Summary
The fight against Starscourge Radahn in Caelid is a pivotal moment inElden Ringthat brings together multiple aspects of the open-world combat in a way that few other bosses manage to include. From the inclusion of Torrent in the arena to the plentiful NPC summons,the entire Radahn Festivalis a showcase of the game’s systems all wrapped up in a brutal and complex boss encounter.
While the fight against Starscourge Radahn might appear as one of many difficult bosses acrossElden Ring, it’s the scope of the Festival that sets the event apart from the other 164 similar encounters. This scope is what has elevated Radahn as one of the most popular fights inElden Ring, even as the boss has been repeatedly nerfed and buffed into the tentative state as one of the hardest encounters in the game.
Radahn and His Champion Must Be Jacks-of-All-Trades
Radahn Masters Range and Melee Combat
The start of the Starscourge Radahn encounter has quickly become infamous amongElden Ringplayers, due to the way that the boss starts off the fight with a hail of arrows in various forms. This ranged onslaught starts with gravity-imbued arrows and continues until the player comes close enough to be followed by more than rain down from above, similar toAldrich’s signature attack fromDark Souls 3. Having these heavy attacks hounding the player from a distance right from the start of the fight means that a quick approach will be necessary, as Radahn has the advantage at a distance with his greatbow.
Coming within melee range of Radahn doesn’t suddenly remove the danger, however, as the boss is equally capable with his giant curved swords. Riding atop his horse, Radahn is able to move at breakneck speeds and has swings that will whip around the arena in an almost uncanny trajectory that can easily catch players off-guard. To make matters worse, forcing Radahn to put away his bow before backing up to fight with one ofElden Ring’s overpowered ranged buildsisn’t a sure path to success either, as the boss still has a host of gravity magics at his command to continue dominating at a distance.
The Player’s Allies Act as Both Spectacle and Companions
One of the most impressive aspects of the Radahn Festival is how many characters have gathered around Redmane Castle to challenge the legendary general. This collection of NPCs leads to a fight where players can call up to seven allies to help in the fight, andElden Ring’s cowardly version of Patchesimmediately leaves once he realizes what he’s gotten himself into. The result is the closest that theSoulsborneseries has gotten to charging into a battle with an entire army at the player’s side.
To enhance the feeling of leading an army into a war is the way that the player is allowed to play the part of the cavalry by riding on top of Torrent throughout the fight. Whilehorse combat inElden Ringis rarely the best choice against a boss as tough as Radahn, the speed Torrent grants is extremely helpful when dodging arrows early or trying to close the distance after his massive attacks. This can lead to a dynamic fight where players are incentivized to hop on and off of Torrent during one of the few major bosses where the mount is available in order to press what little advantageElden Ringgives against any boss.
Everything Comes Together For Radahn
The result of these various systems coming together in the Radahn Festival sets the encounter as a showcase of everything thatElden Ringhas to offer in combat. From mounted combat to ranged enemies and NPC helpers, the fight against Radahn is acondensed version of the Lands Betweenas a whole brought into the context of a single fight. All of these systems coming together for Radahn makes him a stellar landmark of theElden Ring’s already impressive mid-game.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
