The Lamenter is Elden Ring’s Response to a Classic Dark Souls Gimmick

Hidden away in a dark Gaol in Shadow of the Erdtree, the Lamenter is a deceptively difficult encounter that makes great use of a classic gimmick from previous titles. However, a unique twist on this classic style of puzzle shows that developer FromSoftware still has new ideas to introduce into older mechanics that have been a staple since the Four Kings in the original Dark Souls.

The key to the Lamenter fight comes down to the use of a DPS check mechanic, which requires players to deal a certain amount of damage to the main boss in order to avoid an automatic death. This means that while it isn’t the most difficult fight in Shadow of the Erdtree in terms of moveset or aggression, the Lamenter could easily add several ticks to a player’s death counter throughout the DLC.

The Lamenter is Shadow of the Erdtree’s Twist on the DPS Check

Aggression is the Name of the Game Against Lamenter

There are a few tricks up the Lamenter’s sleeve that makes this a formidable boss, but nothing really compares with the way that the encounter can instantly kill a player regardless of their ability to dodge or resist damage. This is because the Lamenter will periodically disappear from the battlefield and return with a whole gaggle of clones that sets off a timer as soon as they arrive. If the clones are not taken care of before the invisible timer ticks all the way down, then the boss will place a curse on the player that instantly ends the fight and cannot be otherwise avoided. The difficulty of this curse is unique to the Lamenter, as it goes a step past Elden Ring‘s Death Blight status effect and kills without much prior warning or builds that can prevent buildup.

In order for players to avoid taking this instant kill, they need to commit to one of two options. The first option is to hunt down each of the clones and eliminate them one-by-one before the timer ticks all the way down. This can be time-consuming, but is often a safe way to deal with the fight as each clone goes down in only a few hits. Otherwise, players can try to pick out the main Lamenter, instead of the clones, and deal enough damage that it forces all the others to de-spawn. Considering that an extended fight can make the hardest bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree even harder, rushing the DPS check is always a tempting choice to avoid letting the encounter drag out.

FromSoftware Continues to Twist the DPS Check Concept

The twist on the DPS Check — allowing players to avoid the mechanic entirely by instead focusing on crowd control — is another example of how FromSoftware never relies entirely on the classic concept. This is often the case whenever the developer tackles these types of build tests, where there is often a way for either skill or an unconventional strategy to circumvent the intended mechanic. Similar to how an eye on positioning and ability to avoid or absorb damage can see players through the Four Kings in Dark Souls, the Lamenter’s specific approach to the DPS Check doesn’t force any of Elden Ring‘s high-DPS builds in order to succeed.

This ability to choose how to approach the Lamenter fight is the key to how Elden Ring allows players to approach the entire game with whatever build they prefer at any moment. While high-DPS can simplify many fights, the Lamenter included, many of the other options made available to players can make for much more memorable experiences than simply bursting through each encounter with a min-maxed character. It is a strong choice made in developing Elden Ring that has continued to benefit many of FromSoftware’s most beloved titles from Dark Souls to Bloodborne.