The Souls games are great at making you want to keep going, exploring the strange ruins and giant castles that lie before you. A lot of that is down to the composition, with the music blasting as you walk through the door and a massive landmark perfectly laid out before you. The same is true for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, with two exceptions. Every time a text box pops up about DLC, the game flips it on its head. It’s one of the best uses of a simple notification I’ve seen in a video game recently.
This article will contain some spoilers, so for those who want to go into The Shadow of Erdtree completely uninformed, be warnedThe first time this happens is probably when you first go to Shadowkeep, the massive castle where the Mesmer reside. Traveling inside, you’re prepared to climb a long way through this massive dungeon, filled with enemies and secrets. But, just as you reach the elevator, you’ll see a pop-up. “Somewhere, a great rune has been broken. And a powerful amulet lies within.” This can also happen when you first arrive at Rauh Base or pass through Bonny Village, so it’s aimed at players who are already into the adventure.
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The moment you see this, your desire to keep going is instantly transformed into a desire to turn back. You may have realized at this point that Miquela’s charm has affected all of the companions you entered Shadowlands with. You immediately want to return to all of Miquela’s crosses and talk to all of the NPCs you meet. It’s a sharp and pointed world state change that not only changes your priorities, but also the actions of your allies. With Miquela’s good magic gone, the tone of the DLC becomes much darker and more sinister.
It’s hard to stop momentum, and it’s extremely challenging to stop the player from doing what they want to do. In Elden R ing, you’re encouraged to roam freely. You see that big mountain, you climb it! There may or may not be a boss at the top of the mountain. The game does give a vague direction for major things, like Grace leading you to the next major boss, or Ranni telling you straight up to kill Radahn. But, a full 180? That’s hard.
But it gets even better, because the game uses text boxes again, to devastating effect. When you first enter the Abyssal Forest, Torrent automatically dismounts you from your horse, and you can’t be summoned there. You get a brief but shocking explanation: “The Ghost Steed is scared and can’t be summoned.” This never happens anywhere else in the game. It scares the player more than any creepy soundtrack or grotesque enemies could.
Because Torrent is our boy! He’s our friend! He’s the closest thing to a companion you can ever find. From the moment you first get his whistle, to the final boss of the game, he’s there, happy to help. With the launch of the DLC, you can even have him fight the Elden Beast, the literal representation of the Almighty in Elden Ring. If he doesn’t want to set foot in the forest, it’s for a good reason.
It goes a long way toward helping to emphasize just how annoying Raging Blaze is, more than any note or side quest could ever do, and it also adds an extra layer of sadness to the ending of Raging Blaze in the base game if you choose to go in that direction. It’s a masterclass in setting the tone and slowing down the pace of a game that’s otherwise more than happy to let you run free at a fast clip.
This is just one of the highlights of Shadow of the Erdtree, and another step towards greater storytelling heights for FromSoftware. This will stay with me for years, really!
