Opinion: Is using Spirit Summons an antithesis to the core Elden Ring experience?

The Spirit Summons in Elden Ring are easily the most innovative addition to any FromSoftware "Souls-borne" game to date. While the Dark Souls Trilogy, Demon's Souls, and Bloodborne all featured NPC summons, the implementation was done in a very limited form. In previous FromSoftware titles, NPC summons were relegated to either sidequests or only a handful of boss fights.

However, that's not the case with Elden Ring. Whether you're going against a legacy dungeon boss or an overworld optional boss, you can summon your Ashen Spirit to aid you in battle almost everywhere You can even use your Spirit Summons to help you clear the open world enemy encampments.

But there seems to be a false stigma surrounding the use of Spirit Summons, with certain players deeming the system to be a crutch and something to be frowned upon. But is that really true? Is using Spirit Summons an antithesis to the core Elden Ring experience? Well, I think I have a definitive answer to that.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.

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Using Spirit Summons in Elden Ring is a perfectly viable strategy, let no one tell you otherwise

Summoning in Elden Ring is never meant to be a crutch, it's woven into the game's systems and is an integral part of how the game is meant to be experienced. Yes, you can certainly go solo and defeat almost every single boss, but you aren't meant to. There's no harm or shame in using summons, especially if you're having trouble with a boss fight.

Spirit Summons are a perfectly viable option to use if you're struggling against bosses (Image via FromSoftware)

I've seen many players, even those who are coming new to the "souls-like" genre, not making use of the Spirit Summons, simply because they think it's not the intended way to play Elden Ring. None of my friends who have been playing souls-likes since the days of Demon's Souls back on the PS3 are quite liberal with the Spirit Summons in Elden Ring.

There seems to be a dichotomy of players, one who thinks that Spirit Summons is a support system, meant to be the game's "easy mode," whereas another seems to include Summons as part of their build and combat toolset. While the idea of not using summons and defeating a boss on your own isn't bad, trying to force the same ideology on others.

Yes, there's a sense of satisfaction to be had at defeating a hard boss in a Souls-borne title all by yourself, I won't deny that. However, at the same time, there's genuinely no harm in using the systems and options the game itself is providing to make certain combat encounters a bit more, well, manageable.

I used Summons quite often on my first playthrough of Elden Ring, and you know what? I had an incredibly fun time playing the game that way. However, all my subsequent playthroughs were solo, even the NG+7 ones. I did the same with Shadow of the Erdtree as well, where my first playthrough had me and my Mimic Tear facing every adversary together.

You can also use NPC summons if you don't want to use Spirit Summons (Image via FromSoftware)

However, my subsequent playthroughs of the DLC were all solo. But that's not how I would recommend most players to play Elden Ring, especially those who are newcomers to the souls-like genre. Additionally, summoning, especially in the DLC, is kind of a necessity if you want to progress certain character questlines.

Although I won't go too deep into spoilers, there's a quest surrounding a Drake Hunter, Igon, and his eternal nemesis - Bayle the Dread. Believe me, you do not want to miss out on the opportunity to summon Igon during this boss fight. While Igon doesn't do much in terms of damage, his presence elevates the spectacle and engagement of the boss fight tenfold.

Some of the best memories I have of playing Elden Ring are due to summons. I still remember the first time I beat Malenia, with my Mimic Tear and me landing the final killing blow on the boss at the same time. Also, summons never make a boss fight "easy." You're still going to have to fight the same boss with the same movesets and aggression.

The only difference that using a summon makes is that it might give you some breathing room to heal, buff yourself, or charge an Incantation or Spell. That's not making the game "easy." Summons, just like weapon upgrades, and the leveling system, are an option that the game provides you to make your path to the Elden Lord a tad bit manageable.

Summoning also entails the community aspect of the game (Image via FromSoftware)

Unless you are doing a Rune Level 1 challenge playthrough, with no weapon upgrades, no rolling, no parries, and using only a Wooden Club as your main weapon, let no one dictate how you want to play and enjoy Elden Ring. Using Spirit Summons is a perfectly viable strategy, and let no one tell you otherwise.