The realm of gaming has been graced once again with the magic of FromSoftware’s genius through the Elden Ring expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. This DLC is not just an addition; it’s a whole new chapter that expands the lore, challenges, and beauty of the original game.
Location, location, location
The Land of Shadow, where the expansion unfolds, is the birthplace of Queen Marika, and it’s here that players will find themselves guided by the spirit of Kindly Miquella and his followers. After you take Miquella’s withered hand in the Mohg boss arena you’ll be instantly transported to the DLC. And boy, is it beautiful. The base game has plenty of caves and corridors opening up into stunning vistas, and the first view of The Land of Shadow absolutely continues this trends.
It’s a journey that doesn’t radically depart from the base game but instead feels like a condensed version of the original experience, recapturing the enchantment of the first playthrough. Each of the areas has a distinct feel and colour pallet with the world being almost vertical in it’s design, making figuring out how to get to an area a massive puzzle. And, just like the base game all of the little secrets hidden away in random corners made getting on with killing bosses secondary sometimes. Only sometimes though.
Boss Rush
There are over 40 bosses, including 10 major bosses that reward players with a Remembrance upon defeat, in Shadow of the Erdtree. The Remembrance bosses are a showcase of the culmination of FromSoft boss design, with multiple phases, delayed combo chains and punishing difficulty. Some of which walk a fine line between fair and unfair, and maybe for a small few toeing that line a little bit too much.
The other bosses range from wonderful (Bayle, my beloved) to well… NPCs. There’s almost an egregious (for my personal tastes) amount of NPC boss fights in the DLC. Some of them have some fun rewards, but for me the beauty of FromSoft titles is walking into a beautiful arena and working out the cursed creature behind the fog. NPC fights just don’t really do it for me.
Luckily, there’s a swathe of new ways to deal with them to spice things up.
Weapons and Fashion Galore!
There’s a plethora of new build options for players to experiment with. While you ride around on Torrent, hunting down Scadutree Fragments so you won’t get one shot by a stray hippo, you can find 8 new weapon types to play with, there’s also 19 new sorceries, 27 new incants and tons of new weapons from old types to choose from.
There also the new Crystal Tears, which you get from killing the Furnace Golems scattered around the map. Some of them are a bit niche – covering enemies in oil for example – but others like the Deflecting Hardtear let you turn your DLC experience into something a bit more like Sekiro.
Final Thoughts
FromSoftware has managed to capitalize on the immense thrill of discovery and challenge that made Elden Ring so wonderful. Shadow of the Erdtree is a testament to the developer’s commitment to fantastic gameplay, providing an experience that feels like a culmination of all of their games so far. It accentuates the main game without feeling out of balance, offering new characters, landscapes, and goals that impact players in all the right ways.
For those who have traversed the lands of the Elden Ring and yearn for more, Shadow of the Erdtree is an essential journey back into the world that has captivated millions. It’s a DLC that not only meets expectations but exceeds them, proving once again why FromSoftware is a leader in the gaming industry. So, grab your controller, prepare your character, and step into the shadow to uncover the secrets that await. It’s not perfect, but it comes very close.
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