- Shadow of the Erdtree was recently revealed as a $40 expansion for Elden Ring.
- While this price was initially worrying, my fears were put to rest after the recent details on this DLC.
- Combining heaps of new content and FromSoftware’s history of high-quality DLCs, I am confident that the expansion will justify its price tag.
Elden Ring, the 2022 Game of the Year, already has plenty of content in the base game. Enough to keep the most skilled of gamers busy for hundreds of hours, this release is one of AAA gaming’s most content-rich titles to date.
However, FromSoftware is looking to expand the game through Shadow of the Erdtree this year. Airing a new trailer for the expansion, the studio has encouraged the tarnished to rise yet again.
Shadow of the Erdtree is the developer’s biggest expansion yet, but it also serves as the studio’s most expensive DLC. With a price tag of $40, the expansion has already begun to raise a few eyebrows, but I believe this is hardly a cause for concern.
Why it matters: In a world where $70 AAA releases have disappointed one after another, audiences are reluctant to trust developers easily, especially when a new DLC is so expensive.
New Content In The DLC
According to Hidetaka Miyazaki, Elden Ring will boast the biggest expansion of any Souls-like title.
Looking at the trailer, the game promises new bosses, a completely new section of the world to unravel, different foes to challenge, and a complex new thread of the larger narrative.
Hidetaka Miyazaki confirms 10 new bosses for the DLC. This is the largest number of boss fights in a single DLC release, raising the stakes to new levels. He also teased many bosses on the same level of difficulty as Malenia.
Meanwhile, new equipment, weapons, and magic will be part of Shadow of the Erdtree. From the trailer, the new martial arts moveset already looks promising, suggesting FromSoftware spent a lot of time differentiating each new ability.
The team has even added a unique progression element for the DLC, in addition to eight weapon types. All in all, everything in the trailer so far suggests that my $40 will be well spent on this expansion.
Messmer And Miquella
Elden Ring players that bested Malenia would remember her role as the blade of Miquella. Built up as the most fearsome of all Empyreans, this character seems to be the central focus in Shadow of the Erdtree.
The trailer shows the hand of Miquella, so he is likely to play a major role in the DLC. While the prominently featured red-haired boss from the trailer might initially appear to be Miquella, it seems this character is known as Messmer the Impaler, adding an element of mystery to this story.
From the footage so far, his moveset will be every bit as devastating as Malenia’s. Therefore, not only will Shadow of the Erdtree offer another unstoppable boss fight, but it will also expand on lore elements left unexplored in the base game.
This should make it worth a purchase for fanatics of Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin’s work like me.
FromSoftware’s History With DLCs
This team has never disappointed with DLC releases in the past. Even for an entry like Dark Souls 2, which is my least favorite FromSoftware title, I must admit that the DLC ended up as the game’s highlight.
On the other hand, the likes of Bloodborne’s The Old Hunters and Dark Souls 3’s The Ringed City have ensured that I feel confident in FromSoftware’s ability to deliver another memorable expansion.
The latest trailer and the developer’s track record speak for themselves. Therefore, while $40 might be a higher-than-normal price for a DLC, I look forward to everyone quickly realizing why this price point was far from inappropriate.
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