Shadow of The Erd Tree has finally arrived over two years after Elden Ring‘s release. And it’s safe to say the wait was worth it.

Acting like a condensed version of the base game, the playable area is smaller but is packed with secrets and bosses.

It’s another difficult adventure that finds a way to build on the already difficult base game in surprising ways.

Following a focused story about how and why the demi-god Miquella has arrived in the Land of Shadow.

Bringing in new areas, challenges and weapons to gather. The DLC can feel just as endless as the base game.

Demi-gods and monsters

Image credit: Bandai Namco

It’s hard to begin talking about how huge Shadow of The Erdtree truly is. After over thirty hours I’ve just barely scartched the surface of it’s expansive beauty.

Beginning the DLC is a challenge itself, the player is required to beat two of the base games hardest bosses. Those being Star Scourge Radhan and Mohg, Lord of Blood.

After accomplishing this difficult task, the player must touch the withered arm of Miquella to be transported to the mysterious Land of Shadow.

This way of entering the DLC falls in line with From Soft’s previous games. Including the daft entrance to Bloodborne‘s DLC.

Once the player takes their first steps in the Land of Shadow, it’s clear this experience will be far darker and more taxing than what they’ve already gone through.

The Beauty of the Land Between’s Erd Tree is far behind you. What’s left is the dim towering glow of the Scadutree, casting shadows across the scorched land.

It’s equally as beautiful, but it creates a stark contrast from the get go.

Contrast defines the visual story telling of SOTE. The churches that acted as safe havens in the Lands Between are now host to devout followers of the forgotten Demi-God, Messmer.

Messmer the Impaler is the poster child for the DLC, but his defeat comes only halfway into the experience.

From Soft have done a great job tricking their audience into believing many things over the last two year since Elden Ring launched.

SOTE lays the bloody truth bare for all to see, and it’s not pretty.

But a lot of player don’t really care for From’s large scale stories, which is completly valid, so From has included a lot for these players to enjoy.

Bringing in eight new weapon categories, some of which being; light great swords, beast claws, martial arts and throwable weapons.

Each category has multiple weapons that fit a varied range of builds, whilst allowing the creation of new builds dedicated to them.

Caves, cliffs and poison swamps

Image credit: Bandai Namco

Exploration remains one of Elden Ring’s best qualities throughout the players journey through the Land of Shadow.

The smaller map has been cut down to five major zones, each bringing a completely different landscape from the last.

Starting from the open land of the grave site planes before getting lost in the horrors of the Abyss was one of the best moments of my playthrough.

Verticality has been pushed this time around. The first Legacy Dungeon area, Belurat, is built up high. You’ll constantly be looking for a stair case or ladder to help you ascend it’s freighting heights.

Similar to the base game, most of the land doesn’t need to explored to “beat” the game. But these optional areas hold some of the DLC’s greatest moments.

The rewards for exploring make it all the more enticing to scour every nook and cranny of the Land of Shadow.

A new levelling system has been implemented to stop players with over level three hundred characters steam rolling through the experience.

Across the land two new items have been scattered. These being Scadutree fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes.

Scadutree fragments boost how much damage you can take and dish out, whereas Revered Spirit Ashes amp up the power of spirit summons.

Hunting for both items will make the difficult experience of the DLC feel slightly less impossible.

Prepare to lose a couple hundred times

Image credit: Bandai Namco

Difficulty is what From Soft games have come to be known for. They have always been able to craft difficult games, but every challenge comes with a number of solutions.

Much of the discourse around SOTE is about the difficulty.

Every From Soft game is difficult, wo it’s not surprising many people have found SOTE difficult.

It is far harder than the base game. But with the amount of items given to the player to aid them on their journey, it can become easier.

The DLC brings eighty bosses for the player to fight, including ten remembrance bosses that function as key fights.

There are a good few bosses re-used from the base game; often coming with one or two new moves to throw the player off.

The new bosses steal the show. From the stunning fight with Messmer the Impaler to the jaw dropping final boss that caps off the experience perfectly, they all pack a serious punch.

However, there is one boss that stands out as feeling “unfair” for many people, including myself.

Without spoiling the fight, it’s a boss riding an animal in an open field. Many of his attacks don’t match the animations making the fight more luck based than any other.

It can be argued the sense of accomplishment that comes from beating these new threats justifies their difficulty. I couldn’t agree more.

This argument truly comes into play when the player finds the final boss. It’s a fight of endurance that’ll cost you your sanity and hours of your time.

I died over seventy times alone to it, and I was happy the entire time.

If you were able to beat Malenia and many of From Soft’s other difficult bosses, the final fight of SOTE won’t be as bad as you think.

No reading requiered

Image credit: Bandai Namco

As previously mentioned, the story for the DLC is far easier to follow than that of the base game. It follows familiar characters but flips previously established facts on their head.

Throughout your journey you’ll stumble into followers of Miquella, each person coming from different backgrounds and allegiances. But they are united in their search for the Demi-God who wishes for a gentle future.

When talking to them, each follower gives the player information to help build the bigger picture of who Miquella is and what’s really going on.

These followers are also the only friendly faces within the Land of Shadow, which makes them feel comforting when you run into them during exploration.

The followers are often found gathered around crosses Miquella left, marking his own journey and also working as a handy reminder to players that they are moving in the right direction.

There is still a lot of hidden information within item descriptions to be found, however it’s not necessary to understand the story.

Enviroments also tell their own stories of a war that has long passed, allowing the player to draw their own conclusions about what happend in this land.

Goodbye Elden Ring

Image credit: Bandai Namco

SOTE is truly a spectacle and is unlike any other DLC that has ever been made.

Almost functioning as an Elden Ring 1.5, rather than a straight forward DLC. The amount of content feels almost endless.

It’s also the last piece of major content that will be released for Elden Ring. Bittersweet, but incredibly exciting as speculation starts to pick up on what From Soft has got planned next.

It has never been a better time to be an Elden Ring fan. Whether your new to the game, or returning after a long break, SOTE is a must play.

Featured image credit: Bandai Namco