Elden Ring will receive its long-awaited DLC in just a few days. While most fans are still eagerly waiting for the release, I was already given the chance to enter the Shadow Lands and suffer. The content and bosses were impressive, but what drove me to the edge of madness was the map.
With my 10 years of Souls experience in various FromSoftware games, I was thrilled when the editorial team gave me the opportunity to play the DLC before anyone else. I downloaded the update, picked my best build, and immediately threw myself into the Shadow Lands. I thought, “If the DLC is as big as Limgrave, I’ll be through in less than 12 hours” – ha, was I naive.
Alongside the most intense bosses I have ever fought, it was primarily the map that kept me occupied the longest. Everyone wants an overview of the individual areas, but in order to achieve that in the DLC, you will either get lost for hours or resign in despair.
In the DLC, everything is winding, including the map
In Elden Ring, there is the majestic Erd Tree – straightforward and pure like the Golden Order. In the Shadow Lands, the Scad Tree – winding and decayed. If you want to explain how complicated the map of the DLC is, just look at the gloomy tree from a distance. Trailers and images from FromSoftware already showed the black Scad Tree on the horizon of the Shadow Lands.
I knew the expansion would be complex, but I didn’t expect such complexity. Before I wanted to search the entire map for secrets, I wanted to unlock the map. As usual, fragments must be collected for this, and there are only 5 in total, instead of the 19 examples that could be found in the Interlands.
When you unlock the first part of the map, you would think that the areas of the Shadow Lands are simple, vertical, and easily accessible, but I spent 3 days wandering around the world trying to figure out how to uncover them. It drove me so crazy that I had to take several breaks to avoid completely losing my mind.
Even though the map demoralized me, I have to say that the team behind the DLC did a fantastic job. The expansion gives you the feeling that you don’t belong here. You are supposed to feel lost and disoriented, and that is exactly what the map’s design creates. Although I have now unlocked the entire map, I still get lost and forget paths that I had already discovered.
Not only complicated but also extensive
In addition to the complex map design, there is also praise for the scope of the DLC. Hidetaka Miyazaki promised a lot regarding the content, and I must say, FromSoftware has outdone themselves. I couldn’t collect all items like weapons or armor, but according to Fextralife (source: youtube.com), there are the following contents:
- 8 new weapon types
- 95 new weapons
- 10 new shields
- 39 new talismans
- 14 new spells
- 28 new summons
- 20 new spirit ashes
- 25 new war ashes
- 30 new armor sets
I was already overwhelmed by the amount of upcoming content only to find out that I had only collected half of it. Many users are excited about the information regarding the content density and express their excitement on Reddit:
- “Basically, we have a game within the game. The Elden Ring will definitely not be the same after Friday” – Lightjumper0103
- “The excitement/magic is back after a few years, the seconds are being counted down” – Dubbs09
- “Their servers will finally melt down” – Serious_Ad_1037
- “30 new armor sets! More to collect. MORE TO COLLECT.” – astraldreamer1
- “I just collected at least one weapon, one talisman or one piece of armor this week. I can’t wait to collect so much more” – ItsRainingTrees
The DLC will not stay behind closed doors for long. It is set to launch in Germany at midnight on June 21. Players will then be able to venture into the Interlands, defeat Messmer, and uncover the secrets of Miquella and Queen Marika. I, for one, was shocked by the ending, and I believe you will be as well. We’ll see each other in the Shadow Lands, Stained.
