Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree review - More than just a mesmerising expansion

It would be underselling it to say that any expansion for Elden Ring would be highly anticipated, but Shadow of the Erdtree - particularly with its focus on the mysterious figure of Miquella - feels like it's been on the tip of everyone's tongue since it was revealed.

Having been a longtime FromSoftware megafan it was a surprise to nobody that Elden Ring quickly became one of, if not my favourite game of all time, so it's safe to say that I had both immeasurable excitement and expectations for the game's newest (and likely only) expansion.

Somehow though Shadow of the Erdtree still exceeded my expectations, offering so much that revolutionises what was introduced in the base game, and often surpasses it as some of the best work that FromSoft has ever produced.

The mystery of Miquella

While bosses and mechanics might take centre stage in much of Elden Ring's identity, it was the worldbuilding and wider lore that really stood out as a highlight for me. It's certainly not a secret that deep dives and loremasters are extremely popular within the community, but the shift from mythologised pasts to a narrative unfolding in real time was, in my eyes, the most significant shift from their previous games.

Click to enlarge

Miquella remained perhaps the biggest mystery coming out of the base game though, especially if you were dedicated enough to read into much of the cut content that has circulated post-release. From the mystique of Malenia to the horrors of a giant arm falling limp out of an egg, there was little that we knew and much we wanted to find out about the twin God.

Thankfully Shadow of the Erdtree dives straight into this mystery, beckoning you to touch the withered hand in the Lord of Blood's arena and embark upon the Land of Shadow - a hidden world that critically isn't in the past nor the future.

Joining you there are seven other disciples in search of Miquella, who are all, like you, wondering what will be revealed underneath the baldachin of this secret land. Each has its own objectives, beliefs, and backstories that often intertwine with the larger narratives of both the Land of Shadow and the Lands Between, and goad you into seeking the cracks that are soon revealed within every corner of this new world.

Click to enlarge

Without revealing too much, countless moments in the expansion left me stunned, revealing new narrative paths and answering previously puzzling questions that made my brain feel like it was running at a thousand miles per hour. One particular catalyst about halfway through the expansion led me to talk to all of the NPCs, ripping a proverbial tablecloth from underneath the narrative you thought you knew, and leaving some glass shattered in the process to wonderful effect.

While some routes I thought would be explored prior were unfortunately still left untouched, new discoveries certainly filled their place - with one, in particular, leaning into horror more than anything FromSoft has done since Bloodborne. I was genuinely on edge as I crawled through an area, left horrified by fear manifested in the world and weaved into the wider story.

Click to enlarge

There are still quests that I don't think I've fully cracked either, but the joy of trial and error along the mystery of it all remains as satisfying as ever. Piecing things together through furiously written notes or fragments of information is as prevalent as the events laid out clearly in front of you, and I know that anyone wishing to plunge themselves headfirst into secrets will find more than enough to explore in the Land of Shadow.

Bosses that make your heart beat and break

What would a new FromSoft experience be without the bosses though - and Shadow of the Erdtree very much continues the tradition set by previous expansions by ramping up the difficulty.

From the first standard enemy, you'll get a sense that the Land of Shadow isn't exactly the friendliest place to visit, and this very much continues as you progress too. Even the first boss is harder than most in the base game, and it only gets tougher from that point. Multiple phases are common, alongside lengthy attack combos, devastating status effects, and area-of-effect attacks you'll need to constantly watch out for.

In the preview, I interpreted the new 'Scadutree Blessing' mechanic that increases your damage and damage negation as an 'easy mode' of sorts, but it's very much an essential part of progressing through the DLC. Even the most seasoned of Souls players will struggle if they neglect this new mechanic, and picking up as many Fragments as you can on your travels is almost mandatory for tackling the later bosses.

Click to enlarge

Thankfully, the bosses as a whole are top-tier, and among many of the best and most challenging that FromSoft has produced. Thankfully none -  not even the clear 'big boss' - quite meet the mark set by Malenia, but there were a couple that did perhaps veer more into the cruel side of things - but that might just be because of my skill level.

While it remained largely a non-issue as a whole with an abundance of new enemies and bosses to encounter in the DLC, there were unfortunately a handful of foes that carried over from the base game that made me roll my eyes. The issue with many of these stemmed from the fact that they felt redundant most of the time, feeling like superfluous fodder. 

It didn't bother me too much in the grand scheme of things, but for an expansion that reconfigures so much from the base game, it felt strange to see some bigger enemies copied over.

New dungeons prove that less is more

Where dungeons in the Land of Shadow are fewer in number, each dive underground is far more substantial in scope. What would previously be a few rooms and about five minutes of in-game time is now multiple floors with numerous alternate routes for you to discover.

