cutscenes. Each NG+ cycle begins with the world in the same state as your first playthrough. Your character’s chosen ending primarily impacts the world in the specific cycle where you made that choice.
15. Is there DLC available for Elden Ring?
Yes, a DLC called Shadow of the Erdtree was released, which means that the world of Elden Ring is set to expand further. This new content offers new stories and challenges for those who want to continue their journey through the Lands Between.
Conclusion
While Elden Ring’s main narrative concludes with an ending, the game doesn’t truly end there. The option to stay in your current world or transition to NG+ allows you to explore the full scope of the Lands Between, experience different character builds, uncover hidden secrets, and achieve all available endings. This vast replayability, coupled with the new Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, ensures that Elden Ring remains an engaging experience long after the final boss is defeated. The fate of the Lands Between may be decided at the end, but your journey through them can continue endlessly.