BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.
So please go in with caution
Throughout Elden Ring, families are at war, feuding and fighting over their right to control the Lands Between. As the player in Elden Ring, we needed to gather runes to become Elden lord, fighting through mythical beasts, and a possible existential crisis. Going into the DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree we see the characters and story from the first game evolve and create new meaning and powerful dynamics between the player character and the world around them.
A power dynamic of the ages:
Shadow of the Erdtree tells a story of strength, a yearning to belong in the world, abandonment, and fascist ideals. Throughout my time in the DLC it became apparent who Miquella truly was, hiding behind the guise of pretty words, and the curse of perpetual youth, is a covert narcissist and master manipulator. Miquella takes center stage in the DLC, wishing to ascend to godhood, escaping to the Realm of Shadow, and manipulating Mhog to get there. Seeing the story unfold from the main game to the DLC was special. From interacting with new NPC’s to new weapons, incantations, and talismans Shadow of the Erdtree enhances an already vibrant story and universe.
The story of the DLC is incredibly well done and enhances aspects, but simultaneously creates more questions. The ending left this cliffhanger of sorts, leaving me how I felt (to a degree) in Dark Souls 2, a bit unsatisfied. Miquella said in the final cut scene “if we honor our part of the vow”, which leads me to believe there is more to the story, and this isn’t the end of what Elden Ring is or has to offer. Looking at the ending as a whole, Elden Ring has players reading between the lines in this investigative way to piece together clues to formulate an answer. It’s why these games are as popular as they are. From Software creates worlds that preserve history, and don’t hold the player's hand, instead, they encourage exploration both of the map and mentally.
What’s new in the game?
One of the reasons I was excited to dive into Shadow of the Erdtree was to see all of the new goodies that have been implemented.
- 70 new weapons
- 10 new shields
- 39 new talismans
- 14 new sorceries
- 28 new incantations
- 20 new spirit ashes
- 25 new ashes of war
-30 new armor sets and new craftables
Yes, there is a lot and in all honesty, it will require a lot of time to acquire all of what is available to you. The options included in this DLC that are available to enhance the build you have and create new builds are endless! There is even the opportunity to create a sleep build, I know, pretty cool! The addition of Scaudetree and revered spirit ash blessings is so unique, something only utilized in the DLC, not the main game. Scaudetree blessings act as a boost to your damage dealt, and damage negation. Revered spirit ash blessings boost both torrent’s abilities and summoned spirits.
Everything’s better with multiplayer:
There are so many ways to play this game, to show off your personality through a play style, that I think this game is the best way to convey excitement in a uniquely original way that we don’t see much with a lot of multiplayer games. In multiplayer twirling around, utilizing gestures, or even fighting a random invader before a boss battle is something unique to the souls/souls-likes niche that no other game has. Rallying with your co-op partner, to bring upon the ever-most satisfying victory makes these games not just a game, but an experience. These games are meant to be played with people, they are meant to be a shared experience. So when some harp on others for the utilization of ashes, NPC summons, or the help of a friend, just know that the game isn’t supposed to be played a certain way, that’s what makes this game work so well. It’s an open book, a story that you can choose a multitude of ways to play and complete the game. Whether you’re a fundamentalist build, quality, or arcane play the way you want, not the way you’re told. You bought the game, no one should tell you how to play it.
The Age of Compassion:
There are a lot of beautiful things about this game, some things that could have been done better, and some choices that had me wondering why I saw certain things in the trailer that I did not see in the DLC. This game is breathtakingly beautiful, in some ways more so than the main game, even the NPC's voice acting was ramped up to 1000%. With all of the good that it has encapsulated in it, some things missed the mark. Leda, for example, was a very well-done character, that betrayal was worse than seeing Theon Greyjoy betray Robb Stark. But what stuck with me was her boss battle that I encountered with Dryleaf. That was the most anticlimactic boss out of the whole game, and while yes, utilizing a PVP feel for the boss was unique, it was not the boss battle Leda deserved. This was the only part of the game I felt truly had an issue. When it came to the very end of the game the music ramping up, invaders coming into my game to waste my resources, it was incredible heading into the "final act" per se. Experiencing the fight with Radahn 2.0 was sad, it was incredible and left me feeling icky because now we see Miquellas true character shine through. We always knew he was questionable, but now seeing how he manipulated Mohg, him becoming a vessel for Radahn to make a grand return was sad and yet the perfect way to end off the DLC. It’s not the age of darkness, nor is it the age of fire, but the age of compassion to bring about Miquellas fascist dictatorial reign on the lands between and the realm of shadow. This game answered so much and created new questions for me to mull over.
The realm of shadow is a place of hiding, an escape from the lands between those abandoned, lost, and searching for the meaning they desire. The game as a whole when it comes to the mechanics was fluid and had no hiccups. While I would recommend the PC version of Elden Ring, the version on Xbox Series X played amazing as well. With the main story taking me a little over 30 hours to complete, I would highly recommend diving into the DLC. The bosses are a manageable difficulty, absolutely gorgeous to look at, and the world is ripe with beauty and lore. Kindness is a beautiful thing, it breeds empathy which the world needs more of. In Shadow of the Erdtree, Miquella forces love and kindness on those around him taking away free will. At this point in the game's life, Elden Ring is fighting for the freedom of choice and free will.
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