The biggest criticism of the new DLC of Elden Ring is currently the high difficulty level of the bosses. Publisher Namco Bandai has commented on it – with a simple tip, albeit sounding somewhat sarcastic.
What is the problem? The DLC Shadow of the Erdtree is currently facing criticism from players who find the expansion simply too difficult. Reviews on Steam complain, for instance, that developer FromSoftware has gone overboard this time.
The bosses have extremely large health bars, unleash long combos that allow little room for counters, and generally, all final bosses now seem to need to be on the level of a Malenia from the main game.
Lead developer Hidetaka Miyazaki has already commented on the difficulty of his game, stating that it is essential for Elden Ring. It might be the secret to FromSoftware’s success, and they want to stick to that.
Publisher Namco Bandai has now also spoken up with a tip. However, the message comes off as a bit sarcastic.
The difficulty can be changed
What does Namco Bandai say? The publisher of Elden Ring has entered the discussion on X. However, the short message does not directly address the criticism but instead recommends a simple tip:
Collect the Scadubaum fragments and level up your character with them.
This is probably not the suggestion frustrated players were hoping for. Because they should have already made use of the new feature. Scadubaum fragments were only introduced with Shadow of the Erdtree.
You can find them at Miquella’s crosses, after defeating Golden Hippopotamuses, and at certain often secret locations in the game world. At the graces, you can exchange the fragments, which will increase your attack and defense values. This will noticeably make the game easier. On MeinMMO, you will find a dedicated guide with locations for them.
How do the players react? The publisher’s tip is anything but revolutionary, and the players know that. They find it particularly noteworthy that Namco Bandai is very aware that their game is a few levels too hard for some users and still only suggests the Scadubaum fragments as a solution.
Under the X post, users write the following:
- “When the publisher lets you know that you’re bad,” comments @TarnishedEgg.
- “The best advice comes directly from the source,” replies @TheOnlySalmon with a hint of sarcasm.
- “This is the publisher’s way of telling us tarnished that we are noobs,” interprets @0xTracian.
The actual tip is fundamentally not much to criticize. With the Scadubaum fragments, you can indeed make your life easier. Whether that eases the criticism of many players is questionable. Currently, the opinions of the press and players diverge significantly – you can read some reasons for this on MeinMMO.
