I don’t know if Miyazaki was deliberately lying when he explained in an interview that the Shadow Realm, where the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion takes place, is roughly the same size as the Necrolimbo area from Elden Ring. Because in this grim new world, where the giant, sickly Shadow Tree is a constant symbol of the world’s disorder and decay, your Lightless One will explore very different biomes and two new “legacy dungeons,” both of which are FromSoftware’s best works to date.
In terms of the size of the terrain to be covered on the back of our absolute favorite double-jump mount, Torrentera, the Shadow Realm is nowhere near as big as the main game. On the other hand, the new world represents a different and, in my opinion, much more attractive approach to open-world design, where the limited land mass is balanced by a clearly vertical design and is much more saturated with content. Wherever you go, you’ll discover tantalizing sights: dark fortresses and castles with towers and turrets reaching into the sky, deep gorges with glittering rivers and dark forests, and a huge, rugged mountain that you know is the home of a dragon-mortal. But getting to these places isn’t always easy. Sure, there are often clear main paths to follow, but more than ever, the main game requires you to search for small side paths and seemingly insignificant caves, and keep an eye out for small rocky outcrops ascending or descending along steep slopes and deep ravines.
As you explore and map the world, you’ll come across more golden crosses marking the location of the god Miquella. He is the sensitive brother of the Red demigod Malenia, who you and a handful of enigmatic new characters are trying to track down. Among them are Leda, one of Miquella’s most loyal followers, Freya, a gladiator who fought alongside General Radahn, and the wise old Ansbach, who continues to serve Lord Mogh even after his death. The story is cryptic as ever, but like the main game, the world has a mythological weight that motivates you to figure out the motives of the various demigods and saints and their unseen cosmic influences.
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It wouldn’t be a FromSoftware product if exploring a vast, complicated world wasn’t accompanied by countless intense battles, and Shadow of the Erdtree is no exception. It’s not for nothing that the prerequisite for accessing the expansion is to have defeated the bosses Radahn and Mogh in the main game, and It is recommended to travel to the Kingdom of Shadows from around level 150for there lurk the deadliest enemies the Sinluz face.
One of the highlights of exploring a new FromSoftware game, in my opinion, is encountering unfamiliar bosses, so don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you. However, I can tell you that some of the bosses are some of the most cinematic FromSoftware has ever created and will push your skills to the limit. I would even go so far as to say that one of them is (optionally) Malenia’s level, while the final boss is even more challenging. And in the case of the final boss, I have to honestly admit that FromSoftware went too far. I burst out laughing when I saw how little respite I had between the boss’s incessant deadly attacks, all of which had long range and area damage.
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So don’t be ashamed to take any help you can. Masochists may insist on foregoing Spiritual Ashes, but it really feels like every boss is designed for you to make extensive use of them. Additionally, it’s important to thoroughly explore the Shadow Realm for new upgrade materials called Scadutree Shards and Revered Spirit Ashes. The former increases your own damage while reducing the damage you take from enemies, while the latter does the same to your Spiritual Ashes. These only work within the Shadow Realm and don’t trivialize the game’s main content. I highly recommend upgrading your Lightless as often as possible, because even with an almost fully upgraded character, regular monsters kill me in just a few hits.
Of course, spiritual ash and new upgrade materials aren’t the only things that will help you overcome the many dangers of the Shadow Realm. Countless new weapons and spells are waiting to be found and are one of the highlights of the expansion. With a whopping eight new weapon categories and a wealth of additions to existing ones, there’s something for every build imaginable, though some are more favored than others. It’s almost impossible for me to pick a favorite weapon, as I’m a huge fan of many of the new additions: brutal great katanas, elegant great lightsabers, Wolverine-style slashing claws, throwing axes, Messmer’s flame spears, and last but not least, The new martial arts weapons This allows you to perform punches, kidney punches, and flying kicks no matter how heavy the armor you are wearing.
Just when you think you’ve found the weapon of your dreams, you come across a new weapon you need to try out. And it will happen again and again, which is why you’ll frequently visit Renalla, the character in the main game who earns you respect. So it’s a bit frustrating that Larval Tears are still a limited resource. On the plus side, the expansion invites you to experiment with the many new weapons and is extremely generous when it comes to providing materials for weapon upgrades.
I’ve already mentioned the denser open-world design, but it would be a shame not to mention the new legacy dungeons as well. While the first dungeon, called Belurat, Tower Settlement, is “just” a rock-solid dungeon on par with those in the main game, the second legacy dungeon, Shadow Keep, is one of the best dungeons ever created. Seamlessly integrated into the world and featuring multiple entrances and exits, this spooky fortress combines the best elements of the developer’s previous medieval castles, towers and libraries with plenty of exciting platforming and a cool new concept for draining a flooded district.
It also doesn’t hurt that the new dungeons (as well as the Realm of Shadows itself) are visually stunning. Despite running on the same technology as the more than two-year-old Elden Ring game, you’ll marvel at the magnificent architecture and stunning viewpoints. It’s worth noting that despite its grim name, the Realm of Shadows also features bright and very adventurous areas, similar to Lyurnia of the Lakes from the main game. At the other end of the spectrum, we have a clearly Bloodborne-inspired horror zone that I’d recommend you play with earplugs.
Obviously, I’m having a hard time giving up on Shadow of the Erdtree. FromSoftware hasn’t reinvented itself with the expansion, but in my opinion it has created its best content yet from both an aesthetic and, more importantly, a design perspective. I’m a huge fan of the smaller but much more vertical and content-rich open world, which includes a highly immersive legacy dungeon, some of the most cinematic bosses in the developer’s history, and tons of cool new weapons. For 39.99 dollars, you get an expansion that’s better and more content-rich than most full-price games. It’s important to note, however, that the expansion isn’t for everyone. Not only does it have fairly strict entry requirements, but it’s also uncompromisingly designed for the most seasoned Souls veterans. If you’ve been frustrated by the base game’s difficulty level, you might be wondering if this is for you. If you like sweaty exploration and intense boss battles that push you to your limits, then you’re in for a truly unparalleled experience.