Click to enlarge

There are different types of dungeons to explore as well now, with Ruined Forges steeped in lava and Gaols providing a hefty challenge if I wished to match it. It was the Catacombs that drew my attention the most though, despite growing tired of them in the base game.

With new enemy types filling the halls, intriguing puzzle mechanics to decipher, and unique bosses at the end of each one, they feel genuinely fresh and offer challenging asides to tackle. Being four levels deep into a dark crypt genuinely not knowing how much further I had to go reignited a level of desperation and determination that's hard to capture, but seemingly ever-present in the best of FromSoftware's work.

I recall director Hidetaka Miyazaki's emphasis on interconnectedness when discussing dungeons ahead of the DLC's release too, and that is a delightfully present factor when playing the expansion. I had multiple instances where paths opened up after defeating a dungeon boss - with one in particular that unlocked an entire secret (horrifying) area, a sight that I certainly won't forget for a very long time.

Falling down the rabbit hole

The size of the map was one of my biggest fascinations going into the DLC, as I wondered whether Shadow of the Erdtree would follow in the base game's footsteps and blow the scale of previous expansions out of the water.

Click to enlarge

One of the biggest suggestions pre-release was that the Land of Shadow would be 'roughly the size of Limgrave', but that is really quite far from the truth! It's hard to get a true sense of comparative scale when switching between the two maps, but from personal experience, I'd say it's easily half as big as the base map, if not even bigger.

While part of this significant scale goes into the areas you'll discover on the 'main' path, part of what's so impressive is how much of the expansion is arguably 'hidden away' in optional areas. I'm not just talking about areas that are easy to walk past either, but whole sections of the map that require illusionary walls, dungeons, and bizarre contraptions to access.

One of the DLC's five new map fragments is only accessible through an incredibly long-winded route that many players will likely miss if they're not careful - and the hidden nature of its design is certainly reflected in this visual and narrative approach too. In typical FromSoftware fashion, there was also an area unlocked by using a gesture - which I spent hours searching for in desperation across the map.

Click to enlarge

At the heart of many of these optional discoveries as well is the increased emphasis on platforming to get to areas hidden in plain sight. If there's a part of the map that you're not sure quite how to reach, the chances its path involves you dropping off a ledge, jumping across various uneasy platforms, or changing the environment in a significant way.

I could almost describe much of my experience playing Shadow of the Erdtree as repeated choice paralysis - in the best possible way - as new and alternate routes constantly cropped up, luring me away from my initial plans over and over again. Map markers certainly became my best friend.

Instant classic legacy dungeons

Relative to the size of the overall map, there are 'only' three legacy dungeons in the traditional sense, with a couple of smaller mid-sized castles joining alongside. In the same vein as the dungeons though, the comparatively smaller number has allowed each one to become significant in their scope and quality alike.

Belurat, the first main legacy dungeon and home to the challenging Divine Beast Dancing Lion is a treat to work your way through, and very reminiscent of something like Stormveil. You can largely keep to the main path and get through it without investing too much time, but there are plenty of side routes and locked doors to pick through that'll very much occupy your time.

Click to enlarge

It is the Shadow Keep though, situated at the midpoint of the DLC, that truly won me over, and I can confidently say that it's my favourite legacy dungeon that FromSoftware has ever created.

Not only is the visual approach a sight to behold, but its sheer size is mesmerising. Each new room feels like it spawns two new routes for you to take, and its maze-like halls can leave you wondering for hours in amazement. It was somewhere that I found myself returning to and discovering new secrets even hours after I had conquered its climactic boss - capped off by a section of the dungeon that's only accessible from another hidden area, which then in turn leads to at least three new areas like an elaborate set of nesting dolls.

The Verdict

I could honestly gush about Shadow of the Erdtree for hours and hours because it really is just that good. Following on from Elden Ring was never going to be an easy task, but the new expansion somehow exceeded my expectations and delivered a world far bigger and more densely packed than I could have imagined.

Secrets dominate the Land of Shadow both in the way that you explore the world and what you uncover within it, as an enthralling central mystery is supported by countless wonderful side stories that illuminate questions from the base game and propose new ones to dive into.

It also features some of FromSoftware's finest and most challenging bosses. These so often combine breathtaking spectacle and intricate mechanics and consistently reinvigorate that heart-pounding adrenaline that you get from the best of the best.

When thinking of Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree as a complete package, it's hard not to consider that many of the game's best moments appear within the DLC. It's a staggering achievement that was more than worth the two-year wait, as it reignited the wonders of playing the base game for the first time, while simultaneously building upon and enhancing so much of what I've experienced already.

5/5

Reviewed on PlayStation 5. Review code provided by the publisher.