Elden Ring’s long awaited DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, has finally arrived, and it does not disappoint. It has been 845 days since the Tarnished set out to repair the Elden Ring and ascend to Elden Lord. Now, the journey continues with this action packed expansion.
Shadow of the Erdtree thrusts players into a new area the size of Limgrave, bringing fresh adventure filled with intense challenges, new bosses, weapons and rich lore.
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Journey in Shadow but not alone, Tarnished
To reach the Shadow Realm there are two requirements: defeat Mohg Lord of Blood and Starscourge Radahn. Two difficult bosses in the base game that only around 30% of players have actually beaten!
Once you achieve this feat, head to Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum (where you fought Mohg). Here, you can see Miquella’s slumped arm dangling from a cocoon. It turns out that Miquella has stripped himself of his flesh and journeyed to the Shadow Realm.
It is here we meet Needle Knight Leda. Leda is the Leader (hehe) of a group of loyal devotees to Miquella. Once you speak with her, she will grant you access to the Shadow Realm.
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Leda is just the first of many NPC devotees that you will come across on this new journey, each with their own storyline. They all share in their devotion to Miquella and are following his trail of flesh – sounds gruesome! However, it is represented by large golden crosses. Much nicer to look at! At each location, you can interact with the cross to learn what Miquella abandoned there.
The Devotees aren’t the only NPC inhabitants of this realm though. You’ll also encounter Count Ymir, a Glintstone Sorcerer residing in the Cathedral Of Manus Metyr. He belongs to a sect of cosmos worshippers, and his story is one that could be missed entirely. I highly recommend tracking this one down as it was well worth the outcome – even if it’s just for the new spell “Miriam’s Vanishing”, which allows you to teleport a short distance in a glintstone haze.
Shadow of the Erdtree’s NPCs, just like those in Elden Ring, provide just enough information to know where to go, but the “why?” is always hard to follow, making it difficult to navigate stories. While frustrating, I enjoy the cryptic nature and immersing myself in the lore of the world. It’s crucial to pay attention to every word!
It’s not for everyone, I know, but that’s where the classic message system comes into play. Since the beginning, players leaving each other cryptic messages offers a sense of community, all working together to solve riddles like ‘gesture here’ or ‘try attacking’.
First Steps, Tarnished
When first stepping into the Shadow Realm, you’ll find yourself surrounded by darkness, faced with a deep crevasse before you. As you venture through, a giant shadowy tree looms in the distance, subtly illuminated by a golden light that veils it in an ethereal glow. The plain that stands before you is littered with ghostly gravestones, setting a haunting and mysterious atmosphere.
These awe inspiring vistas are present all through Shadow of the Erdtree. Developers FromSoftware have, yet again, done an exceptional job with their level design.
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From the gravesite plains to the Cerulean Coast, with its waves of blue flowers and petals dancing in the rain, each new locale is simply a work of art.
Even with the smaller size of the DLC, there is still substantial variety in each new area. The narrow enclosed spaces of Belurat Tower Settlement and the lava soaked halls of the Ruined Forge stopped me in my tracks with their beauty.
Not only is the Shadow Realm a sight to behold, but the map plays heavily into more vertical traversal. Dead ends may not be dead ends, often you’ll just need to mountain goat it down a cliff face to reach the next destination.
I welcomed Torrent being more of the focus, as he truly is the GOAT of steeds. Spiritsprings are back to assist with traversal; however, many are sealed, requiring you to locate a stone cairn in the area to unlock them. This minor task helps to break up the gameplay and encourages exploration within the realm.
Equip thy self, Tarnished
The main draw for the DLC is all of the new weapons, spells, incantations and ashes on offer. I am happy to report, the new additions are top tier and some of FromSoftware’s best.
Every time I found a new weapon I wanted to respec and try it out. I was never one to min/max builds to peak efficiency, preferring to go with style and flair overall.
There’s eight new weapon types on offer: Great Katanas, backhand blades, light greatswords, perfume bottles, beast claws, hand-to-hand, thrusting shield and throwing blades.
