Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Review

Ahh Elden Ring, welcome back. Winning GOTY awards quite unanimously in 2022, Elden Ring left such a mark on the industry, and now, its first and only DLC beckons.

DLCs are a From Software specialty. Whether it’s the trek to the Ringed City or even the Lovecraftian horror that is The Old Hunters, their DLCs are peak content, transformative experiences that are basically a new game altogether.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree continues the tradition, and is the biggest DLC yet from Miyazaki and the team, elevating the already majestic base game experience while uncovering more mysteries that further cement it as one of the best titles from the studio.

DLC of the Year?

The Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is, at its most basic definition, more Elden Ring. There are more places to explore, more enemies to die to, more weapons to master… there’s just more of everything that made Elden Ring such a fantastic title to begin with. That said, if you loved Elden Ring, you’re sure to love this DLC. If you didn’t like Elden Ring, well, this DLC probably won’t change your mind.

Nevertheless, FromSoftware has not just given the players a baseline experience but has gone above and beyond with 8 new weapon types, each with its distinct playstyles, a new playground teeming with discoveries, several new mainline bosses to conquer, and a whole new progression system exclusive to the new area.

There’s always that magic of the first playthrough, and if you’ve played any FromSoftware game before, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Within the first few days to a week, players will be going in blind and experiencing the wonder without any prior information, discussing tips and tricks, and unraveling the mystery with at the same time as the community. That said, we’ll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible so that you too can experience that magic.

A New Land

In Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, players will be greeted with a sprawling new region. Called the Land of Shadow, this area (and the DLC contents) can be accessed by interacting with Miquella’s hand after beating Radahn and Mohg, the only two requirements to access the DLC.

This new area is utterly majestic, with haunting views of a new territory to conquer. Spectral gravesites fill the area as a lone site of grace points to the next destination. The same sense of wonder is evident here as when the Tarnished first stepped into the world. Much like the Tree Sentinel, there’s a daunting and fiery optional boss right in the distance that will surely lure overconfident Tarnished to their deaths.

In the DLC, players will find a new item called a Scadutree Fragment, which can be turned in for Scadutree Blessings. The blessings will be your primary source of upgrades in the Land of Shadow, increasing your attack and defense while in this realm. Any benefits provided by these blessings won’t affect any content from the base game, effectively rendering this new progression system exclusive to this area.

Players will also be exposed to Revered Spirit Ashes, another form of blessing that’s applied to… you guessed it, Spirit Ashes. These boost the attack and defense of your Spirit Ashes, much like what the Scadutree Blessings do to you, allowing you to face off against the more formidable foes in this new realm. There are many more items that we won’t spoil for you, as the aforementioned magic of a From Software game is experiencing things for the very first time.

By this time, high-level characters will have full confidence in entering the Land of Shadow, but this new progression system provides another way for them to enhance their character, making the trek through the DLC contents meaningful and worthwhile, motivating further to explore every nook and cranny of the realm.

It’s great to see that FromSoftware did not settle with just throwing players into a new area and having them go through the same progression system from before. Instead, we get a totally new one that’s relevant to the setting and the lore of the current DLC and is, once again, such a joy to go through and explore.

The Land of Shadow will also play host to three new Legacy Dungeons and optional content that feature stunning art direction, sprawling level design, and treacherous enemies and bosses that will reward the bravest players. One legacy dungeon, Belurat, is a tower settlement infested with shadows of the dead and spider scorpions (yes, spider scorpions). These dungeons will test your patience, just like the ones from the base game, but they are ultimately rewarding and very satisfying to finish, maybe even more so because of the tough challenges ahead.

Weapons of war

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree offers new weapon types for Tarnished to master. While obtainable only in the new area, players are free to take them out into the world and use them to great effect. These weapons are not simple rehashed versions of current ones, but they offer nearly the same depth and precision, much like the weapons that came before them.

There are Throwing Axes that can be used from afar, and even the acrobatic Beast Claws that require close-range mastery due to their aggressive playstyle, closing the gap with every strike. The Reverse Grip Swords look like something straight out of a ninja setting, and even the Perfume Bottles, which douse enemies in deadly mist, is great against mobs.

A personal favorite, the Martial Arts, turns players into punching and kicking machines that pummel foes into submission. It’s a high-risk high-reward weapon that provides multi-hits and combos, and although the death toll has the tendency to rise when using this, it is extremely fun and satisfying to take down hulking beasts with just your fists a la Hoarah Loux sans the grapples.

There’s also the Light Greatsword, which, as the name suggests, is a faster and lighter version of the original and a weapon that could be the default favorite due to its range, quickness, and damage.

These weapons not only come with their own distinct playstyles but also with new skills as well. It’s a complete experience, and the amount of effort placed into ensuring they are not just rehashed pieces really highlights the wealth of content that this DLC has. I’m quite certain that the developers also created these weapons to see how far players would take them, and how much skill it would take to do some no-hit runs with these new arms.

Deathly foes

Of course, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree includes new enemies and bosses that you can use these weapons on, and they’re as deadly as the ones from the base game. These foes are meant to be taken on later in the game, since the requirement is to beat Mohg first, after all, so a challenge is to be expected.

In particular, one of the first bosses you’ll likely face, depending on how you go about things, is the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, a masked lion dancer that looks like one of those things you’d see at Chinese dragon festivals. This boss poses a tough problem for players and may be the first “wall” they encounter, harnessing various elemental skills consisting of sweeping ice, lightning, and wind attacks that cover large ground.

Melee-based characters may find trouble closing the gap due to its high maneuverability, and ranged artists could see trouble with their aim as the Dancing Lion circles the battlefield. The fact that it controls three different elements will see players scrambling to balance out resistances, but with enough deaths, patterns will surely arise and each element will have a telling weakness.

Boss and enemy designs in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree are amazing, and it only speaks to the world that FromSoftware has created for the game. The lore is rich with various discoveries that trickle in as you explore, and it paints an intriguing picture that gradually peels its mysterious facade.

As expected, the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC will also contain various items rich in lore that, should you be following the whole story between the Tarnished, Marika, Miquella, and the rest of the cast, will tie together a number of loose knots. As mentioned, no spoilers, but loreheads will definitely find a lot to deal with here.

Overall, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is more Elden Ring, and with a base game such as that, you can’t go wrong with how much of an experience is being added.

Verdict: Buy it!

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is quite reminiscent of other similar From Software DLCs like Bloodborne’s The Old Hunters, which adds meaty content and elevates the overall experience even further. Shadow of the Erdtree is a triumph for From Software, and if you thought that the Elden Ring experience could not be elevated, you are deathly wrong.

Between all of the additional content here that the DLC provides, there’s so much to see and do that can easily run you tens of hours, even hundreds, simply because of the difficulty level alone. That said, the content does not feel tacked on at all, and, true to From Software tradition, is weaved into the basic fabric of the game, consequently enriching the experience.

If it wasn’t evident, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is utterly fantastic, heart-wrenching, satisfying, fulfilling, and all emotions in between. Basically speaking, this is classic From Software at its best, and is a DLC that no one should miss.

*Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree was reviewed on a PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.