One of the biggest points of contention for players going through has been the DLC's crushing difficulty compared to the base game.
Enemies and bosses in deal extremely high damage, and have attack patterns that can be difficult to learn for many players, at some points even drawing comparisons to Malenia from the base game — certainly among 's hardest bosses, and widely considered to be one of, if not the most difficult boss in any FromSoftware game.
For most of 's bosses, however, one trick for making bosses easier might be flying under the radar. While the early Soulsborne games in FromSoftware's catalog, like and the first favored blocking and dodging relatively evenly, more recent games like and have significantly improved dodging, making it faster, more responsive, and less draining on stamina.
As a result, dodging has become the default way for many players to avoid attacks, with shields falling more and more to the wayside as the series has progressed.
With how some of the bosses in function, however, it might be time for some players to change tactics. Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is a victory lap for FromSoftware, bringing in elements from past games without losing what made it special. Blocking with a shield, especially a greatshield, can make certain bosses much easier to managein , putting players at less risk and giving them much more breathing room than if they relied purely on dodging every attack.