Even before I was able to play the game a few weeks ago, I honestly don’t know if I have ever been as excited about a DLC as I was about Elden Ring: Shadow of the Earth TreeWith almost 500 hours in Elden Ring over six complete playthroughs, the game may not be my most played game of all time (tip limit towards Fate 2), but it is definitely one of my absolute favorite games. Now, after playing Shadow of the Earth Tree for several hours, I can already say that it will continue to have its Godskin Peelers in me for the foreseeable future.
With that in mind, there are a number of elements of Shadow of the Erdtree that really stood out to me during my all-too-brief time with the game. Let’s take a closer look so that my fellow players Elden Ring Fans know what to expect when they dive into the DLC on June 21st.
Touch the withered arm
If you’ve played Elden Ring, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the withered arm hanging limply from what looked like an egg in Mohgwyn Palace. That’s where the DLC picks up, and that means players will have to defeat Mohg (Lord of Blood, for bad folks) before they can dive in. Once the area is clear, you’ll meet a new character named Leda. After a quick introduction, she tells you to “touch the withered arm,” which will teleport you to a brand new area called the Realm of Shadow.
This is a comprehensive extension
Like everyone who has seen the excellent Ashes of Ariandel And The ringed city Extensions for Dark Souls III As I can confirm, developer FromSoftware is a master at creating fresh and memorable environments outside of the actual game area. Shadow of the Earth Tree attempts to continue (and even improve) this tradition by creating a huge new area for Elden Ring fans to explore. Although I spent several hours exploring the vast plains and labyrinthine corridors of the Realm of Shadow, much of the map was still shrouded in fog, suggesting I’d only scratched the surface of what it has to offer.
It is certainly a mood
My entry into the Realm of Shadow was via Gravesite Plain, which spread out before me and was filled with ghostly tombstones and shambling, easy-to-kill low-level enemies. After riding through the area on my steed and heading to the nearest map stele to unlock a better view on my map, I decided to explore a little more before following the suggested path. Sure enough, I found a spooky mausoleum to explore, as well as a dragon peacefully napping in the middle of a small lake. I decided to take a closer look at both. Because what’s the worst that could happen?
I have made a big mistake
As I mentioned above, I played a lot Elden Ring. So much so that I had apparently forgotten how mercilessly (and wonderfully!) challenging the game can be. As I strolled over to the dragon, it awoke and it looked at me for a moment… before launching itself into the air, scorching everything around me with black flames. Yes, Black Flame Dragons are a thing now, and I quickly learned that they are not to be trifled with. After several failed attempts to defeat the winged beast, I decided to return to the Mausoleum, only to encounter Blackgaol Knight (reminiscent of the Crucible Knights), who summarily knocked me down half a dozen times. Ahhhhh, yes, this is the Elden Ring I know and love!
You are only as good as your equipment
There are a number of new elements in Shadow of the Earth Tree that will help you on your journey. I had the chance to try out the Milady, a light greatsword with multiple balanced attacks that I’m looking forward to using more often. I also used a new piece of armor from the Oathseeker Knight armor set, which looks pretty snazzy (and offers a lot of protection for its weight). The most important items I found, however, were the new Scadutree Fragments, which boost the player’s Scadutree Blessing. This blessing, which is only effective in the Realm of Shadow, allows the player to deal more damage And negate more damage from enemies. Finding as many of these as possible will likely have a big impact on your long-term success.
Remember Fingercreepers? They’re back… in Spirit Ash form!
Fingercreepers (also known as hand spiders or spider hands or the worst enemy ever) made an instant impression on even the most diehard Souls fans when they spawned out of the ground to swarm and grab players. Now they’re back Shadow of the Earth Treethis time as Spirit Ash, who can be summoned to aid the player in battle. I also had the chance to play around with two other additions to the Spirit Ash menagerie: the flying Gravebird and the mighty Black Knight Commander Andreas. I’m not sure if either of them will ever take the place of my precious Mimic Tear, but it’s nice to have some flexibility.
