Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

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How do you go about adding to a game that a sizable number of people would call one of the best ever made? Could you toss another few time periods into Chrono Trigger and still have the same game, just more of it? How about a new chunk of the Super Metroid map? Can a pinnacle of perfection like Balan Wonderworld really be improved? No Man’s Sky certainly proved that it’s possible to have  a long (and improved) life beyond launch.

We’ll leave all these questions aside and focus, instead, on Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, the spicy new DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s ultra-tough open-world blockbuster that taught the world there’s no shame in dying over and over as long as you’re having fun.

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If you’ve battled Mohg in the original Elden Ring, you might have been a little confused by the egg containing a withered arm found in his boss arena. It’s a pretty unusual setpiece for a wholly optional boss that mostly existed to test your skills. Well, turns out that’s your ticket to the Land of Shadow, where you’ll join a team of unlikely pilgrims to follow in the steps of the demigod Miquella. Along the way, you’ll learn where Miquella went and why, perhaps even picking up a little knowledge about your companions along the way.

The road won’t be easy. Much has been made of Elden Ring’s difficulty and, well, that’s entirely reasonable. It’s hard as hell. Shadow of the Erdtree, though, makes that statement feel a little bit empty, because the challenges you’ll face in the Land of Shadow tend to make the base game feel like a cakewalk. If you (rightly) thought that Elden Ring’s best moments are the ones where you think you’ll never prevail, Shadow of the Erdtree is for you. Dying within seconds of entering a boss room isn’t just a possibility, it’s almost a certainty in some cases.

That’s not to say any of this is unfair, of course, and Shadow of the Erdtree introduces a few new mechanics to give you a boost if necessary. You’ve got a Scadutree Blessing that offers a sizable stat boost while you’re in the DLC areas, for instance, and by scouring the Land of Shadow you’re able to upgrade this and level the playing field a little bit. A similar mechanic also exists for powering up your spirit ash summons, so if you’re a fan of those you’ll want to keep your eyes open. Proper preparation prevents poor performance, as they say, and rushing from boss to boss is likely to lead to frustration. Take your time and see everything there is to see if you’d like to have a smoother experience.

There’s certainly a lot to see in Shadow of the Erdtree, after all. Perhaps most notably, there’s a huge variety of new weapons, armor and magic that just might help take your build to the next level. The new weapons are particularly intriguing, offering everything from napalm perfume to badass reverse-gripped swords to honest-to-Godfrey martial arts. Yes, you can absolutely punch a dragon in the face, and yes, you absolutely should.

If all the new goodies weren’t enough to convince you to delve deep into the Land of Shadow, the absolutely gorgeous area and creature design just might. From the blasted plains of the DLC’s opening area to a mysterious library and, naturally, some poisonous swampy areas, there’s plenty of variety and beauty to take in. “Plenty” is no joke, also – in terms of landmass and content density, Shadow of the Erdtree feels like it adds another 30% or so to Elden Ring’s already enormous pile of stuff to do.

The bottom line here is that Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree goes beyond what one might expect from DLC these days. This isn’t a few hours of bonus content clipped from the game shortly before launch so it could be resold, but a clear labor of love that merits the years it took to put together. The experience hearkens back to the days when you’d get what we used to call “expansion packs” for your games, enormous chunks of new stuff that made everything old feel new again. That’s exactly what we’ve got here, and if you enjoyed Elden Ring as most did, you’ll want to dive right back in with Shadow of the Erdtree. Good luck.