There is an unrivaled beauty to Gravesite Plain, the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC’s beginning location. The sprawling hills form a sea of lush, orange grass and ghostly graves. We’ve essentially washed up on the outskirts of the underworld, and yet you can’t help but feel enchanted by its golden landscape. The intimidating mountainside that rises from the east, the crumbling ruins of an ancient city to the west, and of course, the gigantic Scadutree that stretches over the horizon. Everything about the Shadow Realm is alluring.
Shadow of the Erdtree is the long-awaited DLC for Elden Ring, acting as a story expansion that primarily focuses on the demigod Miquella. From a gameplay perspective, FromSoftware-developed DLCs are famously more difficult than the base games they are released for, and the thrill of a new challenge has created a collective hype within the community.
My expectations were thoroughly exceeded after completing a fairly comprehensive run of Shadow of the Erdtree. I had a fantastic time playing this DLC and want to talk about a few of the things that made it so great. Also, this gives me a chance to display some of the screenshots from my travels:
1. Worthwhile Exploration
Of every “Soulsborne” title, Elden Ring is the least linear. I’ve seen criticism of the open world approach in this game, but this specific experience would be hindered without such freedom.
In the Shadow Realm, the amount of “guidance” from Sites of Grace is far and few between. Direction is largely provided by the accompanying NPCs that give you a roadmap of suggested routes, but ultimately you’re left to carve out your own path. With only a couple of bosses being truly mandatory to complete the expansion, there’s hardly a wrong way to approach the sequence of locations you discover.
There’s also the matter of Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes, unique items that are used to increase the damage and durability of your character and summons. These two items incentivize exploration and promote traveling to the most remote corners of the DLC areas; you’ll need to experience everything the Shadow Realm has to offer if you want to maximize your chances of victory.
In a poorly implemented open world, there is no purpose in immersing yourself within it. Here, the exact opposite is practiced and executed to great effect.
2. Coherent Theme
Let’s be honest, this game can be confusing and overwhelming even at the best of times. In the original storyline, we assume the role of Tarnished – one of Marika’s chosen who is tasked with mending the fractured Elden Ring to restore order to the world. At a glance, though, we don’t really understand who we are, why we’re doing this, or even what the Elden Ring is.
A bit of studying and time will get you halfway there, but the shroud of mystery is a major part of the game’s attractiveness to begin with. However, I think Shadow of the Erdtree proves that this obscurity isn’t a necessity for enjoyment.
By limiting the scope of the DLC to Miquella, rather than covering the entire pantheon of gods and demigods, a story that is both coherent and more easily followed emerges. A connection exists between Elden Ring’s original theme of unity as we take part in a community of Miquella’s followers to find the lost demigod, but this feeling is far more intimate with a straightforward tale.
3. Rewarding Difficulty
Perhaps the most striking aspect of the DLC – even if you thought you were prepared for it – is the unforgiving nature of the bosses. Enemies hit harder than ever, and I still can’t believe I beat the Dancing Lion, which gave me a harder time than probably any other boss.
I adore the challenge this expansion presents. Fights consistently felt fair despite the obvious challenge, but most importantly: everything is just so cinematic. I truly felt outmatched and in-awe when facing off against aspiring deities, unholy dragons, and other monstrosities. The blend of thematic importance and mind-blowing visuals made overcoming every boss feel that much more satisfying of an accomplishment.
Despite this, there are a lot of complaints stating the DLC is too difficult to be enjoyable. I wholeheartedly disagree. If you recall my first point regarding exploration, there are items that bolster your power in the Shadow Realm. These aren’t just for show, they exist specifically for the purpose of increasing your character’s sturdiness and damage output. If you seek out these items, take the time to enjoy this amazing new world, you’ll find that it is possible (with a bit of persistence, of course).
Shadow of the Erdtree remains true to the elements that made me love Elden Ring to begin with, while still managing to make the game feel fresh and new. To be honest, after spending so much time in the DLC, I don’t even want to return to the original game world. I would be more than happy to play this expansion as a standalone experience. As it stands, though, Shadow of the Erdtree is a brilliant continuation to the 2022 Game of the Year.