Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Review

mmorpg.com:

When Elden Ring released in 2022, I was a bit apprehensive at first. I’m typically not a fan of FromSoftware’s games; not because I don’t like challenging single-player content but I often find the slower pace combined with frustrating boss mechanics to simply not be fun. That being said, Elden Ring ended up as my game of the year in 2022, and I still think it’s the best open world game ever created. With that in mind, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree expands upon almost everything from the main game and makes it even better.

Shadow of the Erdtree

The entirety of Elden Ring’s expansion takes place in The Land of Shadow, the birthplace of Queen Marika, with Kindly Miquella (in spirit) and his entourage of followers guiding the Tarnished throughout. While Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree are said to take place concurrently, the latter does feel more like an expansion than a typical side quest DLC.

For starters, Shadow of the Erdtree is incredibly difficult. Nearly every major, and most minor, boss is a formidable opponent with a few even surpassing that of Malenia who was previously considered one of the most difficult bosses ever created. While being a high level alone won’t help too much in progressing through the DLC, having access to a variety of weapon builds and extra health or stamina certainly doesn’t hurt.

Another issue is that the requirements to enter the DLC require either completing two specific quests or having progressed significantly in Elden Ring. In order to access The Land of Shadow, the Tarnished must slay Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood then interact with Miquella’s cocoon. Radahn can be fought after starting the festival by gaining access to the Altus Plateau and a portal to Mohg is found in the Consecrated Snowfield, however, players can fast track both of these events by completing quests for Ranni and Varre.

With those things in mind, I highly recommend completing Elden Ring and starting a New Game+ before venturing into Shadow