Like the majority of open world type games, Elden Ring manages the weather, as well as the day/night cycle. But it must be said that in the Entre-terre, it is not quite like elsewhere. The reason being that gigantic luminous trees overlook the landscape, and they also produce light, so the nights are not very dark. At least it gives a valid excuse not to blind the player overnight. But there are still some notable differences, which are not just aesthetic.
Improved stealth
During the night, the visual detection distance of enemies is reduced. You can get closer in their field of vision before being detected, which greatly facilitates the infiltration of a camp for example, or the attack of a group of adversaries. Your own field of vision does not appear to be affected, however.
Night life
Some monsters sleep during the day, such as giant bats. You can find them perched under ruins, usually in shady areas. But when night falls, they fly away and go hunting. Facing a group of these abominations is very dangerous, so it's best to do it during the day if possible.
This is also valid for wildlife, some animals are present during the day, but not at night, and vice versa. The most notable example is a type of owl that can only be encountered at night and gives a rare crafting component.
Other enemies change position or patrol route at night, such as guards and knights, but this is more subtle and on a case-by-case basis.
Unique Enemies
It has long been confirmed that more dangerous enemies appear during the night. At least one instance has been encountered, with the Dark Rider appearing on the bridge in Necrolimbo. It's terribly dangerous if you don't approach combat the right way.
Other potential changes
This enemy is just a glimpse of what awaits you at night. It's probably going to take a while to list all the nightly changes in Elden Ring, but until we can complete the article, here are a few possible hints of other things that might only be present during the day. or at night:
- a boss
- Objects
- A bridge, a ladder, a switch, or even a character
- Elden Ring seems heavily inspired by Lord of the Rings, having an optional dungeon entrance that only spawns at night, like the gates to the Mines of Moria would be a nice homage.
Change time of day
As all the elements listed above are important, it would be quite a pain not to have a way to advance the time freely. The natural in-game cycle is quite long, it seems like it takes more than an hour in real time for 24 hours to pass in-game. The solution is simple, go rest at a Fallen Grace Point, then select " Pass the time " and then the desired time of day in the menu.
If you're out in the wild and unsure of the current time, you can open the map and check the sun clock at the bottom right of the screen.
This guide has been translated from MGG France by bxakid and was originally written by Raiden Robin.
