Elden Ring's notorious difficulty is a key aspect of its success. The satisfaction that comes with overcoming the game's challenges is enormous and helps keep players engaged in the game's world and story. However, developer FromSoftware also included several new features aimed at easing the stresses of struggling players, such as using the game's multiplayer to summon another player for help. One of these helpers, called "Let Me Solo Her," has become somewhat of a celebrity in the Elden Ring community.
Reddit user sazed813 posted about how this player, wearing nothing but a jar on his head and wielding two katanas, made light work of arguably the game's hardest boss, Malenia, Blade of Miquella. Whereas the host had died over 20 times to this health-replenishing boss, Let Me Solo Her took damage only once and defeated her on his first try. Although this spectacle highlights the benefits of Elden Ring's multiplayer system, it also demonstrates how summoned players can cheapen the experience of conquering a challenging fight.
Elden Ring's multiplayer system is most notably useful for helping struggling players progress through the game's challenges without growing overly frustrated. FromSoftware's games are notoriously tough, and dying multiple times to a boss that seems impossible to defeat can turn many players away. Thankfully, Elden Ring's multiplayer is a useful tool for those who need that extra helping hand.
In this sense, highly-skilled players can be the hero that some Elden Ring players need to keep them invested. Let Me Solo Her, whose victories have been recorded on Klein Tsuboi's YouTube channel, is the epitome of this feature. Instead of players hitting their heads against a repetitive dead-end, they can instead progress with the help of these talented community members. As a result, players are less likely to bounce off the game from frustration and can continue to experience more of what Elden Ring has to offer.
The Soulsborne community is known for being a generally welcoming and fun place to be. Players can feel satisfied that they've helped a fellow gamer out, while also earning runes and rewards themselves. Elden Ring's in-game gestures and talking head "Prattling Pate" items also allow players to show their appreciation and add to the overall enjoyable experience. The fact that Let Me Solo Her has gone viral within the community, spawning memes and fan art in such a short time span, is a testament to how much players appreciate and enjoy the support this community offers.
The flip side, however, is that overpowered player summons can detract from the satisfaction of overcoming the game's challenges. Given that this feeling is a key part of what makes Soulsbornes so enjoyable, it can feel anti-climatic to have someone else defeat a boss for you.
Unfortunately, Elden Ring's multiplayer doesn't give the host any indication as to the skill level of the player they're about to summon. As a result, those who just wanted some to help out could be disappointed by a summon who completely takes over. This is made more frustrating by the fact that the only way to replay a boss battle in Elden Ring is to reach it again in New Game+. On the other hand, players who do want a huge boost could be left with an ally who isn't up to the task and will have to struggle through the battle again while trying their luck with different summons.
Although Elden Ring's multiplayer is a fun and useful tool that's widely appreciated within the community, it has its drawbacks. Tweaking the system to allow the host to reduce the capabilities of powerful summoned players, such as Let Me Solo Her, could be something for FromSoftware to implement. It would go some way to ensuring that the multiplayer feature remains beneficial and enjoyable without cheapening the challenging battles that make the game so brilliant and satisfying.