Elden Ring "Tarnished Edition" Deep Dive: New Classes, Legendary Weapons & Switch 2 Performance Revealed!

Still waiting for the major update to Elden Ring? No new story but gameplay completely revamped? This in-depth analysis will help you understand the new class, the return of legendary weapons, and Switch 2 exclusive optimizations, giving you a clear overview of the new version's gameplay!

Start Playing Like Royalty! Two Brand-New Starting Classes Completely Rewrite the Logic of Clearing the Lands Between

Suitable Users:

Hardcore players seeking speedrun efficiency, and beginners wanting to try new builds.

User Value:

Understand the new class attributes in advance, saving hours of trial and error in gear selection.

This update directly inserts two revolutionary new classes into the character creation screen, along with four sets of brand-new exclusive armor.

The Knight of Ides follows a hybrid build of agility and arcane magic, starting with light armor and a weapon that stacks status effects at high speed. Once you step into Limgrave, you can immediately switch to a bleed/poison build, maximizing the enjoyment of early game progression.

The Heavy Knight, on the other hand, is a pure strength-based ultimate tank. With maxed-out vitality and stamina, you can immediately equip a medium-heavy shield and high-poise armor, ensuring you won't be overwhelmed and killed by heavy loads when fighting Margit.

Souls Series Fans Will Be Moved to Tears! The Hollowslayer Greatsword Returns With a Nostalgic Set

Suitable Users:

Veteran players who miss the Dark Souls series, and melee players looking to refresh their PvE/PvP gear.

User Value:

Master the new mechanics of this nostalgic weapon beforehand, so you can unleash top-tier combos on launch day.

This update not only adds new armor but also brings back the legendary Hollowslayer Greatsword from the Dark Souls series to the Lands Between.

This iconic greatsword, inherited from Lucatiel in Dark Souls 2 and carried over to Dark Souls 3, has been completely remade for the Elden Ring engine, retaining its signature smooth stance-switching system and allowing horizontal slashes to deal extremely high poise damage.

The matching Lucatiel-themed armor also adds special targeted physical damage reduction attributes, making it perfectly adequate for both survivability and stylish looks.

For players preparing new builds, managing Elden Ring Runes efficiently will also be important, allowing faster access to upgraded weapons, armor requirements, and optimized PvE/PvP setups when experimenting with these returning weapons.

Switch 2 Version Optimizations Are Finally Here! No More Frame Drops and Controller-Throwing Issues on Handheld Devices!

Suitable Users:

Switch 2 players worried about the handheld port experience, and users who were deterred by frame drops in the early demo.

User Value:

Understand the optimization details and confirm that this version will give you a smooth handheld gaming experience.

The issue of frame drops during intense boss battles in the early demo on Switch 2 has been completely resolved by the development team through extended polishing.

The official version, released on August 28th, features targeted architecture optimizations:

Docked Mode:

It maintains a stable 1080p/60FPS with new temporal anti-aliasing, resulting in smooth, clear visuals in expansive lakeside scenes like Liurnia.

Handheld Mode:

It locks at 720p/30FPS, with specially adapted vegetation textures and shadow maps, ensuring smooth gameplay even in chaotic boss battles with full particle effects, such as those in the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

Tips for Different Players

New Handheld Players:

Start with the Heavy Knight.

Its high initial resilience and poise will help you adapt to the smaller screen, allowing you to withstand more enemy attacks and maximizing your margin for error in the early game.

Souls-like Veteran Players:

Head straight to the specific location to acquire the Hollowslayer Greatsword as soon as it launches.

Use the familiar moves and combos to create a fresh, Dark Souls-like experience in the Lands Between.

PC/Console Veteran Players:

Prepare a save file with a level of 150 or higher beforehand.

The low-priced DLC launching on August 28th will unlock three different appearances of the spirit horse Torrent.

Test the new weapon's combo strength in the PvP arena on launch day.