Elden Ring: Shadow of the Earth Tree released a few weeks ago, which means that players have hopefully managed to survive the immensely difficult battles (especially the last) and roll credits for the expansion. However, a group of players has disappointed by the conclusionand the narrative content of the expansion as a whole, as Shadow of the Earth Tree Is Fire ringis the only DLC and bears the burden of refereeing one of the biggest games of our time.
Some expressed frustration with the impact or lack thereof Shadow of the Earth TreeMany expected characters from the base game to return in some way, react to the events of the expansion, or simply play a larger role in it. especially those who have a close bond with Miquellathe central character of the DLC. The lack of consistency and the absence of new dialogues that would enhance the player’s understanding of the story were a sore spot for people hungry for a piece of Fire ring‘s massive, sometimes unfathomable narrative.
There is a group of people who are particularly disappointed with the final cutscene of the DLC because they feel that it hardly adds anything to the previous experience. This feeling is probably due to the fact that Shadow of the Earth Tree ends in a firmly Fight. I’m talking about a gigantic Pain in the ass, that is even manipulated against the player thanks to insane hitboxesseemingly unavoidable attacks and the kind of long combos that Fire ring has become notorious for its doubling. Once you defeat this absolute unit of a boss, there is a Cutscene that can be triggered, and many fans of the game are not too pleased with its brevity and lack of pepfor lack of a better word.
Spoilers for Shadows of the earth trees End follows.
For many, this end Fire ringThe saga of seems to be more of a whimper than a triumphant bang. The scene is fairly straightforward (or as clean as FromSoftware’s esotericism can be) and that seems to be the source of the tension. Miquella, the epitome of the entire expansion, appears for the first time, effectively doubling down on his goal, or at least reinforcing it. There’s no pomp to the affair. Miquella kneels for the entire scene, which takes place in an empty room save for the nearby Elden Lord’s throne, and it’s over before you know it, revealing no significant new insights.
I will not lie: that does kind of sucks. I actually understand the group that maybe expected more from the end of this DLC. Fire ring is an epic, and if that’s the ending, yeah, it’s not quite what I expected. But while some are fixated on the brevity of the ending, others are upset because it seems to add so little to the story, or at least detracts from their understanding of it.
Fire ringis, like most of FromSoftware’s oeuvre, fascinating to process and think about. I love people who dig up bits of lore and propose theories about character motivations and the larger intrigues of the world. I, too, have fallen asleep to many Vaatividya videos that piece together bits of item descriptions into a coherent and deeply tragic narrative. However, these practices have also produced a type of fan who Requirements “Truth” from these games. People, who expect Answers for their investigations and investments. In my humble opinion, these people play these games – and engage with art – in a reductionist way that only gets in the way of their own enjoyment.
Read more: Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtrees Story, Explained
The absolute truth of these games is allegedly to ignore you, you idiots. Whatever absolute meaning you’re trying to squeeze out of them defeats the entire purpose of FromSoft’s preferred method of storytelling. If Miyazaki wanted players to know everything about the game, he and his team could have simply written it down for you in a game rich with endless dialogue, explanations, and scenes pontificating about every little detail. The fact that these games never fit that mold should have alerted you all to one obvious fact: There is no truth waiting for you at the center of… Fire ring or its extension.
Angry players who can’t believe it Shadow of the Earth Tree would end so abruptly and succinctly, one would hope that there is a secret ending that must be revealed. Although Fire ring While there was no secret ending, there were multiple endings depending on which quests you completed and which power/faction you ultimately joined. Shadow of the Earth Tree lacks a similar framework, and Miyazaki has bluntly stated that the DLC would have no impact on the endings already built into the game. However, that hasn’t stopped a few from praying that these claims were little more than a red herring.
I realize how little I understand Fire ring a damn joy, folks. When I come back to it, I love clicking the puzzle pieces together. Some fit, some don’t. Some of them like never Click and that’s okay. I can master the game mechanics and I walk half of these bosses in my sleepbut there is something about the fact that I may never truly understand all of its mysteries, including Miquell’s motivations for leaving the lands between worlds and pursuing godhood, or whatever it is that gets people so worked up. I will never really stop watching the larger-than-life cast of Fire ring and that keeps the thrill going. I don’t have to know everything about Fire ring knowing that I love it and enjoy doing it. Believe it or not, that’s enough.
