Does New Game Plus Scale Elden Ring? Unveiling the Truth Behind Difficulty Progression
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Yes, New Game Plus (NG+) in Elden Ring definitely scales the game. Enemies and bosses receive substantial buffs to their health and damage output, presenting a significant challenge compared to the initial playthrough. This scaling continues through multiple NG+ cycles, ultimately capping at NG+7, offering a progressively demanding, but rewarding experience for seasoned Tarnished.
Understanding Elden Ring’s New Game Plus Scaling
Elden Ring’s New Game Plus isn’t just a replay with your existing character; it’s a carefully designed system that amplifies the challenge while simultaneously rewarding your previous efforts. The core of this scaling lies in the increased health and damage of enemies and bosses. This means that those once-trivial encounters in Limgrave can quickly become perilous if you underestimate them in NG+.
How Does Enemy Scaling Work?
The scaling isn’t uniform across all enemies. The buff to enemy stats is more pronounced in the early game areas during the initial NG+ cycle. This is likely designed to prevent players from completely trivializing the starting zones with their endgame gear and levels. As you progress through NG+ and venture into areas like the Mountaintops of the Giants or Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, the relative difficulty increase might feel less dramatic because these areas were already challenging in your first playthrough.
The NG+ Cycle Cap: NG+7
The scaling of enemy difficulty doesn’t continue indefinitely. After completing NG+6 and starting NG+7, the game reaches its maximum difficulty plateau. This means that the enemy health and damage will not increase any further in subsequent playthroughs. While you can continue to play through the game multiple times, the challenge will remain consistent from NG+7 onwards.
Rewards of Scaling: Rune Acquisition
To compensate for the increased difficulty, Elden Ring also scales the Rune drops in NG+. Enemies provide significantly more Runes upon defeat, allowing you to level up more quickly and further enhance your character’s attributes. This scaled Rune acquisition is essential for keeping pace with the escalating enemy strength. The amount of runes you obtain scales depending on what region you’re located in.
Benefits Beyond Scaling
Beyond the scaled difficulty and Rune drops, NG+ offers several benefits that incentivize repeated playthroughs:
- Keeping Your Gear: You retain your armor, weapons, spells, talismans, upgrade materials, ashes of war, cookbooks, craftable items, maps, and non-quest specific collectibles like Larval Tears and Rune Arcs.
- Revisiting Missed Content: NG+ provides the opportunity to explore areas or complete quests that you might have missed during your initial playthrough.
- Experimenting with Builds: With your accumulated resources and levels, you can experiment with different builds and weapon combinations to discover new playstyles.
- Multiple Endings: Elden Ring features multiple endings, and NG+ allows you to pursue different narrative paths and unlock them all.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Elden Ring’s New Game Plus
Here are some frequently asked questions about Elden Ring’s New Game Plus and how it scales the game:
1. How much harder is NG+ compared to the first playthrough?
The difficulty increase in NG+ is substantial. Expect enemies to have significantly more health and deal considerably more damage. Early game enemies are typically buffed more than late-game ones.
2. Does the game scale differently in each NG+ cycle?
Yes, the difficulty increases with each NG+ cycle up to NG+7. The first NG+ cycle is usually the most noticeable jump in difficulty.
3. Does Elden Ring’s multiplayer get harder in NG+?
Multiplayer difficulty isn’t directly tied to NG+ status. Bosses gain increased health when summoning allies, regardless of whether you’re in NG+ or the original playthrough. Some players even find that certain bosses are easier to defeat solo.
4. What level should I be before starting NG+?
There is no level cap for starting NG+, but a level between 120-150 is generally recommended to have a reasonably comfortable experience.
5. What happens to my Bell Bearings in NG+?
Most Bell Bearings do not carry over to New Game Plus. Only the Bell Bearings whose items are kept by the Twin Maiden Husks in New Game+ are retained.
6. What items carry over to NG+?
Almost all non-quest-related items carry over, including weapons, armor, talismans, spells, upgrade materials, Ashes of War, cookbooks, crafting materials, maps, and key items like Larval Tears.
7. Will starting NG+ delete my original save file?
No, starting NG+ creates a new save file and does not overwrite your original save. You can freely switch between your original save and your NG+ save.
8. How many times can I play NG+?
You can play NG+ as many times as you like, but the difficulty caps at NG+7.
9. What is the max level in Elden Ring?
The maximum level in Elden Ring is 713.
10. Is it easier to level up in NG+?
Yes, enemies drop significantly more Runes in NG+, making it easier to level up.
11. Should I level up past 150 in Elden Ring?
It depends on your playstyle. If you primarily focus on PvE and don’t mind being unable to co-op, you can level up as much as you want. However, if you want to participate in PvP or co-op, it’s generally recommended to stay around level 150.
12. What if I refuse Melina’s accord?
You need to accept Melina’s accord to level up and unlock the ability to summon Torrent. Refusing her will prevent you from progressing in the game.
13. Do Larval Tears respawn in NG+?
Larval Tears do not respawn in NG+. You can only obtain one Larval Tear from each specific enemy encounter, and they will not appear again in subsequent playthroughs.
14. What level should I be for New Game Plus 2 Elden Ring?
Aim to be around level 150 – 175 for NG+2, but this can vary depending on your build and skill level.
15. What’s the point of New Game Plus?
New Game Plus offers a chance to experience the game with a powerful character, explore missed content, experiment with different builds, pursue multiple endings, and enjoy a progressively challenging experience. Also, if you are interested in studying the effects of games on learning you could explore Games Learning Society for more information.
Conclusion: Embracing the Challenge of Scaled Difficulty
Elden Ring’s New Game Plus is a well-crafted system that rewards dedicated players with a fresh and challenging experience. The scaled difficulty, coupled with the ability to retain your progress and explore new possibilities, makes NG+ a compelling reason to return to the Lands Between. Whether you’re seeking a greater challenge, want to perfect your build, or simply want to experience the game from a new perspective, New Game Plus offers a rewarding journey for any seasoned Tarnished. GamesLearningSociety.org has many articles and resources to delve deeper into the captivating world of gaming.