The new categories all have stylish move sets to accompany them. I weilded a light greatsword in my main hand and the perfume bottle in my off-hand.
Milady was my sword of choice, with a move set that allowed you to dance around the enemies with slashes and piercing stabs. Ending each attack with a stylish pose, making flawless encounters just that much more epic.
The perfume bottle, the chosen weapon of the perfumers from the base game, allows you to spray the battlefield with various elements and then ignite them in a spectacle of explosions. I used fire to reset the frost build-up I had using Milady. It was an absolute blast to use them!
Shout out to the hand-to-hand weapons, which allows the Tarnished to fight with foot and fist, leaving me dreaming of a new monk run. FromSoftware NAILED these new weapons and I can’t wait to see what the community comes up with.
Spells, Spirits, Ashes, Incantations and More, Tarnished
Along with the new weapons, a plethora of new spells, incantations and Ashes of War have also been added. Each of these introduces a myriad of new playstyles and builds. Notably, we finally gain access to “Aspect of the Crucible: Wings”, the move used by Crucible Knights to rise up and sprout a golden pair of wings before slamming back down.
New spells, aside from the previously mentioned “Miriam’s Vanishing”, include “Rings of Spectral Light” and “Heal From Afar”. With new incantations such as Aspect of the Crucible Thorns and Watchful Spirit being added.
There isn’t a shortage of new things for your build! On top of all of that, there are also new Spirit Ashes to collect. My favorite among them has to be the Demi-human Swordsman Yosh.
It was like having my own Yoda (from Wish.com) as a summon as he dashed and teleported around the battlefield with his glowing blade.
Further to that, we also get access to new Crystal Tears, talismans and items.
Rise, Tarnished, and Fight!
The Shadow Realm isn’t just filled with new spells, weapons and items to discover. Players will also have plenty of new foes to try all these new toys out on.
The first of which you will notice as soon as you land in this new realm. The Furnace Golem, a giant flaming machine of war that can be seen from miles away.
On my first approach, the golem turned and kicked a hail of fiery rocks in my direction, taking me out instantly. These guys were not to be trifled with and I chose to come back later to take him on (successfully, might I add).
Plenty of new bosses are also in store for the player to tackle, some of which were an absolute spectacle to watch unfold on screen. Such as the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, a monstrous take on the traditional Chinese costume.
With command over wind, lightning and ice, the lion shifts between elements with a roar, invoking a raging storm. Despite their size, they can flit across the battlefield in the blink of an eye, keeping the player on their toes.
The bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree are a huge step up from the main game. Not all are equal though, with some offering less of a challenge and others (oh, man, others…) were a true test of endurance, patience and fortitude.
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It’s entirely possible I just got lucky too with the easy ones…
Some of the new additions will go down in Souls history (looking at you, Messmer) and overall the good outweighed the bad.
Gather Power, Tarnished
FromSoftware introduces a new progression path in the form of blessings to combat the new adversaries in Shadow of the Erdtree.
There are two types of blessings: Scadutree Blessings and Revered Spirit Ash Blessings. Scadutree Blessings increase damage dealt and reduce damage taken from enemies, acquired by gathering Scadutree fragments scattered throughout the shadow realm near Miquella’s Crosses. Revered Spirit Ash Blessings offer similar enhancements for your summons and steed Torrent, using Revered Spirit Ashes.
These blessings exclusively affect gameplay within the Shadow Realm and do not extend beyond it. Players can also earn runes and level up through traditional methods while in the Shadow Realm.
This new blessing system enables players to tackle challenges at varying levels of progression, accommodating both seasoned and newer players alike.
Conquer the Shadow Realm, Tarnished
The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC completely exceeded my expectations. For $54.95 AUD, the sheer volume of content rivals that of a standalone game.
After dedicating over 30 hours to the main story, I’ve only scratched the surface of what this DLC offers. I know there are countless secrets waiting to be unearthed in every corner of the realm.
I’m eagerly anticipating my return to the Shadow Realm to delve deeper into this epic expansion of Elden Ring.
Shadow of the Erdtree is releasing on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on June 21st.
Quest Daily Scores Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree:
9/10
A review copy of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
