Game news Elden Ring DLC: “Shadow of the Erdtree will be awesome for sure”, FromSoftware’s past speaks for itself
After a year of waiting, Shadow of the Erdtree, Elden Ring DLC, has finally been revealed in a trailer! This isn’t the first time that FromSoftware has embarked on an ambitious content addition, and given the studio’s CV, we can already tell you, we’re pretty sure that this expansion will be great.
FromSoftware and the “Souls” DLCs, it’s a great love story! A story that dates back to the most iconic episode of the series, Dark Souls, released in 2011 on PS3 | Xbox 360. At the time, the PC version was not yet on the agenda – and it was the latter which would encourage the studio to create the addition of Artorias of the Abyss content which was taking place 200-300 years before the events of the base game: “We never considered creating downloadable content”explains Daisuke Uchi, producer, in the columns of Digital Spy. “Everything was decided and discussed after the console version was released… due to the online petition for the PC version.” The petition in question gathered 70,000 signatures in one week and reached the ears of Namco Bandai, the publisher of Dark Souls.
And six months later, “Dark Souls Prepare To Die Edition” is announced for release in August 2012. FromSoftware’s masterpiece thus arrives on PC and it is clearly not empty-handed. On the program: an additional chapter dedicated to the Black Knight of Artorias and a more complete PvP mode (which will become a tradition for the franchise). Everything will arrive in October on PS3 | Xbox 360, and the critics are over the moon. “If you are a Dark Souls fan, you need to buy this DLC right away,” writes Gamer Limit. On Metacritic, the expansion receives an 89/100, like the original title.
Take the experience further
Therefore, in the wake of a game design that was not too bad for the time (the messages left on the ground by other players; the invasion system), FromSoftware does nothing like everyone else for its DLC. No flashing message for Artorias of the Abyss on the title screen, you will have to find the entrance to the added content on your own – hidden at the bottom of the “Noiresouche Basin”. An area that can be discovered early in the adventure – provided you have the Passe-partout – but which is clearly not reserved for the first comer! In fact, the secrets of the Dark Knight of Artorias are even recommended for those who are about to finish Dark Souls. After all, it’s not for nothing that most of the expansion’s bosses are cited as the most complex in the entire title.
Artorias of the Abyss therefore has a main vocation… Offer a slightly more challenging challenge than the basic epic, reserved for seasoned players. This is also a common trait that we find in all the Souls DLCs that followed – including that of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree! This content addition, FromSoftware’s “largest and most ambitious,” is for you if you’ve beaten most of the Mid-Earth challenges. To discover what it offers, you will first have to have defeated two bosses, namely General Radahn – located at the southern tip of Caelid – and Mohg, an optional opponent.
Elden Ring, the more scripted opus
Obviously, the prerequisites of this Shadow of the Erdtree have been studied in order to keep a coherent story, which is not trivial. Not that the scenario of the previous episodes is particularly insane (it is just more complex to grasp), but Elden Ring has displayed from its announcement its desire to build a more imposing and “complete” lore, notably through the collaboration with the author of Game of Thrones George RR Martin… The first trailer for the expansion thus boasts the key role of Miquella, Marika’s boy (one of Elden Ring’s most popular bosses and characters).
A continuity that should only be beneficial to Shadow of the Erdtree… In the past, Dark Souls 3 was able to take advantage of this “power gain” for its second DLC, The Ringed City, which would provide answers to questions left unanswered since the first episode (not to mention the emotion factor in the idea of ending the saga). “This is probably the best content addition since Artorias of the Abyss (from Dark Souls, editor’s note)” – we wrote in our review at the time. However, it should be remembered that this third opus had the bad idea of splitting its additional adventure into two and delivering a first part, Ashes of Ariandel, less memorable (due to its short lifespan). An error that will not be repeated by the excellent Bloodborne DLC, The Old Hunters, originally designed as a diptych. For Elden Ring, it will be the same: a single, big expansion.
Shadow of the Erdtree is clearly bigger than (the DLCs) of Dark Souls 3 or Bloodborne. It’s no mistake to say that this is our largest expansion to date (…) When we were thinking about an Elden Ring experience, this size was necessary – H. Miyazaki, director of Elden Ring and president of FromSoftware (via Famitsu)
A newfound pleasure, and more…
This is why we have few doubts about Shadow of the Erdtree. FromSoftware knows its subject too well to fail and to the extent that Elden Ring symbolizes its most successful title, we expect the same thing from this addition of content. Especially since even when the studio is in its average base, it still remains solid, like the three DLCs for Dark Souls 2 (the least famous of the lot). We have almost blind confidence in Miyazaki-san, father of Dark Souls and director of Elden Ring, who also announces exciting perspectives in various interviews. Shadow of the Erdtree will focus on a more varied level design, a “unique” leveling system – new weapons and areas, and of course, new bosses. As a reminder, it’s scheduled for June 21 on PC, PlayStation, Xbox.