It’s time to return to Elden Ring

polygon.com:

Elden Ring developer FromSoftware recently announced details on the game’s highly anticipated expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. This meaty new addition to the role-playing game’s already massive open world will arrive this June, letting players visit an unexplored region known as the Land of Shadow. Like FromSoftware’s past expansions, expect challenging new bosses to battle and powerful new weapons and abilities to wield.

June is a long way away, though, especially when viewed from the perspective of waiting for new Elden Ring content. But in terms of getting your Tarnished ready and reorienting yourself in the world, there’s no time like the present to revisit the base game. Take a hint from the tens of thousands of players, according to Steam Charts, who have returned to the game over the past month: It’s high time to return to the Lands Between.

I jumped back into the game just a few days after February’s announcement of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree for a few reasons:

Returning to Elden Ring and starting with a new character helped me remember a few things. The early hours of the game can be grueling, even if Limgrave, the first area, is enjoyable to explore on the back of your steed, Torrent. Battling tough enemies like the Tree Sentinel and Margit, the Fell Omen were especially punishing at low levels with the lousy equipment of my new character. I needed to, once again, get good.

The best reason for returning to an old game like Elden Ring is rediscovering — and in some cases, discovering for the first time — its many layers and secrets. During this new playthrough, I found a Crystal Tear I hadn’t encountered in my previous 200 hours with the game. What’s more, I had barely paid attention to Elden Ring lore as I hurriedly played through the game initially for review. This time, I actually listened to the dialogue dispensed by Melina, Ranni the Witch, and others, so I could be better prepared for whatever story beats await in Shadow of the Erdtree. I’m