Summary
Many of the demi-human enemies take a backseat throughoutElden Ring, due to how more powerful or lore-heavy enemies litter the more memorable locales of the Lands Between. However, several bosses, including Demi-Human Queen Gilika and her variants, stepped up the design of this class of enemy with some ofElden Ring’s most unique animations.
Few things are truly unique inElden Ring, from the animations taken from previous games, to the original enemies and bosses that appear multiple times throughout the game. The same can be said about Demi-Human Queen Gilika, as there are three versions of this boss encounter available to challenge, but the parts that make this type of boss stand out are worth repeating.
Demi-Human Queens Make Their Mark in The Lands Between
Demi-Human Queen Gilika’s Weak Spellcasting
There are a handful of bosses throughoutElden Ringwho draw on various types of magic to hound the player and keep up the pressure from a distance. However, while this normally makes for a terrifying boss encounter, the Demi-Human Queens' spellcasting never quite measures up to tougher challenges like themagic-spamming Gideon Ofnir. Instead, Gilika and similar variants drop a few weak spells, with the start of the cast usually coming from so high that the attack will often miss as long as a player manages to stay close and keep up the pressure through the first phase.
An Enraged Second Phase Brings a Flurry of Blows
The part that helps the Demi-Human Queens to stand out appears in the second phase, as the failure of the spellcasting becomes clear to both the player and the boss. So, as the boss approaches half-health, the Demi-Human Queen furiously pounds her staff into the ground before flinging it across the arena and resorting to claw swipes and crushing blows. Even though the second phase itself is still on theeasier side forElden Ringbosses, the transition itself makes the entire encounter more than worth the effort.
This phase transition excels due to the way that it pulls such a unique and impressive animation out to note how the Demi-Human Queen is abandoning magic and rushing into a feral stance. The result is a second phase that manages to separate itself from even mandatory bosses likeElden Ring’s first major obstacle Margit, who transitions by pulling out an attack that will eventually become part of his normal moveset. It is an extra level of detail that could easily be overlooked in terms of boss design, especially for a set of optional fights that many players might never find on their trip through the Lands Between.
How the Demi-Human Queens Call Back to Dark Souls 3
One interesting note from the Demi-Human Queens is how closely these bosses relate toOceiros, the Consumed King fromDark Souls 3, even if it is a slightly diluted version. While the animation doesn’t appear to be recycled directly from Oceiros, the Demi-Human Queens' second-phase fury and abandoning of their magic catalyst still mirrors the dragon-king’s rage-fueled transition. The only thing missing from this phase change is the crushing of the boss' imaginary child that sparks the oncoming fury.
Taking the Demi-Human Queens as a reference and homage to Oceiros is one of the stronger ways thatElden Ringdraws from previous titles. Demoting the boss from an incredibly difficult optional boss to a minor enemy that can be encountered multiple times actually helps to keep Demi-Human Queens from feeling like a copy and paste from an older game. The result is a series of unique encounters that help to add some much-needed variety toElden Ring’s massive boss roster.
Elden Ring
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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.
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