Summary
It is clear that in the time sinceElden Ringwas first released in 2022, the developers at FromSoftware have learned a lot from their award-winning title. TheShadow of the ErdtreeDLC feels like a refinement of everything players loved about the base game while ironing out some of its criticisms in design and mechanics.
It’s a pretty big expansion,covering a massive areapacked with things to discover. Promotions before release compared its size to Limgrave, the game’s first area, but it feels like so much more, partly due to the varied landscape of the Shadow Lands. While the core loop remains mostly equal to before, the DLC improves and builds upon it in several ways.
1Lore
Builds On The History Of The Realm
RenownedGame of ThronesauthorGeorge R.R. Martincollaborated with FromSoftware to buildElden Ring’s world and overarching narrative. This blend of detailed writing and elusive presentation gives The Lands Between an authentic feeling, providing just as many questions as it does answers.Shadow of the Erdtreebuilds on many of the game’s mysteries.
The expansion explores aspects of the base game, telling more about its many characters and factions, with revelations that can change players' perspectives. The lore of the base game was already rich, but the DLC takes this to another level, answering countless questions while adding a few more for players to ponder.
2Story Accessibility
Easier-To-Follow Main Story And NPC Quests
As with most Soulsborne titles,Elden Ring’s story can be difficult to follow, especially its NPC quests. This is by design, encouraging players to pay close attention to dialogue, read item descriptions, and study the environment to understand what they’re fighting for. This can make the game more interesting, but the confusion sometimes does moreharm than good.
Partly down to the smaller size of the region, but also due to notes and maps left by characters, it’s a little easier to track down NPCs and continue their stories. Also, the DLC’s late-game access means players already understand the world’s more convoluted storytelling. The Shadow Lands is a more focused and accessible experience without abandoning the game’s identity.
3World Exploration
Dense And Vertical Map
The world ofElden Ringis amazing, with stunning vistas and careful design that tells stories with no dialogue or text. It’s also huge, covering a massive landmass that houses various domains and cultures. The Shadow Lands is smaller by comparison but manages to fit ahuge amount of contentwithout overwhelming the player.
Exploring is more streamlined, withholding the maps for new areas for longer and encouraging curiosity. Finding new areas always feels like a discovery, with the rocky landscape hiding vast areas from view or teasing interesting landmarks in out-of-reach places. The base game is not lacking here, but FromSoftware seems to have fine-tuned everything amazing about the Lands Between and injected it into the Lands of Shadow.
4Dungeon Variety
New And Interesting Dungeon Levels
One ofElden Ring’s biggest criticisms is the repetitive nature of the dungeons, with many sharing the same enemy types and bosses, providing little variety or reward. This has plagued FromSoftware’s level design for some time, with similar complaints about their Chalice dungeons inBloodborne. They’ve heard this feedback, as the DLC has made major improvements.
While some repetition persists, it never feels out of place or becomes boring. Mini-dungeons are less persistent than in The Lands Between, featuring more detail and creativity, with interesting enemies, puzzles, andunique bosses. Rewards are also more valuable, making these excursions a more worthwhile experience. This is also true for the Legacy Dungeons on a larger scale.
5Weapon Types
Brand-New Weapon Types And Animations
The base game already has a massive array of weapon types and spells for the Tarnished to use, and they are all implemented very well. They also generally stick to standard fantasy tropes, not covering much new ground. FromSoftware took this as an opportunity in the DLC, including several new weapon types that go beyond what players have come to expect.
New types include the interesting Backhand Blades, stylish Hand-to-Hand Arts, Light Greatswords, and more, as well as other weapons that build on mechanics in the base games, such as the various perfume bottles.These new toolsmake the combat more exciting in both PvE and PvP. They also flesh out the lore of the region where they’re found.
