‘Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’ game review: A testing challenge with dark comedy

Remember the saying, “Be careful what you wish for”? It perfectly applies to the new Elden Ring expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. All From Software games are essentially dark comedies, with the player as the fatal punchline. One moment we were eagerly venturing into the Land of Shadow, and the next, we were running in fear from the first enemy we encountered — a loinclothed, bearded man with furious claw attacks, capable of taking down even level 500+ characters with ease. This sums up the entire experience: brutal, bloody, and desperate. This expansion will test every bit of your being, and we would not have it any other way.

Shadow of the Erdtree adds another chapter to Elden Ring’s massive lore, penned by George RR Martin, who is known for the Game of Thrones books. The story focuses on the Empyrean Miquella, twin brother of Malenia, one of the gods of the Lands Between. We first meet Miquella through his shriveled hand poking out of his cocoon, guarded by the fearsome Mohg, his to-be consort. As we are whisked away to the Land of Shadow under the darkened Erdtree — golden in the base game — Miquella’s version of the tree casts an ominous shadow over a land filled with new horrors and many answers for those brave enough to seek them.

You play as the Tarnished, whose main quest is to become Elden Lord by cleansing the land of all the demigods left over from centuries of war and strife. Given that you encounter Mohg, Lord of Blood, fairly late in the game, requiring you to be at least level 120 to beat him, the Land of Shadow uses a different leveling system. You collect Scadautree fragments to improve your defense against the amped-up enemies in the downloadable content (DLC).

The Land of Shadow is smaller than the original game world, about the size of the first three areas combined. Despite its size, it is equally beautiful with its sepia-like tonality as you awaken in a field of ghostly gravestones. While the map may be smaller, it is packed with activities, enemies, and bosses lurking around every corner. For the brave Tarnished, there is a treasure trove of weapons waiting to be discovered — about 100 of them, many of them new types. The most significant addition is martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, and variations of great and curved sword types.

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This is crucial because Elden Ring’s core survivability hinges on your build, which centers around your weapon and weapon arts. The Land of Shadow is filled with tough normal monsters and even tougher bosses. In recent days, the discourse has been intense, with players discussing the unforgiving and sometimes unfair boss attack chains, which can be endless, giving you almost no reaction time. This was my experience as well; I died more than a hundred times to a dragon whose electric attacks were so visually overwhelming that the fight was often over in a flash. Another boss was particularly terrifying with its otherworldly cloth animations as it chased me around the arena, screaming.

While these encounters are tough, they are meant to offer more of a challenge. The community has come together to strategize and help others, moving away from the toxic “Git Gud” mentality. That said, this game is not for the faint-hearted. 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 beast claws that slice and dice, the most important reward is the light shed on Miquella’s and Mohg’s fateful story.

Shadow of the Erdtree is haunting, beautiful, and challenging. Take heed and only buy it if you are a From Software, Soulsborne veteran looking for something more. This is a PSA: only buy this if you are ready to take it up; otherwise, you are going to abandon it as soon as you meet that aforementioned semi-naked beastman in the ghostly forest. You have been warned!