How much harder does each new game get in Elden Ring? A data-driven look

Hey friend! As a fellow tech nerd and Elden Ring fanatic, I wanted to provide the definitive guide on just how much more difficult each New Game Plus journey gets. FromSoftware is notorious for brutal but fair challenge, but does that hold true on NG+7 and beyond?

Let‘s crunch the numbers and analyze the data, so you can know exactly what to expect from the journey ahead. Stick with me – this is going to get intense!

The Journey system – A true test of mastery

Before we dive into the stats, let‘s quickly recap how New Game Plus works in Elden Ring. After completing the game once, you unlock Journey 2 and can play through again while keeping your character‘s level, weapons, talismans and more.

Enemies get tougher each cycle, culminating in Journey 7 where even basic foes can overwhelm the unprepared. Let‘s see how the key stats ramp up:

As you can see, enemies gain about 30% more HP and 30% more attack power each Journey. This means on Journey 7 they have a whopping 180% more health and damage than your first playthrough!

Let‘s see how this impacts some common enemies:

As you can see, basic enemies become lethal and bosses can wipe you out in just 2-3 hits on Journey 7. This cycle demands absolute mastery of mechanics and enemy patterns. One mistake means death!

Now let‘s look at how some iconic bosses scale across New Game+ cycles. I‘ll focus on their health and most dangerous attack as a reference point:

Yeah… Journey 7 is no joke. Malenia can potentially one-shot even extremely vigored up players with her infamous Waterfowl Dance. Surviving more than a hit or two from any late game boss requires perfectly timed dodges and making no mistakes.

So in summary, the Journey system takes the base New Game Plus idea and evolves it into a true test of mastery for each new cycle completed. Let‘s talk about how high the difficulty can truly go next.

Level 1 and beyond – Just how hard can it get?

While Journey 7 represents the maximum normal difficulty, for true masochists there are a couple ways to push Elden Ring even further:

Level 1 runs (RL1)

By never leveling up, you maintain a low health pool and weak damage output. Enemies feel exponentially more lethal without vigor boosts or attack power gains. Some of the hardest challenges in Soulsborne come from SL1/RL1 runs.

No upgrade runs

Similarly, avoiding all weapon upgrades or armor strengthening keeps you operating far below the expected power curve. No amount of skill can compensate for weapons that tickle late game enemies and bosses.

Combining both

The ultimate challenge is doing a run with RL1 AND no weapon upgrades. This requires pure mastery of every mechanic, enemy and boss with zero room for mistakes. Even basic enemies become lethal with these self-imposed limits.

I crunched some numbers to project how this impacts damage dealt and received. Let‘s look at stats for the classic Longsword on Journey 7 with and without upgrades:

And here is Vigor at common player levels, to see the difference in raw HP:

As you can see, avoiding levels and upgrades tanks player damage output and survival. You‘re basically hitting enemies with sticks while dying in 1-2 shots. The skill required is off the charts!

So in summary, while Journey 7 represents the max normal difficulty, truly insane challenges lurk beyond for those with the will (or foolishness!) to undertake them. Now let‘s discuss some tips to survive whatever comes your way next.

Preparing your journey – tips to survive the heights of NG+

Based on my own experience and analyzing community data, here are my top tips for surviving Journey 7 and beyond:

• Get Vigor to 60 ASAP – The HP boost is absolutely vital to withstand late game combos. Most try to hit the 60 vigor soft cap before starting NG+.

• Max out your primary weapons – Upgrading armaments does more for damage than scaling or stats. You want +25 or higher by end game.

• Use spirit summons wisely – Rotating different spirit ashes to tank bosses and draw aggro is invaluable. Mimic Tear remains a top pick for good reason.

• Lean on ranged options when needed – Magic, bows and spells allow attacking safely from afar when required. Having options helps immensely.

• Mix up your strategy – What worked on Journey 1 may fail now. Stay adaptable and don‘t get greedy trying to brute force things.

• Co-op with friends – Jolly cooperation makes the harrowing journey much more manageable and fun. Praise the sun \[T]/

• Study enemy patterns – Learning tells for devastating combos and when it‘s safe to retaliate remains key, especially for new movesets.

• Invest in essential talismans – Effects like the Erdtree‘s Favor +2 and Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman are nearly mandatory for survival.

• Use consumables wisely – Rot cures, armor boosts, damage buffs and more can really tilt a tough encounter in your favor when used properly.

And most importantly, don‘t hesitate to walk away and come back later if you hit a wall. There‘s no time limit or deadline! Take breaks and you‘ll eventually overcome anything the Journey throws at you.

The final verdict

While the massive open world of Elden Ring offers more tools than ever to empower players, the New Game+ system is clearly designed to counteract that advantage over multiple completions. By Journey 7, only the most skilled and optimized Tarnished have a chance to stand tall.

But therein lies the fun! Mastering the intricacies of FromSoftware‘s combat and taking down brutal challenges through pure skill never gets old. Each Journey gives you a chance to savor that satisfaction again and continue to improve.

So upgrade your weapons, stock your flasks, and don‘t go hollow! However many times you need to try, this Tarnished believes in you, brave warrior. Now get out there and conquer those New Game+ journeys! Let me know when you‘ve toppled Journey 7 – we‘ll celebrate!