Out of the shadows and into the fight.
Elden Ring became a cultural phenomenon when it was released back in 2022 and would later go on to win Game of the Year at nearly every award show and publication. Despite From Sofware’s pedigree and increasing popularity, their titles have been largely enjoyed exclusively by their own fan base. While previous games have been popular, especially with that of Bloodborne and Sekiro, Elden Ring was more than that, it had become a worldwide obsession.
During the past two years, we’ve seen people adventure through the game with nothing more than a dance mat, a literal harp, to even a series of banana’s fashioned into a controller. Then there was the individual named “let me solo her” that would make short work of the game’s most notorious encounter and become a viral hero to thousands of tarnished souls. Those who had ignored or rejected this type of game were joining into the fray in droves, slashing and dodging, and summoning their way to victory; with many making Elden Ring their first completed From Sofware title. Elden Ring was a mainstream success story that we may never see replicated in that same way again.
When it was time to dive back into the Lands Between, it would be interesting to see what From Software would have in store for us given many had seen every corner of this map and defeated every foe that would dare cross our path. This was to say nothing of maxing out your reliable kit and host of summons. So when Shadows of the Erdtree was announced, and that we would embark on a whole new adventure in a whole new land, many were already attempting to put the pieces together regarding just what exactly and who we would be taking on, given how the events of the previous game had wrapped up.
While you don’t need to have become Elden Lord or have seen the final encounter to its conclusion to embark on this new quest, you do have to have at least conquered Radahn and Mohg, the Lord of Blood. In fact, you’ll begin this journey at the very place where Mohg will have fallen to your blade, interacting with a hand draped out of a cocoon. A hand that belongs to Miquella, the brother to Malenia, that notorious boss I mentioned just before. Miquella was cursed to be perpetually a youth which then saw the young man create the Haligtree to allow himself to grow into adulthood. It would also allow him to purge the rot from his sister, as he would discover that the Golden Order was unable to cure her themselves.
However, before Miquella could realize the Haligrtee’s full potential, Mohg, the Lord of Blood would then take the young man via that cocoon form and attempt to elevate them to godhood and see the Lord of Blood himself then placed as Miquella’s consort. However, the connection between Mohg and Miquella would deepen in other ways as Miquella would use the blood of Mohg, whom you have just slain, to enter the Realm of Shadow in search of someone called the Promised Lord.
The Realm of Shadow itself has deep lore implications and more as you explore and try to understand Miquella’s intentions, especially as you confront the son of Marika, the very man on the cover of the game, Messmer. As you push through this expansion, you’ll encounter Miquella’s generals and get a sense of just what exactly is going on, following in the footsteps of Miquella before you eventually come face to face with their supposed “Promised Lord”, a force so dominating and brutal that even veterans of the genre initially struggled with them.
The story of Shadows of the Erdtree is told in the same manner as the base game; through cryptic conversations with NPCs, the few cutscenes you’ll engage with, and the countless items that have deep lore baked into them. It’s the same delivery method as before, so it’s handled in that same cryptic and mysterious fashion that some players have enjoyed and others have been left scratching their heads as to what it all means. However, for as impenetrable as the narrative may seem to some, it nonetheless has the community working together to truly understand the intricacies of the lore and the connections between all of its cast of similarly named characters.
As many will start this expansion well into a fully stacked character, as I did with a level 240 tarnished, the Land of Shadow has other plans for that progress. While your runes will have some sense of power to wield and assist you here, you’ll need to track down Shadow Realm Blessings to graft power to all that you are. Scadutree Fragments, which are pronounced in Old English as “Shadow” Fragments, will dictate how much damage you deal as well as how much you can take in return. Revered Spirit Ash is similar in its effectiveness but is tailored towards your Spirit Ashes, such as the Mimic Tear, as well as giving a bit of power to your noble steed, Torrent. These objects of power are prizes to be won from notable enemies as well as found within the world as you explore. In fact, one area guarded by a certain commander holds several of them just laying about, basking in the light of the Erdtree.
These blessings are then spent at Sites of Grace as you’ll need several of them to level up. Initially, when Shadow of the Erdtree released, many found the expansion too difficult, and while that at times remains true, it is the procurement of these items where you’ll find that challenge starts to balance off; at least to a point. In fact, when I approached a key boss, one of the few that are tied to the central story, I was Scadturee level 9. Returning to them at level 12 saw me able to take far more abuse and as I continued to also level up via the Revered Spirit Ash, my Mimic Tear was then able to hold their own as well. This sense of building back up is crucial to Elden Ring’s structure as the challenge to overcome its dangers is part and parcel to the experience. You started Elden Ring as a weak tarnished, and the same is true here as you step foot into this strange and beautiful land.
Part of this additional difficulty comes in the form of a few key bosses, each having a parade of overly aggressive maneuvers that result in having to adapt in ways similar to learning the patterns to previous bosses. While a few new enemy types can equally bring the heat, a few of the new bosses are a nightmare, coming across as being more cheap than naturally difficult. That certain commander I mentioned before? While the fight is largely basic, there are several moments where you feel you clearly dodged or evaded their attacks, only for a wealth of different strikes to feel as if they should not have connected, especially getting hit through a nearby wall. Some bosses also dash for the doorway as soon as you pass through the fog wall, giving you next to no time to summon or attempt to even see them, given the low nature of the camera as you pass through into the arena, and before you have control of your character again. While several bosses are more than fair in their challenge, some feel tuned a bit too aggressive.
