Throughout the summer of 2024, theElden Ringcommunity has been hard at work forging through its long-awaited DLC.Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeis FromSoftware’s largest expansion to date, and while consensus hasn’t settled on it being the studio’s best yet, players are just glad to have another helping ofElden Ringto enjoy. Taking place in the enigmatic Land of Shadow,Shadow of the Erdtreeallows players to explore several new story lines and dungeons spread across the most layered take on a Soulslike world yet.
Shadow of the Erdtree’s setting feels like a synthesis of the lessons learned while makingElden Ring. The overworld is treated as much of a dungeon as any of its enclosed spaces, with jumping puzzles and hidden side paths being common. Even thoughShadow of the Erdtreeisn’t as longas the baseElden Ring, it will still take players tens of hours to just fill out the map. While players enjoy the beautiful and diverse scenery inShadow of the Erdtree, they will also come across a few new types of locales forElden Ring, and at least one of these needs to become a regular sight in FromSoftware’s future works.
Elden Ring Mixes Things Up With Its DLC Areas
While much of the Land of Shadow is composed of familiar kinds of areas, like fields, legacy dungeons, minor underground dungeons, and even a segregated area accessible via one ofElden Ring’s Imbued Stone Keys, there are also some new experiences scattered throughout them. The Abyssal Woods represent a surprise stealth section, while some of the flower meadows and Finger Ruins are sparsely populated areas that players are mostly just meant to take in. A couple of new styles of minor dungeons are also added toElden Ring’s repertoire, but the main event comes from a particular village to the east.
Finding The Shaman Village Feels Like A Reward
Reaching the easternmost part ofShadow of the Erdtree’s map is no easy feat, as it involves finding a particular gesture elsewhere and then traveling to the Church District of Shadow Keep. Performing the gesture in front of a statue will reveal the path to not just the Hinterlands and Shaman Village, but also theFinger Ruins of Dheo, meaning completionist players will inevitably end up looking for this path. Arguably, the hardest part is now over, as while the only twoTree Sentinelbosses in the DLC riding out will spook many players, what these unusually placed foes are guarding is worth its roundabout route.
How Shadow of the Erdtree’s Shaman Village Sets Itself Apart
The Shaman Village itself is unique withinElden Ring’s wider world, as it is a named area with no NPCs of any kind within its boundaries. Only one spell and one Talisman populate this area, but they convey its importance nonetheless. Somber background music picks up as players approach this uniquely colored and detailed environment, and the item descriptions of its pickups reveal that this is the Shaman Village where Queen Marika herself grew up. Theearth-shattering lore revelations inShadow of the Erdtreetied to this place make this mechanically and narratively distinct in most players’ minds despite its minimalist approach.
The Shaman Village Should Stay An Occasional Tool In FromSoftware’s Arsenal
More FromSoftware games should have contemplative areas with unusual vibes akin to the Shaman Village, and at least one already proves that this can be replicated.Bloodborne’s Abandoned Old Workshop is an empty reflection of its hub area that matches the melancholy ofElden Ring’s Shaman Village, but replaces its tranquility with a distinct unease. It makes for a good demonstration of howElden Ring’s hidden areascan be molded to fit different games’ contexts. If FromSoftware can harness what it produced in the Shaman Village, then games pastElden Ringshould have one more memorable moment to surprise players with.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
WHERE TO PLAY
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
