Bleak. Dark. Grim. Oppressive. Lovecraftian. Pick any depressing adjective to evoke the FromSoft vibe. But fans know the occasional reprieve and breathtaking vista are more than enough to keep them hanging out in dank catacombs for hours in between.
In Elden Ring‘s muscular and thrilling new addition Shadow of The Erdtree, the air of the world’s setting, The Land of Shadow, betrays its name. Despite being a realm ravaged by a secret war and deprived of the favor of the gods in charge, the overall environment feels cleaner. The Land of Shadow may be perpetually dim, but its landscape, flora & fauna, and population have a spark of hope that their counterparts in the Lands Between lacked.
You could chalk it up to me — a seasoned player with a high-level character — simply losing a little of the trepidation FromSoft games deal in. But that’s not it. Truly, the average bit of dialogue or motivation for a quest line in this DLC is as close to playful as you’ll ever see these games get. In particular, I am a fan of how all followers of the realm’s deity, Miquella, give him the epithet “The Kind.” I know that if you’re a lore diver, that title comes off as facetious. Yet, The Land of Shadow (for all it’s brutal difficulty) feels more relaxed than the base game. Regardless of my seasoned character, exploration on the new map is much calmer. Overworld conflict is easy to see coming from a safe way off. Strengthening materials and fun, new equipment are generously scattered throughout. And for the first time in any FromSoft game, you’re in a realm that feels like things are about to get better.
On balance, Shadow of The Erdtree‘s extreme challenge is more than offset by its more peaceful aura. Of course that’s relative to FromSoft’s scale, which starts on “abject terror” and ends on “I think we’re safe for now”.
How would you describe Shadow of the Erdtree‘s tone? Are you navigating its challenges? Give us your Scadu travelogue in the comments or over at the Boss Rush discord.
Featured Image: Bandai Namco
The Boss Rush Podcast – The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, Stephanie, LeRon, and their friends from around the internet come together with other creators, developers, and industry veterans to talk about games they’ve been playing, discuss video game and entertainment based topics, and answer questions solicited on social media and the community Discord.
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