The first and last Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is exactly what I wanted. It's what I imagine most everyone wanted. It is Elden Ring made new again. It is literally and figuratively transportive. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree whisks players to the Land of Shadow, a predictably oversized new map – FromSoftware just can't help itself – that presents a noticeably more punishing realm.
This is a full-fat throwback to 2022 when this mammoth open-world RPG first launched and we were all struck by its seemingly bottomless depth. It's clear that this DLC is going to take a long while to chew through, and even clearer that it will have a huge and lasting impact on the whole game.
The FromSoft special
I played Shadow of the Erdtree for three hours at a recent preview event hosted by publisher Bandai Namco, and from my first steps into the Land of Shadow, I immediately felt the newness and wanderlust and danger that I'd been missing. It's the feeling that I, like millions of other players, have been desperately, fruitlessly chasing with NG+ runs and new characters, all trying to recapture the wonder of that first playthrough and wring out another ounce of adventure. This being a DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree very obviously adds more content. But "more Elden Ring," as enticing as even that simple promise is, doesn't really capture my experience so far. This feels like a fiercer, more refined experience, and may well become the highlight of future NG+ playthroughs.
Just as Elden Ring built on everything FromSoftware learned through its previous dark fantasy RPGs, Shadow of the Erdtree seems to boil down, and double down, what made Elden Ring so enthralling. It delights in screwing with you. It has branching paths that lead to branching paths that lead to branching paths. Imposing castles squat in the distance, watching unblinkingly as you chop through legions of men, monsters, and monstrous men hoping to pry open those tempting far-off doors and find the really cool sword inside. It's got somber, bewildering, and sometimes even lovable characters, some of whom "like finding things" because "things bring joy to all," as my new favorite NPC informed me. It has god awful birds that would like to nest inside your esophagus, please. Great.
There are ambushes and giant scorpions and little scorpions and brilliant, recursive levels and locked doors and mysterious keys and the coolest weapons to ever split the air where a boss used to be but no longer is because it just swooped behind you and turned your insides into outsides. It is more Elden Ring, but Shadow of the Erdtree might also be the best that Elden Ring has to offer. The Land of Shadow is massive, stunningly varied in its atmosphere and themes, and likely denser than anywhere in the Lands Between. It was agonizing to force myself to blitz through these sprawling, thickly detailed areas in order to see as much as possible during the limited preview – like an ancient city legacy dungeon, and a staggering castle that somehow only qualifies as a mid-size dungeon. I could only explore a portion of the map – like a dog on a leash, forced to turn back by event staff making the rounds at the venue – but "larger than Limgrave" feels like it's underselling this thing.
My DLC journey started much like the main game: cantering cautiously through a field atop Torrent in search of new Sites of Grace, this time flanked by ashen ghouls and staring down one of the giant flaming wicker basket titans from the trailer. Yeah, they're just walking around. I soon found a key location for the Land of Shadow: the Three-Path Cross, an intersection between dungeons located near one of the crosses or "footsteps" of Miquella, a tragic lore figure brought to the forefront in this quasi-religious DLC.
It's at this crescent moon-like cross that the new mechanics begin piling on: by collecting branches found at these sites of Miquella – and possibly some other places, who knows – you can ramp up a special buff that increases the damage you deal and reduces the damage you take while in the Land of Shadow. There's a separate collectible to strengthen your spirit summons in a similar way, and you're going to want a lot of them both – or maybe you won't, and you'll reset these buffs to up the difficulty. But this is late-game content, and boy does it feel like it.
Bury me with this sword
We were given three level 150 characters to choose from in the preview. Following my standard rule for such events – when in doubt, choose the tanky class – I went with the knight equipped with full plate armor and a new sword called Milady. This is one of the light greatswords, and it's now one of my favorite weapons in the entire game. Light greatswords might be my favorite new weapon archetype too, but there is stiff competition.
