Me and the Souls genre have had an interesting past. What began as a nerdy dive into a strange Atlus-published FromSoftware title, Demon Souls, has evolved into a fully fledge genre with plenty of offerings to satisfy fans. Now, I can see this leaving FromSoftware at sort of a disadvantage. Given that they essentially crafted the genre, fans expect them to consistently raise the bar with each release. Elden Ring was an instant hit when it was revealed, and following its 2022 release, players are still finding new ways to enjoy it, and I say that loosely due to the frustrating nature of the genre. However, while post-launch DLC was acknowledged, players were expected to wait two years to get “more.”
A Long-Awaited Expansion
Well, I’m here to tell you that the wait was worth it because Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is here to raise the bar even higher with a wealth of content for fans to scratch whatever itch they’ve been craving. After getting the chance to play Shadow of the Erdtree during a preview event, I figured out two things: one, I don’t play Elden Ring like the top players do, and three hours is not enough time to see even a fraction of what this DLC offers.
During my time playing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, I was in a room full of other players, each with varying degrees of familiarity with the game. One interesting aspect of this action RPG subgenre is how differently players approach the game. For example, after touching Miquella’s hand, I saw players run headfirst into the Land of Shadows with the goal of rushing the bosses. These players didn’t stop for anything or anyone as they rushed through the new environments to trigger the next bonfire and get to the boss. This struck me as odd until I remembered that I’ve actually never watched anyone else play Elden Ring before. It’s always just been me up to my devices. How I play may not mirror the way you experience this genre, but I quickly came to terms with that in this setting.
Immersive Exploration and Lore
I personally enjoy exploring and unveiling lore or secrets about the game. Further, I’ll fight every creature in my path and constantly address my loadout to prepare me for what’s ahead. I’m slow, and I wouldn’t consider myself to be very good at the games, but I get through it after enough tries. If I can jump ahead here for a second, in my experience, I was only able to fight against the first boss of the preview event, but I beat it as soon as they announced the preview session had ended, so that was my own personal victory.
So let’s talk about Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. If you’re looking for meta, I’m sorry, I’m not your guy. My approach to this series is as casual as they come, but I’ll do my best here. Shadow of the Erdtree has players dive into a new story guided by Empyrean Miquella. The Land of Shadow is an entirely new world, distinct from the Lands Between, yet seamlessly integrated, allowing players to travel back and forth between the two. Here, you’ll encounter dark secrets and characters with their own motives, expanding the lore and depth of the world we’ve come to know.
Innovative Weapons and Combat Mechanics
One of the standout features of Shadow of the Erdtree is the vast new world it introduces. The Land of Shadow is filled with branching paths, intimidating foes, and plenty of room to roam around and explore. After you find your bearings, you’ll meet a few others who follow in Miquella’s footsteps. I stuck to the path that was laid out for the preview event, but looking at other’s screens revealed so much more that I hadn’t seen yet, which had me kinda jealous.
Further, the expansion significantly deepens the RPG elements and adds a variety of new weapons, including dueling shields, martial arts weapons, reverse-grip swords, and thrown weapons. Dueling shields not only provide defensive capabilities but also offer a range of offensive attacks, potentially reshaping the PvP meta and helping players master parrying. Martial arts weapons bring a new dimension to unarmed builds, offering upgradeable and skill-scaled options with unique kicking strikes. Reverse-grip swords introduce stylish combat maneuvers and extended spinning-attack combos, while thrown weapons promise unlimited use and potential FP consumption. On that note, maybe I did cheese the boss by throwing axes, but it was still very difficult.
A Must-Play Expansion for Fans
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree promises a wealth of content that builds on the strengths of the base game. The seamless integration of the Land of Shadow with the existing world, combined with the expanded RPG elements and new storylines, makes this expansion a must-play for fans of the genre. I was only able to get a taste of what this new world is offering, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Not only does this expansion raise the bar higher for the Soulslike genre, but it also raises what I expect from premium DLC expansions.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam on June 21, 2024.
