Elden Ring: Why New Players Should Really Do The Tutorial Dungeon

FromSoftware drops players into a beautiful but unforgiving world in "Elden Ring." From the moment characters take their first steps in the title, to the final strike that defeats a boss, every second of the game is absolutely filled with tension. FromSoftware seldom makes a title that'll hold the player's hand and, like the "Dark Souls" series before it, "Elden Ring" is no different, pitting characters against all manner of beast, monster, and undeath. While FromSoftware's games are famous for their difficulty, fans were left wondering how difficult the new title would be. Thankfully, "Elden Ring" does throw players a few bones to help them acclimate to the brutal game world. 

Among new spells, abilities, weapons gameplay features, and even a returning character, there's something even more useful to the aspiring fledgling — a tutorial dungeon that takes players through the "Elden Ring" school of hard knocks. It's not a requirement, but completion of the tutorial dungeon will impart players with the starting knowledge they'll need to meet the challenges in "Elden Ring" and even provide a neat reward, too. Here's where players can find the tutorial dungeon in "Elden Ring," what they should expect from the short adventure, and why it's worth doing.

Players can find the tutorial dungeon in "Elden Ring" shortly after creating a character and beginning their journey. Once character faces their first death and reawakens in the Stranded Graveyard, the tutorial dungeon will only be a few steps away. To the northeast of the chamber, next a sad-looking ghost in a chair, players will see that a large portion of the floor has crumbled away. Upon closer inspection, players can spy a ledge that allows a safe drop down into the Cave of Knowledge.

Once inside the Cave of Knowledge, players need only to run a little further ahead and make contact with the site of grace for easy travel back to this location. From there, it's a straight path forward through the Cave of Knowledge, which ends in a boss encounter. It's not just about education in the Cave of Knowledge, however. Along the route, players will get an early chance to bolster their emote arsenal, finding the Strength! emote as a reward for their tutelage.

As veterans of any "Dark Souls" — or other Soulsborne titles for that matter — will attest to, FromSoftware seldom makes things easy for players. Of course, the developer's games are renowned for their difficult combat and grueling bosses, but even learning how to play the game can be a challenge sometimes. FromSoftware has had a pretty hit-or-miss track record in regards to detailing and familiarizing players with the full extent of their capabilities before setting them off in the deadly game world. That's not the case with "Elden Ring."

The Cave of Knowledge will teach players exactly what their characters are capable of — though players will undoubtedly have to learn the hard way that capability is different from mastery. This is especially useful considering the new gameplay features added to supplement combat. While every player character won't be able to make the most of magic, stealth, and parrying, imparting the knowledge that these features are in the game is an important step in ensuring players know what tools they have at their disposal. And in a game as difficult as "Elden Ring," a little bit of knowledge can be the difference between life and death.