Milady – I am never getting over that name either – feels incredible, a perfect balance of power, speed, and reach. It's like the Bloodhound's Fang crossed with a claymore, with a unique stance-based Ash of War capable of swift mid-range light combos and an impressive long-range heavy thrust. I had to force myself to put it down. Come on, Austin, you're supposed to sample all the new weapons here. At the time, I thought I'd struck gold with one of the better blades, but then every single weapon I tried after that was either promising or eyes-popping-out-of-my-head amazing.
There are "around 100" new weapons in the DLC and I fully expect them to redefine the entire game.
There's a special flamberge with a ridiculously long fire thrust that comes with its own enchantment. The fisticuffs martial arts weapon class is as fun, aggressive, and high-risk as it sounds – primed for monk role-playing. Similarly, new claws let you leap around with bestial flourish. Normal-looking spears and axes hide game-changing ranged attacks. One dagger has a throwing knife as a guard counter. Spiked dueling shields turn the best defense into a respectable offense. The appropriately named Backwards Blade is slick on its own, but really comes to life when you dual-wield it – a recurring theme for the DLC, with FromSoftware seemingly leaning into the popularity of paired weapons. There are "around 100" new weapons in the DLC and I fully expect them to redefine the entire game. I cannot wait to take them back into the Lands Between to bully some bosses.
FromSoftware wasn't kidding when it said the new weapons are a central draw. I didn't see everything, obviously, but it sure felt like every build and playstyle is catered to, including all schools of magic thanks to reams of powerful spells. A small, slow-moving wisp of holy light that becomes a 10-foot explosion on contact. A miniature black hole that corrals enemies and then ruptures. Sprint toward enemies with fistfuls of gunpowder and chuck fireworks right up their nose. Even ranged weapons get some love, with the full-auto crossbow living up to the promise of the words "full-auto crossbow."
Nevermind, these guys will bury me
Here comes the other shoe: enemies and bosses are a lot stronger, too. Which is, of course, also terrific news. Even at level 150 – granted, on an unfamiliar build missing several items and spells that I consider essential – the Land of Shadow felt utterly unforgiving. It goes without saying that I died a lot. I'd be worried if I hadn't. There are multiple normal enemies that would destroy most dungeon bosses in the Lands Between, and the two major Remembrance bosses that I beat were equal parts epic and intimidating. Imagine an extended version of the main game's final four bosses.
The dancing lion shown off in multiple trailers felt almost like a Monster Hunter boss, weaving in bites and tail swipes between shifting elemental attacks. It took me a bit to learn how to handle its onslaught and find openings to counter, from blocking stones to jumping over lasers. The other boss, the knight Rellana, is my new favorite fight in the entire game and earned her own separate article, plus her Remembrance can be traded for what might be my new favorite FromSoftware weapon of all time. I also defeated a dragon out in the open world, but it felt exactly like the dragons already in Elden Ring apart from breathing a different color of fire. This was in the final 10 minutes of my session, and frankly I welcomed the familiar fight.
It's back, folks: the cold-sweat thrill of orchestral drummers and organists pounding your ears from the outside while your racing heart rattles you from the inside. Flasks empty, hands shaking, the boss stubbornly rallying at 10% HP after yet another phase shift. Just die for god's sake. You finally get the win with a ballsy charge attack that by rights should've gotten you killed. Close enough for jazz. Man. Nobody does this like FromSoftware, and this is some of the studio's best work. There are over 10 new bosses in the Land of Shadow, and I need to see them all pronto.
In three hours, Shadow of the Erdtree rekindled my appetite for Elden Ring. As soon as I got home from the preview event, I was back on my level 200 spell swordsman, scouring the world for upgrade materials to make absolutely certain that I'm prepared to max out all the cool stuff awaiting in the Land of Shadow. It's demonstrably larger than the DLCs for the likes of Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne. For all intents and purposes, it almost feels like a new, small FromSoftware game is coming out. Shadow of the Erdtree will inevitably be a lot shorter, sure, but possibly even sweeter.
