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- Shadow of the Erdtree has 11 remembrance bosses, all of whom are pretty memorable.
- One remembrance boss, Messmer The Impaler, stood out than the rest for me.
- His moves, soundtrack, cutscenes, dialogues, and arena all make him the best FromSoftware boss for me.
Shadow of the Erdtree has been out for a while now. The DLC was released on 21st June, and I have been playing it since then. Having poured over 50 hours into it, I have fought every single boss, and I have to say that FromSoftware has yet again exceeded my expectations.
There is no way you can call it a DLC, as it puts many single-player games to shame. I have loved every single boss in the expansion so far, though the last boss was a little underwhelming.
However, one particular boss has managed to stand out the most for me, and that is none other than Messmer The Impaler.
Why it matters: FromSoftware always shines in the boss fight department, but it has managed to set a new high now with Shadow of the Erdtree.
Messmer The Impaler, A Mesmerising Boss
My previous favorite boss of all time was Godfrey. I also adored bosses like Radagon, Maliketh, Malenia, and Mohg. These bosses are arguably among the best foes created by the developer.
However, I expected the DLC to top these bosses since this is what FromSoftware typically does. The developer makes a really great game but still manages to exceed expectations with its DLCs.
As soon as I reached Messmer, I knew hell was awaiting me. The boss is incredibly elegant, his flames sending shivers down the player’s spine. Messmer’s combos depict an almost never-ending flurry of attacks, leaving the player to frantically pick out the smallest opportunities to fight back.
That is what makes a great boss fight for me. It should be filled with menacing attacks that leave your heart pumping with adrenaline, and you get a clear opening after successfully dodging every single one of them.
However, dodging these combos isn’t that simple. If you can’t dodge a single attack from the combo, boom, half of your health is gone, and before you know it, another combo is coming.
Now, you have to dodge the entire combo, and here comes the gamble. Will you attack the boss, or will you heal? Attacking might stun him, but healing is the safer option. This happened to me many times in the fight with Messmer, and I loved it.
The Fight Gets Better After Every Failed Try
This is one of those fights that gets better after every failed attempt. You can see yourself dodging the moves perfectly, but the boss will frequently mix things up. If you dodge backward, the flame of Messmer will get you. If you heal instantly after getting hit, Messmer is coming for you with a one-shot grab.
The opening cutscene, alongside the combos, animations, and pieces of dialogue, were all perfect. I have never enjoyed a boss fight this much before, and I have no shame in calling him FromSoftware’s best boss.
Messmer is also one of those bosses who has given players a reality check that they aren’t ready for the DLC. I have seen many unsatisfied negative reviews claiming that Messmer is busted. If you are not ready to fight him head-on, then you should work on improving your skills.
His second phase is where things get even more interesting. Do you remember fighting the God Devouring Serpent? Well, fight three more. He enters the second phase by destroying his eye and unleashing the power of the Serpent God.
This phase has way fewer openings than the first one and has another combo. However, it does let you pull off more damage on certain occasions, so the fight isn’t unfair at all.
I Hate You, Marika
Messmer has one of the best cutscenes and boss arenas. Even his soundtrack was menacing. However, his lore is a little sad. Well, this is Elden Ring. What do you expect? Still, Messmer being my all-time favorite boss, I did feel sad about what Marika did to him.
Basically, the power of the Serpent God made Messmer so powerful that Marika sent him to the Realm of Shadow. She asked him to beat the omens, but little did he know that his mother intended to lock him there.
He has been locked there for a long time, and Marika is to blame for how things turned out. However, thanks to that, I got to fight him in the DLC, making for one hell of a boss encounter.
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[News Editor]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over three years because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.
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