Elden Ring is set to expand the Souls formula and invite new features as an open-world title. Elden Ring's prolific closed network tests demonstrated that players will be able to encounter many optional and compulsory bosses and mini-bosses throughout their travels.
Between the Tree Sentinel, Flying Dragon Agheel, and Margit the Fell Omen, Elden Ring's open-world will certainly have a lot in store for players past what has already been publicly showcased. One such beast has been unveiled earlier than FromSoftware had likely intended, and a proper reveal for it has been shared by the developer to entice fans further.
FromSoftware has officially acknowledged the existence of an immense bear foe that players can stumble upon in Elden Ring. The bear looks visually comparable to a grizzly bear, but exponentially larger and with much longer arms. The bear also has a distinctive sigil emblazoned on its chest. Elden Ring's tease of the creature discerns that it is one of the "beasts of the misty woods" and that it will perhaps be found randomly in this area. Unfortunately, this may not be the first time that fans have seen the formidable creature.
Last month, around the time of Elden Ring's aforementioned network tests, a player's documented Elden Ring gameplay spoiled the bear's reveal after the beta's boundaries had been bypassed. Gameplay showed that the bear waits idly until the player approaches it and the fight ensues, with the fight fully documented for fans to witness. While this surely spoils the reveal of a surprise enemy that many fans may have wanted to see for themselves when Elden Ring releases, it is thrilling nonetheless.
The bear does not have an official name yet, and it is uncertain whether there are more than one that players can find in the Lands Between. Standard bosses will commonly have their name displayed above their screen-wide health bars in FromSoftware games, but mini-bosses only feature a small health bar atop their heads similarly to regular enemies. The bear has already seen many comparisons to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's Guardian Ape boss, who was also based on an authentic and ferocious animal.
It seems as though the bear will be allocated to these "misty woods" respectively, and begs the question of what other foul creatures may lurk in Elden Ring's other biomes or locales. Elden Ring's delayed release date is nearly a month away at this point, however, so fans will fortunately not have to wait long to find out for themselves.
Elden Ring is launching February 25 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