Double (and triple and quadruple and…) cross
After getting back on track, I came to a crossroads (literally). At the end of the main road through Gravesite Plain, I reached a tree where the road forked. Nearby was a bright yellow cross and some NPCs named Freya (a former ally of our old friend Radahn), who explained that the crosses litter the land and are the footprints of Miquella the Kind (???). Another character, Hornsent, gave me a map and explained that I could find more of the crosses if I explored. Further up the road, on the way to a large fortress, was another cross and another of Miquella’s NPC followers. Ansbach, as he was called, asked me to find out what Miquella the Kind (??? again) was doing in the Realm of Shadow.
What is the story of Mourning Glory?
As you might have guessed from my liberal use of question marks above, and as you’ll probably guess if you’ve played any of From’s other games, Shadow of the Earth TreeThe plot of is intentionally and delightfully dark. It’s up to the player to piece together the puzzle of the story, and you can be sure that there will be a few pieces missing by the end. The beauty of these games is that you can let your imagination (or in many cases the fanatical and lore-obsessed community) fill in the gaps. Personally, I can’t wait to learn more about why Miquella was there in the first place, what the crosses represent, and what he wants with the titular Earth Tree.
Burn it with fire!
I finally reached the first of the two fortresses in the part of the game I was allowed to play. Upon opening the large doors, I was immediately greeted by a large, hairy scorpion/spider hybrid and nearly a dozen smaller ones slowly descending from the ceiling to swarm me. This got a big no from me and I quickly set about taking them out with the utmost bias before moving further into the sprawling castle and facing increasingly tough enemies (though none were as gross as these arachnids).
Choose your own adventure
Like every great FromSoftware game, Shadow of the Earth Tree offers players a wealth of options when it comes to exploration. Do you jump off the path to get across the roof tops? Could that dark and spooky hallway actually lead to a shortcut back to the next mercy spot? Is there an enemy lurking just around the corner next to that shiny object? Play Shadow of the Earth Tree
Who is the boss?
During my time at Shadow of the Earth TreeI managed to get through both castles (full disclosure: I basically sprinted through one of them to see the second boss) and fight the punishing bosses inside. Bosses are always my favorite part of From’s games and these two did not disappoint. The first was called “Rellana, Twin Moon Knight” and was a massive knight who wielded two swords and dealt out quick, spinning attacks. When Rellana was down to half his health, he let out a roar and imbued one of his swords with red fire and the other with blue magic. This fundamentally changes his attacks to deal that kind of damage and he made short work of me over a dozen times before I Finally let him down.
Dance, lion, dance!
The second boss I faced, on the other hand, kept on whittling me down over and over again. The Divine Beast Dancing Lion moves similarly to the dancing Chinese dragons you see in parades, but going up against this monstrosity was no fun. In addition to its jerky and unpredictable movements, the Dancing Lion would occasionally spit out mist that made it difficult to see more than a few feet away. Once its health dropped to half, it would begin conjuring lightning attacks that could only be dodged with precise timing. I gleefully slammed my head into that particular wall over a dozen times before I had time to catch up with Shadow of the Earth Tree was unfortunately over.
Yes, that IS Dog
Yes, that’s right, everyone’s favorite shelled reptiles are back! It’s not yet known if any of them are of the papal variety, but now you have an even better reason to explore the Realm of Shadow when Elden Ring: Shadow of the Earth Tree starts on June 21st.
ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree Pre-Order
Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
39,99 $
Pre-order now and receive the following bonus content for the expansion: – ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree Bonus Gesture This is a gesture that can be used in-game for Shadow of the Erdtree content. *Bonus content will be available in-game when the expansion is released. *Player can also unlock this later in the expansion. ELDEN RING, winner of hundreds of awards including “Game of the Year” at The Game Awards and “Ultimate Game of the Year” at the Golden Joystick Awards, is the acclaimed action RPG epic set in a vast, dark fantasy world. Players embark on an epic quest with the freedom to explore and adventure at their own pace. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion features an all-new story set in the Land of Shadow filled with secrets, dangerous dungeons, and new enemies, weapons, and gear. Explore unexplored areas, face fearsome foes, and revel in the satisfying triumph of victory. Immerse yourself in a captivating interplay of characters where drama and intrigue intertwine to create a complete experience to savor and enjoy. *Shadow of the Erdtree content requires the base game. *Other editions are also available. Beware of duplicate purchases.
Table of Contents
