Elden Ring received numerous Game of the Year awards during 2022. That explains why the game remains as vibrant as the day it was released. Even while waiting for its announced DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, the community hasn’t waited for From Software to add new content to continue enjoying the title. That’s where modders come in. And the latest mod made for Elden Ring is not only brilliant but also reminiscent of the most famous episode of Doctor Who.
“Sinister Statues” is a new Elden Ring mod that invites us to experience the Lands Between in a completely different way than we’ve done in the past. In this mod, all enemies will remain completely still. Except every time we turn our backs or blink, they will lunge at us, returning to a motionless state when we look at them directly again. This creates constant tension by never being able to take our eyes off our enemies or fleeing from them without exposing ourselves to potentially greater dangers.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s directly inspired by an episode of Doctor Who. In episode 188 of the series, titled “Blink,” there were a series of alien-like statues that could only move when nobody was looking at them. This concept resulted in one of the most satisfying horror episodes in the series’ history and is often remembered as the most iconic episode of Doctor Who.
Sinister Statues takes that concept and brings it into Elden Ring, introducing a new mechanic called blinking. Now, whenever we encounter an enemy, we’ll have to blink at regular intervals. The less health we have, the longer our eyes will stay closed, leaving us more exposed. Our only way to prevent this is by trying not to blink, something we can do by pressing the action button to consciously keep our eyes open, at least for the duration allowed by our maximum health.
If you’ve already finished Elden Ring, are a fan of Doctor Who, or want to turn From Software’s latest soulslike into a horror game, Sinister Statues is the mod you’ve been waiting for. It’s a true fantasy we didn’t know we wanted but turns out we needed.