On June 21, 2024, the big DLC of Elden Ring will be released. MeinMMO author Christoph Waldboth was able to take a closer look at the expansion during a play event. What he thinks about the game world, the bosses, and the new weapons, you can read here.
The games from FromSoftware have been accompanying me for over ten years and are among my absolute favorites. Elden Ring alone has kept me busy for hundreds of hours. Accordingly, the anticipation for the upcoming DLC “Shadow of the Erdtree” is huge.
The expansion is full of new content:
- A new area that is supposed to be larger than Limgrave, the starting area of the main game
- Over ten bosses
- Eight new weapon categories and numerous new weapons
- New equipment items, weapon skills, and spells
- A progression system that allows you to optionally adjust the difficulty
Overall, the DLC is expected to be the largest that FromSoftware has ever developed. To test it in advance, I was invited to Paris by publisher Bandai Namco and was able to play for about three hours. During that time, I saw the first large area, a legacy dungeon, and smaller castles, as well as four bosses. I was also able to try out some of the new weapons.
Everything I could see impressed me right away. Although the bosses put me in my place multiple times.
Here you can see the story trailer for the DLC, which reveals more about Messmer and his ruthless past.
Shadow of the Erdtree is as dark as it sounds
To even enter the DLC, you must have reached the endgame of Elden Ring. You need to defeat the bosses Radahn and Mohg. Only then will the gates to the Shadow Land, a kind of parallel world to the Between Lands, open up for you.
The first thing I notice when entering the expansion is the strange atmosphere. It is quite dark, and in front of me lies an expansive field full of translucent gravestones. Shadows wander around, and something menacing hangs in the air.
The first death doesn’t take long to arrive. A huge, burning oven on two legs confronts me, firing cannons at me and sending me to the afterlife.
Fortunately, I am not alone in this hostile environment. Various NPCs keep telling me about Miquella, whom players already know from the main game, and who is the focus of the DLC.
“Shadow of the Erdtree” seems to focus on a single storyline, and therefore feels narratively denser even in the first minutes of gameplay. However, you shouldn’t expect sprawling cutscenes or dialogues. The game remains content-wise as vague as before.
The new weapons bring a fresh breeze to the game
The pre-made dexterity build is a lot of fun, and thanks to the generously filled inventory, I can try out different weapons. They feel refreshingly different in some ways.
My highlights: Two curved blades that my character holds upside down and that deal a lot of damage quickly in combination. Also, an R2 attack that allows me to dodge like a ninja and strike swiftly.
Also exciting: two gloves that transform me into a kung fu fighter. Even in the trailer, this fighting style looked pretty cool. While it may seem atypical for Elden Ring, it works great in-game.
The only downside: In battles against large boss enemies, the gloves lack range – I fared much better with my swords.
The boss battles are as tough as ever
Warning Spoiler: The following paragraph reveals details about the bosses of the DLC. If you do not want to know anything about it, jump directly to the next heading.
At the end of a legacy dungeon, I face a wild mix of lion and dog. The boss was already seen in the trailer and uses a whole range of different attacks in battle. First, it rears up and creates whirlwinds, and in the second phase, it rains lightning, snow, and poison. Until the boss finally lies dead in front of me, I have to bite the dust more often than I would like.
In the three hours, I encountered a total of four bosses. Besides the lion, I also faced a Gollum look-alike and a dragon that has learned some new deadly tricks compared to those from the main game.
In terms of design and combat mechanics, all the bosses were quite different. Their only commonality: They were incredibly difficult. Yes, FromSoftware’s final bosses did what they do best: wiped the floor with me.
If you are worried that the DLC could be too easy, rest assured: The initial bosses alone will likely cost most of you a few attempts. Not to mention the main enemy Messmer, whom you will probably encounter only at the end of the expansion, and whom I have not yet met. He could even outshine Malenia from the main game.
For those who prefer a bit of an easier challenge, Shadow of the Erdtree introduces a new feature: Through optional fragments and blessings, you can adjust the difficulty. I found four of them while testing, but I didn’t notice much of a difference. To be perfectly prepared, you should bring a high-level character (at least level 100, better 150) – and especially bring a certain stat to level 60.
A grand expansion, but it lacks the kick
At the end of the three hours, I am fascinated, exhausted, and partially frustrated. Just the perfect Souls mix of impressions. The overall impression is positive. What I have seen meets my expectations.
Nevertheless, I have hardly been surprised. Everything feels familiar. Just more of the very good same. However, I would have wished for a ‘wow’ moment like in the main game. Just think of the first entry into the game world, the dragon crashing down from the sky, the view of the capital… the list is long. I hope the full version of the DLC can catch up here.
For those who are just starting with Elden Ring and discovering the DLC as part of the game, they will certainly have a great time. However, with well over 100 hours, the experience somewhat diminishes the feeling of novelty.
“Shadow of the Erdtree” will be released on June 21, 2024, and will cost 39.99 euros. Until the release, you have time to sharpen your weapons, steel your nerves, and refresh your lore knowledge. The abstract way the game tells its story can at least lead to some players feeling downright dumb.
