Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is a large expansion for Elden Ring, released by FromSoftware in 2024, which takes the player to an entirely new area called the Land of Shadow, a fragment of the Lands Between tied to the story of the demigod Miquella, who was only a peripheral figure in the base game. The expansion follows on from the base game and is intended for advanced characters who have already completed the main story and defeated the key bosses. It offers its own extensive set of new bosses, enemies and equipment, matching a higher difficulty than the end of the base campaign.

In terms of play it is still an action RPG in the soulslike style, meaning careful planning of fights, reading enemy animations and gradually learning boss patterns through trial and error. However, Shadow of the Erdtree adds a new system of so-called Scadutree Fragments, with which the player gradually increases their resilience and damage in the new area specifically for the needs of the expansion, without affecting the character in the base game. The expansion also adds new weapons, spells and so-called Ash of War items, which broaden an already rich arsenal of ways to approach combat. As in the base game, the level design of the new area is interconnected and full of hidden paths, side characters and lore that picks up unresolved questions from the original story, especially around Miquella, his sister Malenia and their shared past.

Critics and players alike received the expansion as one of the most ambitious DLCs of recent years, comparable in scope to a standalone game rather than a classic add-on. Shadow of the Erdtree strongly reinforced the impression that FromSoftware can expand its already vast works with new content without easing the demands on the player or the intricacy of its level design. For Elden Ring fans it remains a must-visit after finishing the base game and one of the reasons they return to it years later.