What Are iFrames In Video Games?

Elden Ring
Elden Ring

Invincibility frames, or iFrames, allow players to become invincible for a small moment when certain actions are performed, like rolling.

Timing is key when using these small windows to your advantage, especially if you are playing a game that involves many attacks, like a Souls game or Devil May Cry.

These invincibility frames only last for a minuscule amount of time, generally around half a second, and happen at the start of a specific action. When timed properly, a player can successfully avoid damage or an entire attack, even if they were technically hit by the enemy.

Invincibility frames have commonly existed in almost every game that FromSoftware has released, including Elden Ring. Taking advantage of these tiny moments of forgiveness is a great way to survive even the most difficult combat scenarios.

 

How Do iFrames Work?

Invincibility frames are a single unit of time in which a player’s character can’t be hurt, providing invulnerability. This allows both the game’s developers and players to make mistakes and forgives those small slip-ups on both sides. Some video games use iFrames during many moves, including rolls, jumps, dodges, mounts, and dismounts.

When an iFrame involves the hitbox, a character’s hitbox is temporarily disabled during most attack forms. This means the enemy is unable to hit the character, and the attack will miss. Hitbox iFrames do not work for all attack types, as some are simply unavoidable.

Another form of iFrame grants a player’s character temporary full invulnerability, which nullifies all incoming damage. This includes damage from attacks that couldn’t be avoided with a hitbox iFrame and some status effects.

 

Which Games Use iFrames?

Many game genres utilize iFrames, from MMORPGs to action and adventure games. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has many different places where iFrames are used, including the five seconds before and two seconds after you dismount a revival platform.

Genshin Impact also makes use of iFrames, such as when a player casts an Elemental Burst. Devil May Cry uses iFrames when a character rolls or jumps during an attack, such as Phantom’s fireballs.

Most famously, though, iFrames are used in almost all Souls games, including Elden Ring. You can take advantage of iFrames when you roll, jump, or mount and dismount Torrent.

Keeping an eye on your Equip Load can make a difference when you are trying to make the most of iFrames in Elden Ring. Heavy rolls are slower than the other two roll options, medium and light, and they have the least amount of iFrames.

Medium and light rolls are very similar when it comes to iFrames, therefore keeping your Equip Load at almost 70% will offer your character the most protection without sacrificing any iFrames.

During jumps, the hitbox for your character’s legs will disappear, making any hits to the legs ineffective. Invincibility frames also happen when your character interacts with things in their environment, such as chests or fog walls. During interaction animations, your character simply can’t be hit.

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