It’s hard to believe that Elden Ring launched 2 years ago in 2022. While FromSoftware haven’t exactly been slacking with the fantastic Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon releasing last year, fans of their more traditional Soulslike genre have been eagerly awaiting Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree since its announcement.
Now, we’re off to the Shadow Realm in pursuit of Miquella and some very long-standing lore questions regarding the base game’s story are finally explored. Is Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree worth picking up if you’re a fan of the base Elden Ring game ? And should newcomers be diving into this DLC ?
Shadow of the Erdtree
To the answer the questions above, yes, if you’re a fan of Elden Ring, you will most definitely want to pick up this DLC. Should a newcomer pick up this DLC ? The answer to that is a bit more complicated. It’s a “Yes” because if you purchase the bundle that includes the base Elden Ring game and the DLC, you’ll easily have upwards of 200 hours of gameplay content to get through here depending on your playstyle.
If you want to head straight into the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree content though as a newcomer, you won’t be able to do this until you defeat two specific boss enemies in the base game and reach a point of progression which lets you travel to the Shadow Realm. This unfortunately will require you to play through quite a hefty chunk of the base game and if you’re brand new to Elden Ring, you’ll only be able to get to this point after a significant time investment and lots of levelling up.
From Software is incredibly bold in releasing a DLC that requires you to be so far into the game to access it. The mad lads over there have crafted such a gorgeous world, you’ll want to gain access as soon as possible. If you enjoyed the Elden Ring base game, you will most likely love Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree with the one major caveat being that in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, you will have to really draw upon your skills to defeat foes due to a new mechanic that’s been introduced.
Scadutree Fragments is the key aspect to consider in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. These fragments will augment your damage output and as such your survival rate in the game. It doesn’t matter too much if you’re super high level in the base game because once you head into Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, you’re going to be in for a world of hurt. The enemies right in the starting area will absolutely destroy you if you take them lightly.
You’ll have to focus and do your utmost best at keeping yourself alive and therein lies the beauty of it all. Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree makes it quite clear to you that this is “endgame” DLC content and if you’ve been away from Elden Ring for a while, you will have to quickly adapt and get used to the controls again.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is a remarkable DLC in that, the entire DLC is not only incredibly well designed but the sheer scale of the DLC is mindblowing. From Software have delivered a massive new region to explore and there is so much on offer here it will captivate you and keep you coming back for more as you slowly discover new lore and face off against some incredibly challenging new boss enemies. Theory crafters will have a field day with the new story information available.
Of course, since this is a new DLC, we’re also able to gain access to some brand-new weapons and armour too which makes the game all the more enticing. For example, I played as a samurai for the most part but Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree required me to adapt to the situation on hand and change up my build a bit to deal with the onslaught of threats.
Dual-wielding blades and doing some quick hit and run attacks was the order of the day for me for quite a lot of the DLC but if you’re a magic user, you may have a lot more success than I did. The new weapons also mean that you’ll be changing up your tried and trusty build most likely and this introduces even more longevity to the game.
The Shadow Realm is no pushover and honestly, this DLC reminded me so much of one of From Software’s other games. Sekiro. Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is the “Sekiro” DLC in that you can’t rely on your stats from the base game to take on enemies until you amass a lot more Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ash. Getting the fragments and Ash is no easy feat either since you will have to really use your skills in reading enemy attacks and taking the opportunity to strike at opportune moments. Exactly like in Sekiro. Shadows die Twice eh?
Going out of your way to find the Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ash is also quite a challenge because Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree’s region is quite frankly, freaking insanely massive. From Software really outdid themselves here by designing a new region with so many interconnected areas.
You’ll spend hours exploring and love every second of it because the Shadow Realm is packed with gorgeous visuals, enemy designs and an aesthetic that is truly captivating. Heck just entering the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree area and taking one look at the beginning section with the darkened tree in the background is enough to draw you in already. Wait until you get to the larger castles and dark swamps. The soundtrack of the game is excellent and the voice acting is truly amazing especially in very specific encounters that shall not be spoiled here.
Where Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree also stands out above the base Elden Ring game lies with its bosses. This time around From Software really didn’t hold back. These are some of the toughest boss fights you’ll ever encounter and you’ll have to really focus on your builds and gameplay tactics to stay alive here. The pure unadulterated joy you get after beating a tough boss however is immense and extremely rewarding.
My only major gripe with the DLC lies with the fact that after traversing some incredibly tough sections out in the open world in Shadow of Erdtree, you’ll be presented with items that are most likely useless to you as a late game player. Yes the Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ash are great but picking up smithing materials or yet another cookbook or resource you don’t really need isn’t exactly rewarding. Though the same could also be said for the Elden Ring base game itself in some specific sections which could get quite tedious.
Another problematic aspect of the game lies with the fact that Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree runs a lot choppier than the base Elden Ring game. The Lands Between map ran perfectly fine but Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree has some sections where inexplicable slowdown would occur or texture pop in would be quite noticeable.
Thankfully this never happened during boss battles where precision timing is required to overcome some of their attacks but dropping frames every now and then while adventuring and seeing grass and other objects suddenly appear is jarring. Hopefully this is ironed out with some post-launch patches on PC.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree however is still one of the best DLCs From Software has put out. It’s filled with so much content, it’s almost as if we got another whole Elden Ring itself here. The game doesn’t hold anything back and you will have to really tap into your dodging, parrying and jumping skills when fighting enemies since their attacks felt a lot more menacing in the DLC.
With that said though, if you preserve enough, you will be able to get through this DLC as you gain more Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ash. At the time of writing this review, a patch was also implemented which improved the scaling of the fragments which may make some encounters in the DLC feel a lot more balanced. Updates like this are something to keep an eye out for since there’s clearly some tweaking going on behind the scenes to get everything just right.
Final Verdict
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is a masterpiece of a game that brings a flood of new content to an already stacked game. There’s so much on offer here it could honestly have been a sequel. If you loved Elden Ring, there is no reason not to get the DLC. The challenge is daunting but it’s not unbeatable. Persevere Tarnished! Clutching victory from the jaws of defeat is so so sweet in the Shadow Realm.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree CGI Trailer
Read more of our reviews here https://invisioncommunity.co.uk/category/review/
You must be logged in to post a comment.