Welcome back 322 Crew. I know it’s been a long time since I’ve been on the site to write a blog. I’m just recovering from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and there is much to cover. I may even turn this into a video essay at some point. I’ll even go to say that the experience with this game, with the DLC attached, has enriched my sense of enjoyment to where I am ready to resume writing FireFrei from a fresh sense of engagement.
Unlike many players, I didn’t go into Shadow of the Erdtree straight away but instead chose to go for the full game experience — main story and DLC. Depending on the pace of story revelations, I’d determine when and if I should step out of the Realm of Shadows and return. It would also determine how my full journey of Elden Ring would conclude. Sure enough, I’m glad I engaged with this approach, despite it resulting in me entering NG+2 — which meant even the base game enemies/bosses would be stronger, have a bit more health, and thus result in the fights being tougher, while also having the DLC itself be harder than in your 1st game cycle or in NG+. Let it be known that there are players who have gone into it at NG+7 (and wondering why they’re crying about difficulty).
Usually as per Fromsoftware tradition, the DLC is usually a step up from the base game. Usually, just a meager double digit in hours, single digit if you’re just trying to speed run to main bosses and resist all forms of OCD. Shadow of the Erdtree, however, is a whole game masquerading as a DLC. $40 basically gave you, if a completionist, a near 30-40 hour experience. 55 bosses and 10 of them with Remembrances. Bear in mind that base game of Elden Ring had 200+ bosses and 15 of them with Remembrances. If you ask me, the DLC chose quality over quantity. Instead of the intensity and difficulty of bosses being just based on mid to late game of the base game with a hair of edge, Shadow of the Erdtree cranked it up to where difficulty can be, without use of Scadutree or Revered Spirit Ash Blessing upgrades, very well beyond even the endgame of base game. The human-sized bosses were fairly easy if you used the right weapons and spells to knock them on their ass or create distance but as for the bigger ones as well as Remembrance bosses, you better level up those blessings or else be prepared to Try Finger But Hole.
How you navigate the world also determines which bosses come off more difficult than others but if I had to recommend where to start to where things crank up it’s the following order — Divine Beast Dancing Lion is a great intro to both brushing up on your skills as Tarnished/Elden Lord/Lord of Chaos but also gives an understanding of how things will escalate compared to what you may have expected. Rellana is where you are boldly reminded as to how tough thing will get as her rhythm is somewhere akin to Sulyvahn & Abyss Watchers (Dark Souls 3), Malenia from the base game and with a sprinkle of Lady Maria (Bloodborne: The Old Hunters). You better learn to move and react on your toes as she is aggressive. If you have Leda summoned along w/a spirit ash of choice, divide and conquer is key in order to survive. Messmer is where boss battle design is truly peak and most definitely where the thrill truly sets in as it’s almost at times akin to fighting Ken from Street Fighter with absolute rage (he has a long chain fire combo reminiscent of Ken’s Jinrai Shippu Kyaku from SFA3). Even his phase 2 requires you to be very quick on your feet, even if you have Hornsent, Mimic Tear and possibly Jolán (if you did most of the Ymir quest line) to aid with a divide and conquer strategy.
Where difficulty finally reaches its apex is of course, the Promised Consort of Miquella. Some have complained about him being totally unfair in difficulty but to me, I expected no less from him. If you’re facing a Promised Consort of Miquella and Miquella is especially aligned with him in phase 2, had Fromsoftware nerfed him in any magnitude, I would’ve been upset. Yes, he’s brutal in strength and brings on his Goku mode of Instant Transmission in phase 2 but… but he’s not blinding in terms of pattern to learn in order to better endure and prevail. He’s difficult but not impossible. If you can consistently take the fight into phase 2, let alone to where he’s down to only 25% of health remaining, it’s never a matter of if but when! Then once victory happens, the sense of ecstasy is intoxicating. It didn’t feel like a relief but rather a true sense of triumph. It doesn’t matter if you soloed him, summoned a friend (which cranks the boss’ HP by 60%), used a spirit ash and/or summoned Ansbach with/without Thiolier, a win is a win. Goku never soloed a single baddie in DBZ or Super since Vegeta and so you shouldn’t feel ashamed for using every tool in your disposal that the game has for use. In my opinion, if the game has it as something in your toolset, it’s fair.
As far as the lore and story within Shadow of the Erdtree, a part of me wants to believe that there’s a surprise DLC in the future or even a sequel because there are more questions raised with the revelations we’re given but in the same process, it also added context to things we weren’t sure about while also adding pieces to put together the puzzle of Elden Ring‘s rich lore. Between Messmer & Melina implied as siblings being the eldest of Marika’s offspring, Talisman of Lord’s Bestowal w/an image of Godfrey accepting grace stoically found within Shadow Keep (Messmer’s Castle) and Malekith’s Remembrance in base game stating he was betrayed by Marika…a certain picture starts being pieced together. The map of the Realm of Shadow also has regions that tend to resemble the vibe of specific regions of the Lands Between. If you hyper fixate on piecing the story of Elden Ring’s lore together by yourself, you will lose more sleep than Qualaag.
One thing that St. Trina states when you have dialogue from her in the story, “Godhood would be Miquella’s prison” echoes knowledge she has regarding Marika, especially with how we found Marika in the endgame of base game — cursed from ever having children that aren’t afflicted (I now question Godwyn being golden as I suspect he was afflicted but something the story won’t tell us yet implicates to us very subtle in nature), forced to be at the whims of an Order that answers to Fingers whom has archaic messages from a Mother whose messages are winging it as the Greater Will hasn’t spoken to Metyr in quite some time. Miquella has a track record of constantly attempting high ambitions but ultimately failing, and for him to usher an Age of Compassion with a Consort who revels in endless war and whose soul is captured in the body of a brother whose body was an Omen demigod. His rule as a new god of all the Lands would eventually fail, no matter how many of the populace he enchants.
A story like this in a beautiful game inspired me to write and create again. If you’ve been on the fence, go get it. If you enjoyed reading my review, feel free to share your experience. I will continue writing soon.
