It’s so easy to get distracted out in the world and lose track when it’s time to upgrade
Not to tell you how to playElden Ringor anything, but uh, when’s the last time you upgraded your flasks? I ask myself that question all the time, and before I can make it to the next Site of Grace to see if I’ve got enough Golden Seeds or Sacred Tears to spend on an upgrade to my Crimson and Cerulean flasks’ charges or potency, I get distracted.
It’s a cycle, for sure — an inevitability. I see some creature that needs to be taken outright this second(even though I’ve already killed a ton of ’em), or I catch a glimpse of some shiny item on a ledge that I can’t resist collecting (even though it will probably just be another such-and-such I’ll never end up using with this character), and suddenly, my mind slips. I forget about the thingI set out to do; the thing that willabsolutelyhelp me in the long run.
My to-do list is constantly shifting at any given moment inElden Ring, and that sensation impacts not just my every-so-often flask upgrades, but other facets of the game, too.
Minor spoilers for upgrade materials
For instance,talismans. And thesmithing stonesused to bolster weapons and shields. And somber stones used for certain other upgrades. And the Glovewort material that’s needed for mySpirit Ashes. And theotherGlovewort for myotherghostly AI summons.
As I attempt to exploreElden Ringto its fullest, I end up accumulating so much stuff that, inevitably, some of it slips through the cracks. I’ll poke around my inventory and wonder “Wait, when did I pick upthis?” If you’re the type of player who is totally okay with rushing through a trap or side-stepping an intimidating foe just so you may yoink a precariously-placed item, you can probably relate. I often grab this stuff under duress, so I don’t exactly have a spare moment to pull up my inventory and take special note of what it is or does.
Eventually, in a quiet moment, I do circle back. I take in the juicy item-based lore and make sure my talisman loadout is fine-tuned for the given situation and circumstances, and that I’ve boosted my weapons, shield, and favorite Spirit Ashes to their current full potential.
But there’s something aboutGolden SeedsandSacred Tears. They keep piling up, unused.
I have genuinely lost track of how many times inElden RingI’ve had a few of them ready to go for a flask upgrade without realizing it until an hour later. And as the cost of upgrades scales up further in, it becomes easier to lose track. I need a Post-It Note on my TV.
So to you — and admittedly, also myself — here’s a friendlyElden Ringreminder: upgrade those flasks the next time you’re at a Site of Grace. Make it a mantra if you need to.
I’m sure you know the drill by now, and I should too, but still!
