‘Elden Ring: Shadows of the Aardtree’ game review: A darkly comic challenge

Elden Ring: Shadows of Erdtree | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Remember the saying, “Be careful what you wish for”? This totally applies to new things Elden Ring Expansion, Shadow of Erdtree. All From Software games are essentially dark comedies, with the player being the deadly punchline. One moment we were eagerly entering the Land of Shadows, and the next, we were running in fear from the first enemy we encountered – a loincloth-wearing, bearded man with fierce claw attacks, easily capable of taking down even level 500+ characters. That sums up the whole experience: brutal, bloody, and desperate. This expansion will test every part of your being, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Shadow of Erdtree adds another chapter Elden RingIt is a massive saga written by George R.R. Martin, who is well known for his writing. game of Thrones books. The story focuses on the Empyrean Miquela, the twin brother of Melania, one of the gods of the Land Between. We first meet Miquela through his withered hand that protrudes from its cocoon, guarded by his future wife, the fearsome Mohog. As we are transported to the Land of Shadow beneath the dark Erdtree – golden in the base game – Miquela’s version of the tree casts an ominous shadow over the land filled with new horrors and many answers for those brave enough to seek them out.

You play as the Tarnished, whose main goal is to become the Elden Lord by cleansing the land of all the gods left over from centuries of war and conflict. Given that you meet Mohog, the Lord of Blood, fairly late in the game, requiring you to be at least level 120 to defeat him, Land of Shadows uses a different leveling system. You collect Scadautry fragments to improve your defense against amped-up enemies in downloadable content (DLC).

The Land of Shadows is smaller than the original game world, roughly equal to the size of the first three regions combined. Despite its size, it’s just as beautiful with its sepia-like tonality, as you wake up in a field of haunted tombs. While the map may be small, it’s packed with activities, enemies, and bosses lurking around every corner. For the brave Tarnished, there’s a wealth of weapons to be discovered – nearly 100 of them, many of them new types. The most significant additions are martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, and variations of the great and curved sword types.

This is important because Elden Ring‘s main survival depends on your build, which is centered around your weapons and weapon arts. The land of Shadow is filled with tough normal monsters and even tougher bosses. In recent days, the discussion has been pretty intense, with players discussing the unforgiving and sometimes unfair boss attack chains that can be endless, leaving you with almost no reaction time. This was my experience as well; I died over a hundred times due to a dragon whose lightning attacks were so overwhelming that the fight was often over in one fell swoop. Another boss was particularly terrifying with its supernatural clothing animations as it chased me screaming around the arena.

While these encounters are tougher, they are intended to provide more of a challenge. The community has banded together to strategize and help others, moving away from the toxic “git gud” mentality. That being said, this game is not for the faint of heart. You will die more than usual, but the rewards are incredible. From twin swords that look like magical and flaming lightsabers to dragon-killing katanas and beastly claws that slice and dice, the most important reward is shedding light on the lucky story of Miquela and Mohog.

Shadow of Erdtree It’s haunting, beautiful, and challenging. Be careful and only buy it if you’re a veteran of From Software, Soulsborne, and looking for something else. This is a PSA: only buy it if you’re ready to take it on; otherwise, you’ll abandon it as soon as you meet that aforementioned half-naked beast in the haunted woods. You’ve been warned!