While several veteran players detest the use of summons, calling it “cheating” as you rely on them, even if creator, Hidetaka Miyazaki, has fully endorsed their use. I mean, why else would they be in the game if not to use them? Their use is nonetheless restricted far more here than that of the base game. Hell, even some of the minor bosses and a second attempt at an early one, will flat out deny their use. As you explore the Land of Shadow, you’ll find few locations that allow their use, with small settlements and encampments allowing them, but rarely providing enough challenge to make them useful. In a lot of ways, it felt as if their use was dictated by the way the wind blows. It's a blizzard choice given co-op is allowed nearly everywhere, albeit with the same issues of having to resummon your companion after every major battle, something that continues to be a puzzling choice, especially with Lords of the Fallen setting the standard for co-op in a Soulslike and that of the “Seamless Co-op” mod being wildly popular on the Steam version of Elden Ring.
In the base game, the Lands Between were a treasure trove of secrets, hideaways, and breeding grounds for challenge. Dangerous foes lurked to keep you on your toes and weapons, armor, and various trinkets to keep you alive were found around nearly every corner. From Software had created a world that was begging to be explored, a land so vast and varied that off-the-beaten-path exploration was constantly rewarded with a new boss or events that contributed to your own story, finding adventures that often felt written exclusively for you. While the Land of Shadow is a sizeable offering, it is considerably smaller than the land we’ve already explored to its fullest but is also particularly dense and stuffed with dozens of hours of content that it feels like a more focused playground that features more than enough reasons to explore it.
From the haunting gravestones scattered across the Gravesite Plains to the gorgeous blue flowers that radiant the Cerulean Coast, to the moody and fogged-filled forests of the Abyssal Woods, each and every new location is a wonderment of design and setting, locations that set the tone, mood, and dread that builds within you. Elden Ring itself was aesthetically pleasing without being a graphical powerhouse, proving that art design triumphs over raw graphical fidelity any day of the week. And yet while it produced some of the most incredible locations that live and breathe atmosphere, Shadow of the Erdtree produces a series of awe-inspiring locations that each feel unique and not just leftovers from the base adventure.
What is even more noticeable is the elevation of the entire map, the layers from its lowest lows to its highest highs are staggering. You’ll be exhausting portions of the map only to discover additional ways to dig deep underground or unlock spirit springs to leap high up into the air, once you’ve been able to determine what tool is required to do so as a few are initially locked down. What appears to be a simple method of traversing northeast to one of a few finger ruins, is a labyrinth of tunnels and ladders that will certainly test your skills of navigation, let alone the series of invisible walls and gesture-locked passageways that will reward your curiosity.
Upon writing this review, I’ve defeated all but one of the currently discovered encounters, missing that single fight due to missing out on a key moment relative to them that isn’t initially obvious. However, by completing the expansion and vaquishing the final boss, their presence is no longer viable to me, meaning I have missed out on said encounter unless I join a friend’s game or reset my progress and venture into newgame+, an act I have no desire to take on. And based on various guides and walkthroughs, I’m missing four sites of grace, an omission that I’ll be working on resolving as I continue to track down each and every Scadutree Fragment and Revered Spirit Ash. As was the case with the base game, I intend on collecting everything the game has on offer, from every trinket to magical spell, to its weapons and armor that introduces new variety to your equipment.
Shadow of the Erdtree has a ton of new weapons, armor, talismans, summons, spells, and more to collect, allowing the creation of new builds to flourish. With over 100 new weapons and eight new weapon types, there is a lot to wield, upgrade, and master. From perfume bottles to hand-to-hand combat, you also have reverse hand swords and thrusting shields to try out, some of which have resulted in nearly broken builds that are racking up millions of hits on Youtube. In fact, my first set of “claws” was from a man named Logur who almost feels as if he is some sort of play on Wolverine. Despite his close-range capability, his speed and agility were no joke. And once I claimed those claws as my own, their LT strike was a berserker barrage of flurry swipes that were incredibly effective.
While Shadow of the Erdtree is a familiar experience to that of the base game, Elden Ring was a damn near masterpiece of its own. This 60+ hour adventure to conquer its lands, to vanquish every beast, and to add to your ever-growing collection of weapons, armor, and summons, is certainly worth your time and money. Several of the game’s new encounters are among the title’s best, offering battles that will test you in ways most players wanted from the base experience. Shadow of the Erdtree joins the list of being one of the best expansions ever made, an adventure so epic and vast that you’ll continue to write your story in ways that feel as if this adventure is something you are the first to discover.
Developer - From Software. Publisher - Bandai Namco Entertainment. Released - June 21st, 2024. Available On - Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4/PS5, PC. Rated - (M) Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence. Platform Reviewed - Xbox Series X. Review Access - Elden Ring and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree were both purchased for review.
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.