Like other games in the FromSoftware archives, Elden Ring is known for incredibly challenging boss fights. Regardless of the gear and skills Elden Ring players choose, they will be put to the test by the game’s difficult battles.
While some players such as the Elden Ring player who one-shot a boss have figured out ways to circumvent these problems, many players are forced to throw themselves into combat time and again before they can defeat an encounter. Much like players, the enemies in the game each have unique move sets, attack and movement patterns, and strategies.
However, much like the jumping mechanic killing an Elden Ring player, sometimes the game gives bosses distinct advantages over the player that do not involve conventional combat. For example, a recent clip captured the moment that a player and his friends were attacked by a boss before even entering its arena.
Reddit user ZoneDesigned captured this moment where he and his friends met the wrath of one of the Ulcerated Tree Spirits in a moment where they should have been completely safe. Unlike the retuning of Elden Ring’s Margit boss, the problem wasn’t that the boss was too hard, but rather that it broke the game by glitching through the fog wall to attack ZoneDesigned. In a moment that was both terrifying and hilarious, the boss managed to swoop its head outside to grab ZoneDesigned, potentially glitching him either outside of the map or into the boss room.
This breaking of the fog wall barrier has actually been a longstanding part of FromSoftware’s games, with enemies able to hit players both inside and outside boss rooms. While it is unclear whether this is a bug or an intended part of the game, what is clear is that it can be equal parts irritating or, in the case of ZoneDesigned’s encounter, hilarious. In the game’s defense, anyone who has fought an Ulcerated Tree Spirit knows the massive boss for its incredibly fast and erratic movements, so if any boss is to break the fog barrier, it makes sense that it would be one of the spirits.
While there is a guide detailing how to beat Elden Ring’s Ulcerated Tree Spirit, it seems that no amount of preparation could have saved ZoneDesigned from their painful yet comical end. Perhaps the only note to take from this experience would be to never, ever get close to these horrifying, glitchy monsters.
Elden Ring is now available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.
