4/5 ★ – bokonon764's review of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

Another damn good expansion from the masters at FromSoftware. It’s not the best DLC I’ve played from the the studio, but it’s quality, and exactly what it needs to be: a second helping of a fantastic game. In From fashion, the access to the DLC map is hidden in a late game area. There is a way to access it earlier, but at least two of the base games tough boss encounters have to be bested first. The map is a pretty good size, it’s probably close in size to the Altus Plateau area, if not bigger. The map is also layered, it’s amazing how much there is to explore in such a compact space. There’s a handful of caves/catacombs to explore, abandoned towns, and 3-4 big legacy dungeons. There are lots of new enemy types and some rad bosses as well. It seems like Messmer and Rellana became Elden Ring legends the day the DLC dropped. But not that weird finger thing, fuck that guy. Also, I never thought a dragon boss could be tougher than Darkeater Midir, but I was wrong. One of the coolest NPC fights in any FromSoftware game comes as a penultimate fight in Shadow of the Erdtree, cranking the drama up to eleven, as seemingly friendly NPCs begin to attack you. There were not a lot of weapons from the DLC that I wanted to try, maybe that’s just a personal preference, or none of them jumped out at me. There are quite a few new weapons, as well as spells, incantations, and armor. There’s new consumables, like giant pots, which are both hilarious and effective, as well as perfume weapons, finally allowing a true “perfumer” build. The major failing of Shadow of the Erdtree is its third act: the Ancient Ruins of Rauh area, the last dungeon, Enir-Ilim, and the final boss. It’s all just a bit of a letdown. After such a strong DLC with cool new characters, locales that feel fresh, and challenging, unique boss fights, the third act felt a little lackluster. Without giving it away, the final boss is a character you’ve already fought, which is fuckin lame. Also it’s stupid fucking hard, I tried it 15-20 times until I ultimately deleted the game. It just felt like there was no learning curve and I wasn’t having an ounce of fun. So they remain undefeated. It hurts, but it’s just a game. There’s certainly a sadness knowing that this is actually the end of Elden Ring. Sure, I may go back and take another crack at those endgame bosses, but I have seen all there is to to see in the Lands Between. Im sure FromSoftware will make a sequel, because they probably like money, but it won’t be the same. Elden Ring is truly a wonderful experience, and the DLC certainly came through, despite my nitpicks and my eventual abandonment. If you loved Elden Ring, you’ll love the expansion.