Enormous mod Elden Ring Reforged refreshes and rebalances every inch of the game, works with Seamless Co-op, and even throws in a Crackdown orb-style scavenger hunt

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Finished Elden Ring and its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion and feeling like you’ve seen it all? If you’ve spent a lot of time with the game, the Elden Ring Reforged mod might reignite your love for FromSoftware’s vast and challenging world. Especially with its latest update, which adds dedicated servers for playing with others, it could be exactly what you need to experience something new.

Reforged, a mod even more expansive than the popular Seamless Co-op, removes the game’s anti-cheat restrictions while keeping features like bloodstains, phantom players, summons, and invasions intact. This is useful because Elden Ring has over 1,200 hidden rune fragments – collectibles that boost your stats – and many are nearly impossible to find without help from other players who leave playful hints. The mod recognizes that even when playing alone, Elden Ring is a game best enjoyed as a shared experience, and it wouldn’t be the same without the community’s quirky traditions, like jokingly claiming every turtle is a dog.

What does Reforged actually change in the game? After so many updates, it’s almost easier to say what it doesn’t change! Even the official Reforged Wiki isn’t a complete list. If you’re looking for a dramatically overhauled world, mods like Convergence or Graceborne might be a better fit. While Reforged does add a few new areas and events, its main goal isn’t a big world change. Instead, it focuses on improving and rebalancing nearly every game mechanic.

Graceful combat

The combat system has been completely overhauled, and the mod now starts with a new tutorial to teach you the changes. Landing perfectly timed combos will boost your damage and conserve stamina. Defending isn’t just about using a large shield anymore; you can now deflect attacks with precise timing – similar to Sekiro – even without a shield, if you master the technique. Getting hit while guarding now causes more damage, making a purely defensive playstyle less effective. The rarely-used backstep has been replaced with a quick duck, which is faster to recover from than a dodge, though it offers less invulnerability.

Spellcasting has been revamped so that quick, repeated spells now restore energy instead of using it, letting players cast more continuously. The game also aims to balance all weapons, armor, and skills, though this means some previously very powerful options have been toned down. Finally, a new ‘Fortunes’ system lets you customize your character with unique combinations of benefits and drawbacks, allowing for more personalized builds.

I wanted to create a character who was a nimble warrior, combining powerful holy magic from a distance with quick, heavy attacks in close combat – something I always struggled to do in the original game. And it’s fantastic! Once I remembered the timing for the early bosses, I could confidently deflect their attacks and immediately counter with a powerful blow. Because I didn’t wear much armor, mistakes were punishing, but perfectly timed blocks that completely avoided damage felt incredibly rewarding.

At its core, Reforged aims to revitalize Elden Ring. Over time, players have perfected strategies and character builds, creating a well-defined ‘meta.’ Reforged wants to make exploring every location – caves, ruins, and dungeons – feel rewarding and surprising again, and to make even simple fights unpredictable.

Opponents often work together and will pursue you relentlessly, providing a consistent challenge even as you become more powerful. The game dynamically adjusts to your level, including in New Game Plus, so the world always feels engaging, even after repeated playthroughs.

As a long-time fan, I was blown away by how much new content Reforged added! They didn’t just add a little bit here and there, they actually expanded existing areas in really cool ways. Redmane Castle, which we just ran through before for the Radahn festival, is now a full-blown dungeon with an awesome, multi-stage boss fight featuring those huge lion creatures. It really makes Caelid feel more fleshed out. And later on, Mt. Gelmir has a secret path leading to The Serpentine Depths – a proper underground dungeon packed with enemies that drive you crazy with their attacks, and even some familiar faces from Dark Souls 3! Honestly, if I hadn’t played DS3 before, I would have sworn this area was always hidden in the game, waiting to be discovered. That’s how good Reforged is – it feels completely natural and seamlessly integrated.

Suffering is optional

Reforged doesn’t aim to be brutally difficult like many mods for FromSoftware games. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. While combat is a bit more challenging than in the base game, Elden Ring, this mod includes something surprising: difficulty settings! There are tons of options, even modes specifically designed for larger groups playing with Seamless Co-op. Lower settings are still challenging, but are more forgiving and don’t penalize you for dying. Crank up the difficulty, and you’ll face bosses with smarter, more aggressive behavior and completely redesigned attacks.

Besides adjusting the difficulty, the ‘Additional Enemies’ option adds challenging new battles throughout the game and all downloadable content. ‘Adventure Mode’ limits fast travel, encouraging more exploration of the game world. But the most unique extra mode is ‘Eternal Return.’ It creates a time loop similar to ‘Majora’s Mask,’ giving you just 72 in-game hours to gain levels and unlock lasting upgrades by completing quests for characters before the world resets.

I highly recommend Elden Ring Reforged – it’s a fantastic mod! It feels like experiencing Elden Ring for the first time again, with a beautifully polished and professional quality, all while still letting you enjoy the game’s unique online aspects. Best of all, it’s super simple to install: just download, extract the files, and start playing.

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2025-11-26 00:19