PSA Elden Ring: These Are All the Giant Spiders And Bugs We Have Seen
Video games love huge spiders and insects. I’m not sure why. Perhaps because of the shadow The Lord of the Rings or Dungeons and Dragons that has cast over the medium. Perhaps everyone has 3D models from past games. It could be that many people find them disgusting. This last one is a problem for some people: They don’t want to see large bugs in their games. Enter Elden Ring to see a variety of monsters created by people who have a history of adding bugs and spiders to their games. What’s the current situation? There have been enough questions about the presence of spiders, or lack thereof, that I thought it would be useful to compile a list of text descriptions for those who may have phobia issues.
It is obvious that Elden Ring will have MINOR SPOILERS in the future. This includes enemy designs as well as vague descriptions of their locations so that you can avoid them. You can skip this if spoilers are more important to you than virtual monsters!
Not to be confused with phobias, I am not an expert. I don’t have the same deep reactions to digital creatures as some people. I won’t include any photos of the soon to be mentioned monsters below. Based on my 80 hours spent exploring Elden Ring, and the conversations I had with other reviewers, everything will be in text format only. Given the scope of the game, it’s possible I missed something. Don’t expect me to have a complete list of creepy crawlies that will give you pause. Let’s get to it now!
Ants
I will get rid of what I consider the worst offenders of the group. Eldering has giant ants. These giant ants are larger than the player characters, can crawl on walls before they attack, have stingers and can spit acid as an attack. You can also see their coarse, long hair from afar. One case is where you can defeat a pregnant queen ant with a large stomach. However, there was no evidence of larvae or swarms. These big bugs are usually found in groups of three to five and don’t move fast.
These monsters are restricted to a single area in the game, according to my knowledge. This is the underground Ainsel River region. The ants can be seen almost immediately after they enter. You can destroy the first group within range of them before they notice you. They won’t sneak up on you, at least not at first. After you have passed the first wave, the monsters will attempt to sneak up on you in tunnels (by dropping from ceilings and hiding in alcoves) until you pass.
These are, in my opinion, the most annoying spider-like or bug-like monsters in Elden Ring. All other creatures are quite manageable by comparison.
Hand Monsters
This is the most -an inspiring enemy I have yet to see in Elden Ring. These giant disembodied creatures are a combination of rotten human hands and extra fingers. They can move fast across the ground, and will sometimes stick to walls or ceilings before they fall to fight. Although they have spider-like characteristics, their fingers act almost as if they were crawling on the ground. You can think of it as a grungier version of “Thing” The Addams Family with more fingers.
There are two types: one smaller than the player, and one larger. The smaller ones are usually in groups and can be easily destroyed. You will usually be fought one-on-one by the larger ones. These large hands can also hide under the ground, sticking their fingers through it, and waiting for you to walk over them. They will then attempt to “jump scare you” by getting out of the dirt and pressing down on your character, causing serious damage. It doesn’t look spiderlike. It’s actually quite silly, as the hand floated up and squished. The Caria family structures are where the monsters usually appear (e.g. The Carian Study Hall, and the Caria Manor. Both are, I believe, optional zones.
Pests
These humanoid monsters have insect-like characteristics. They are tall and thin with pale priests who often carry staffs as weapons. They have a centipede-like appearance, with rows of thin legs running along their sides. The monsters can also run by dropping to their stomachs and crawling on these legs during combat. They often fire projectiles of thread-like material at the player character when they are at a distance. This can cause high damage. They can be found in many parts of the Camelid area (i.e. The poisonous red swamp
Dragonflies
You can see large dragonflies on the Limgrave plains much earlier in Elden Ring. They are much smaller than the player’s character and are not dangerous. They usually expire after one hit with any weapon. Even at the beginning of the game. They are more like sheep, deer and turtles than “enemies.” After you kill them, they will drop crafting materials. They are not generally necessary for fighting.
Chrysalids
These mini-boss enemies are mostly found in Stormveil Castle. These mini-boss enemies are more likely to be required for players to advance in the game. technically you can skip this zone. Elden Ring clearly intended it to be an introductory dungeon that will house the main bosses and story elements. Chrysalids don’t look very insectoid. They are larger than the player characters and look almost like an ogre. Multiple human legs and arms are grafted onto each monster’s body. They are usually covered with a large cloth that drapes over their bulk. However, their arms and legs can be seen when they use weapons such as halberds to attack. Godrick, the last boss of Stormveil Castle is also a Chrysalid “leader” and their arms and legs do poke out when they attack with weapons like halberds.
Scarabs
These are meant to be funny, not upsetting. These are just for fun. You will find large beetles, which are usually much smaller than the player, scattered all over Eldering. They are called “scarabs” in the game, but they clearly represent dung beetles as they roll around like tumbleweeds. They aren’t hostile at all (that I have seen), and will run from the player if they see them. To collect useful items or refill your healing flasks, you’ll need to chase them down and destroy their spheres. They essentially play the role of Crystal Lizards in previous From Software games.
