Although Elden Ring is a decidedly modern video game, one fan managed to wow the fan base with a stunning, pixelated reimagining of the Malenia fight.
A new piece of Elden Ring fan art has been revealed, reinterpreting the game’s famously challenging Malenia boss battle as a retro 2D side-scroller. Although Elden Ring players have found strategies that aid in the fight against her, Malenia is still considered to be one of the most difficult enemies in the entirety of the game.
As one of the most successful games of 2020, Elden Ring has amassed a respectable following of dedicated fans. This fan community is comprised of both long-time FromSoftware aficionados and casual gamers alike, as Elden Ring is thought to be a considerably more approachable and accessible title than previous games from the studio. The aesthetics of Elden Ring and its many NPCs are as detailed and complex as the game’s rich lore, imbuing many of Elden Ring‘s combat encounters with a sense of significance. This is especially true for the game’s major bosses, including Malenia, who is a daughter of Queen Marika and Radagon and is a demigod. Because of her significance in the story of Elden Ring‘s war, her encounter is one of the more memorable ones for many fans.
This iconic Elden Ring moment was reinvented by a Reddit user going by the handle veciits, who shared a pixelated, 2D version of the fight on the game’s subreddit. The image has several of the game’s staples, including the design of Malenia herself and a player character donning game-accurate armor pieces. Smaller HUD details like the inventory, vital stats, and boss health bar have also been recreated in the style of retro-inspired games like Shovel Knight and Blasphemous.
Elden Ring players who have crossed paths with Malenia will likely see the resemblance between this piece of fan art and the in-game battle, despite their drastic differences in style. Elden Ring fan art can capture the feeling of entering certain areas of the game and interacting with specific characters, even when they take on a different appearance from the more traditional 3D aesthetic of the game. This piece by veciits is a perfect example of this, as the intimidating, haunting tone of the Malenia battle can still be felt in 2D.
In a game full of visually stunning encounters and areas, the Malenia fight still manages to stand out. As such, it’s likely that this moment will spawn even more creative and unique fan creations. Whether these future Elden Ring art pieces follow in veciits’ footsteps or adopt an entirely new style, they are sure to be a treat for fans.
Source: veciits/Reddit
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