Dragons have long been a staple of FromSoftware's boss rosters, and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has introduced Bayle as the most recent addition to this ongoing archetype. However, with Bayle, the developer has not only added a new dragon to the list of Elden Ring bosses, but also crafted one of the Soulsborne series' best spectacles without sacrificing any part of the fight.
In addition to Bayle himself, this particular boss is elevated by everything surrounding the encounter and the gradual lead-up to climbing the mountain where the boss can finally be challenged. This whole experience becomes a condensed version of everything that Elden Ring does best, from a storyline that builds across a region with multiple dungeons to an iconic NPC that elevates each incremental fight.
Bayle is the Best Treasure to Find at the Top of Jagged Peak
Scaling Elden Ring's Mountain of Dragon Scales
The Jagged Peak is a partially obscured section of Shadow of the Erdtree, visible from very early on, but only accessible by following a side path off the main line of progression. Fortunately, there are a number of Elden Ring's lore-heavy dragon communion statues pointing the way, as well as the NPC Igon waiting at the start of the path towards the top to guide players towards the optional section.
From there, the path towards the top includes a cave filled with undead beastmen, and a final fight against the NPC boss that drops one of the best Great Katanas in the Shadow of the Erdtree. More importantly, as the player actually reaches the mountain and starts to climb, full-blown dragons become a regular sight, defeated and left lying on the slope, as well as some locked in combat with each other.
Bayle the Dread Drops Hard into the Fight
Once players make their way up the Jagged Peak, the entrance to the boss arena is unassuming as far as such an impressive enemy should be. After the leap of faith drop into the Dragon's Pit that leads here, or even the base Elden Ring's bombastic Rykard fight spiriting players into the arena, walking under an archway is benign by comparison. However, where the player's entrance isn't too impressive, the boss itself drops from the sky with the power of a meteor that erupts the entire arena. When Bayle arrives to the empty arena, the intensity of the encounter is immediately elevated, but doesn't stop at a simple entrance.
The fight against Bayle grows in intensity from start to finish, with a combination of breath attacks and heavy wing slams that can absolutely crush players under the weight of the half-destroyed dragon. As the fight goes on, Bayle continues to up the ante, as well, with a rework of the arena-wiping Placidusax's Ruin laser from the Dragonlord's encounter in the base Elden Ring. It's a breath attack that continues to evoke an archetype of FromSoftware's strongest dragons since Midir in Dark Souls 3, but is released in a way that tests a player's reactions, rather than feeling like RNG as the laser moves too fast to see.
Igon is an Icon of a Summon
Beyond the impressive nature of Bayle the Dread himself, is the NPC that players can summon in the fight and who was a key factor in finding the boss in the first place, Drake Warrior Igon. As soon as Igon is summoned, he immediately starts with a monologue that has already become iconic for Shadow of the Erdtree fans, to the point that recent events to showcase Elden Ring and its DLC like Summer Games Done Quick are riddled with donations quoting his lines. Combine Igon's bombastic personality with a high Revered Spirit Ash Blessing, and this summon is a must-have to fully enhance this already epic fight.
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. And BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.
George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- How Long To Beat
- 58 Hours
- Metascore
- 96
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PS4 & PS5 and Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
