Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is already wiping the floor with me

digitaltrends.com:

This story is part of our Summer Gaming Marathon series.

Elden Ring was unanimously 2022’s Game of the Year. While many other fantastic games were released throughout the year, Elden Ring shut down all competition when it dropped in early March. It swept at awards shows and even landed a Game of the Year spot here on Digital Trends. It was the undisputed champ. Two years later, it’s now getting the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. If a DLC ever had a chance at winning the top prize at The Game Awards, it could be this one.

Ahead of its June 21 release, I spent three hours with a hands-on preview of Shadow of the Erdtree. While it doesn’t offer anything drastically different from the base game, it’s still more of the same Elden Ring you love. It has an excellent atmosphere, fun exploration, and difficult bosses. More of the same isn’t a bad thing when that “same” is as beloved as this.

Return to the Lands Between

For those looking to pop in right on June 21, Bandai Namco clarified that players will need to have already beaten the bosses Starscourage Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood in order to access the expansion. Additionally, there are over 100 new weapons, some of which are not found in the base game.

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The demo allowed me to pick between three different builds: warrior, knight, and sorcerer. While I typically like to fight from afar with magic, I picked the knight this time due to its straightforward playstyle. The demo generously provided me with a variety of weapons in my inventory. I decided to go with a new two-handed sword called the Fire Knight’s Keen Greatsword due to its strength and ability to light enemies ablaze.

Quite fitting for a game where you die often, the opening area in the Realm of Shadow is filled with transparent gravestones