The “first and last” DLC planned for Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree is a striking and challenging addition for players itching to step back into the Lands Between. The DLC fits neatly into the events of Elden Ring, but will require players to have beaten at least two of the Demigod children of the Marika the Eternal before they can advance into the new content. Specifically, Mohg the Lord of Blood and General Radahn need to have been feated for players to move on to the new realm. However, it’s recommended that players only venture into the Realm of Shadows once they’ve leveled up a considerable bit, as the challenges and story of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree that await them can easily become overwhelming for the unprepared.
Players will be brought to Empyrean Miquella, and a large coccoon with a withered arm sticking out of it. By touching the arm, the Tarnished are brought to the Realm of Shadow. Once there, players will be tasked with following in Miquella’s footsteps, encountering potential allies and countless enemies along the way. It’s an impressive and frankly massive expansion, more than justifying the two-year wait between the launch of the mainline game and the new Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Screen Rant got the opportunity to take part in a game preview event ahead of Shadow of the Erdtree‘s release on June 21, witnessing first-hand how darkly beautiful and staggeringly difficult the Elden Ring DLC is — and fans of the original game couldn’t be happier with the result.
Exploring The Realm Of Shadows In Elden Ring
Shadow of the Erdtree Is Larger Than Big Swaths Of Elden Ring
One of the appeals of Elden Ring in the first place was its open-ended nature, allowing players to venture into a dangerous world of their own volition. It’s clear from the Shadow of the Erdtree preview event that From Software and Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki recognize that strength in the original, leading to a truly massive space for players to explore. Described as one of the biggest expansions in From Software history, the Realm of Shadow is actually larger than Limgrave, which was one of the opening areas for players in the baseline Elden Ring.
There are several directions players can take across the map, requiring different approaches to combat as players discover more about the various factions and interlopers hoping to use the realm’s power to their advantage. This invites a great deal of exploration, with players encountering plenty of minor and major enemies throughout the fields of the Realm of Shadows. Secret tunnels will lead to winding caves, where players can find new weapons or hidden foes.
Venturing into the wilds will sometimes lead to useful discoveries, like Fragments that can be used to empower them within the Realm of Shadows specifically. Other discoveries can be far more imposing, such as a dragon hidden in the muck of a swamp or a towering fiery creature moving through the lands of its own accord. The visuals for Shadow of the Erdtree are perfectly in-tune with the previous game, melding a vast scope with horrifying creature design.
The result is an otherworldly vibe that feels even darker than what occurred in Elden Ring, albeit with enough flashes of color and awe to keep things from becoming overwhelmingly bleak. It’s a uniquely changing balancing act that From Software has pulled off, with much of the world and several of the enemies having an etherial beauty to them even while pushing players to their limits. The Elden Ring DLC is that rare beast that feels unique from the primary game while slotting into the experience easily. The sheer size of the Realm of Shadows makes it ideal for exploration and adds natural depth to the storyline.
Elden Ring’s DLC Includes Some Harrowing New Enemies
The Bosses Of Shadow of the Erdtree Will Test Even The Most Seasoned Elden Ring Players
As to be expected from an addition to the famously difficult Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree has plenty of difficult challenges that need to be overcome. It’s recommended players up their Vigor ahead of their adventures into the Shadow of the Erdtree. The challenges that can be encountered within the expansion are fearsome forces, ranging from creepy blobs hidden in jars to overwhelming dragons caught in murky swamps.
That’s to say nothing about the new boss fights, which can deploy some major damage to bring down unprepared players. There are ten new bosses for players to hunt down and dispatch across the Realm of Shadow. During the preview event, players were given the chance to encounter two — including the Dancing Lion, who is exactly the kind of challenging duel that Elden Ring players expect of From Software.
A powerful and speedy fighter that resembles a human/animal hybrid, the Dancing Lion can bombard players with lightning, wind, and ice elemental attacks. When that fails, the Dancing Lion also has a habit of lashing out and grabbing the player in its jaws before smashing them down to Earth for a serious amount of damage. The Dancing Lion is a great indicator of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree‘s approach to combat, as it remains as relentless and challenging as ever. Players will be forced to experiment with offensive approach and weaponry while trying to overcome these challenges, with the Dancing Lion’s speed and range neccesiting a mobile and consistent approach. For those players who can overcome this challenge though, there are plenty of rewards.
How Players Can Grow & Power Up In Elden Ring’s Realm Of Shadows
New Weapons, Artifacts, And Combat Styles Add New Layers To Elden Ring‘s Combat
It isn’t just new enemies that the Tarnished will find in the Realm of Shadows. The expansion includes several new NPC characters, weapons, and mystical artifacts for players to find. There are over a hundred new weapons to be found, which can expand the player’s combat options in some surprising ways. Some of these new tactics can include martial strikes (utilizing fast-paced punches and kicks) and dueling shields (which can be incorporated into both offensive and defensive play). Notably, these new armanants will be able to be brought back into the main Elden Ring game, giving players further incentive to explore the Realm of Shadow before returning to the Lands Between. Another useful attribute found in the Realm of Shadows is fragments, which can be used to upgrade the Tarnished while in the DLC areas.
These are crucial upgrades that will help players contend with the massive bosses that From Software have littered across the world. Otherwise, players should be prepared to be constantly dodging and moving to avoid the punishing blows from the dozens of new enemies awaiting them across the Realm of Shadows.
During the preview event, players got the chance to test of these fragments and could quickly tell how important this new attribute really. Inital battles with the Dancing Lion, for example, were short-lived and brutal. By contrast, a bit of exploration to find more of the fragments helped level the playing field. While the boss remained challenging, the Dancing Lion’s attacks stung a little less with these upgrades. It’s a natural way to encourage exploration on the part of the players, leading them further into the depths of the DLC.
Overall Impressions Of Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree
Exactly The Kind Of DLC Elden Ring Fans Have Been Praying For
For fans of Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree is exactly what they’ve been waiting over two years for. The sheer size and impressive ambition at the heart of the expansion speaks to the craft and care that went into building off of Elden Ring‘s critical and commercial success in 2022. The gameplay remains as tight and challenging as before, with new options available for creative players to use against the countless foes they come across during their journey. The visuals and enemies are attuned well with the older material, ensuring that players feel natural when they step back into the role of the Tarnished.
Elden Ring: The Shadow of the Erdtree is the kind of benchmark that all DLC should strive for, at times feeling like a full-blown follow-up to the original instead of just a minor addition. With the confirmation that Shadow of the Erdtree will be the only DLC released for Elden Ring in the foreseeable future, players couldn’t have asked for a more fitting expansion of the prior game. While it may not win over those who initially balked at the challenge of the prior game, fans of From Software will find plenty to love in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
