Gaming News Elden Ring DLC: “Shadow of the Erdtree will definitely be great,” FromSoftware’s past speaks for itself
After a year of waiting, Shadow of the Earthtree, Elden Ring DLC, has finally been revealed in a trailer! This isn’t the first time FromSoftware has tackled an ambitious content expansion, and given the studio’s resume, we can already tell you that we’re pretty sure this expansion is going to be great.
FromSoftware and the “Souls” DLCs, it’s a great love story! A story that harks back to the series’ most iconic episode, Dark Souls, released in 2011 on PS3 | was released on Xbox 360. At that time, the PC version was not yet on the agenda – and the latter encouraged the studio to add the content of “Artorias of the Abyss”, which takes place 200-300 years before the events of “Artorias of the Abyss” plays basic game: “We never thought about creating downloadable content”explains Daisuke Uchi, producer, in the columns of Digital spy. “Everything was decided and discussed after the release of the console version… due to the online petition for the PC version.” The petition in question collected 70,000 signatures in a week and reached the ears of Namco Bandai, the publisher of Dark Souls.
And six months later, the release of “Dark Souls Prepare To Die Edition” is announced for August 2012. FromSoftware’s masterpiece comes to the PC and obviously doesn’t come away empty-handed. On the agenda: an additional chapter dedicated to the Black Knight of Artorias and a more complete PvP mode (which will become a tradition for the franchise). Everything will be coming to PS3 | in October appear on Xbox 360, and the critics are overjoyed. “If you are a Dark Souls fan, you need to buy this DLC immediately,” he writes Player limit. Like the original title, the expansion receives an 89/100 on Metacritic.
(Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss)
Take the experience even further
Therefore, in the wake of game design that wasn’t too bad for the time (the messages left by other players; the invasion system), FromSoftware doesn’t do anything like everyone else for its DLC. For Artorias of the Abyss there is no flashing message on the title screen, you have to find the entrance to the added content yourself – hidden at the bottom of the “Noiresouche Pool”. An area that can be discovered early in the adventure – assuming you have the passe-partout – but is obviously not reserved for the first comer! In fact, Secrets of the Dark Knight of Artorias is recommended even for those who are close to completing Dark Souls. After all, it’s not for nothing that most of the expansion’s bosses are called the most complex in the entire title.
Artorias of the Abyss therefore has one main task… Offer a slightly more demanding challenge than the base epic, reserved for experienced players. This is also a common feature that we find in all subsequent Souls DLCs – including that of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree! This content expansion, FromSoftware’s “biggest and most ambitious,” is for you if you’ve completed most of the challenges in the Middle of the Earth. To find out what it offers, you must first have defeated two bosses, namely General Radahn – at the southern tip of Caelid – and Mohg, an optional enemy.
(Elden Ring: Shadow of the Earth Tree)
Elden Ring, the more scripted work
Obviously, the premises of this Shadow of the Earth Tree were studied to preserve a coherent story, which is not trivial. Not that the scenario of the previous episodes is particularly crazy (it’s just more complex to understand), but since its announcement, Elden Ring has shown its desire to build a more impressive and “complete” story, especially through collaboration with the author of Game of Thrones George RR Martin… The first trailer for the expansion therefore boasts the key role of Miquella, Marika’s boy (one of the most popular bosses and characters of Elden Ring).
A continuity that should only benefit Shadow of the Earthtree… In the past, Dark Souls 3 was able to use this “gain of power” for its second DLC, The Ringed City, which provided answers to questions that had remained unanswered since the first episode (not to mention the emotion factor in the idea). to end the saga). “This is probably the best content addition since Artorias of the Abyss (from Dark Souls, editor’s note)” – we wrote in our review at the time. However, it should be remembered that this third work had the bad idea of dividing its additional adventure into two parts and delivering a first part, Ashes of Ariandel, which is less memorable (due to its short lifespan). A mistake not repeated in the excellent Bloodborne DLC The Old Hunters, which was originally conceived as a diptych. It will be the same for Elden Ring: a single, major expansion.
Shadow of the Erdtree is significantly larger than (the DLCs) of Dark Souls 3 or Bloodborne. It’s no mistake to say that this is our largest expansion yet (…) When we thought about an Elden Ring experience, this size was necessary – H. Miyazaki, Director of Elden Ring and President of FromSoftware (via Famitsu)
(Bloodborne: The Ancient Hunters)
A new pleasure and more…
For this reason, we have little doubt about Shadow of the Earthtree. FromSoftware knows its subject too well to fail And since Elden Ring symbolizes its most successful title, we expect the same from this expansion of content. Especially because the studio remains solid even when it is on an average basis, like the three DLCs for Dark Souls 2 (the least famous of all). We have almost blind trust in Miyazaki-san, father of Dark Souls and director of Elden Ring, who also announces exciting prospects in various interviews. Shadow of the Earthtree will focus on more varied level design, a “unique” leveling system – new weapons and areas and of course new bosses. As a reminder, it’s scheduled for June 21st on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
