Shadow of The Erdtree’s Final Boss Is A Disappointment

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Obaid Ur Rehman

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is here, and I have never been this excited about a DLC. This specific expansion has reached the pinnacle of DLCs, and nothing else comes close—yes, not even Blood and Vine.

I think calling it a DLC is underselling it, as Shadow of Erdtree features more content than most of the single-player games. I enjoyed every second of it until I reached the final boss. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the fight and the reveal, but it was underwhelming and left me disappointed.

Why it matters: Radahn, consumed with Scarlet Rot, is extremely menacing, and fighting him was a challenge some couldn’t overcome without all of the summons.

Radahn, Consort of Miquella

The DLC has been out for a while, and you may already know who the final boss is. The final boss in Shadow of the Erdtree is none other than Radahn. Many love the character and discuss his lore because he gave Malenia a hard time on the battlefield.

Malenia vs. Radahn is one of the most talked-about fights, and the fandom is divided. Of course, I prefer Radahn since he was feared by many, even after being consumed by Scarlet Rot.

That said, we fought the weakened version of Radahn, where he didn’t know himself anymore. That boss was menacing and had some moves I still am scared of. On the contrary, the final boss in the DLC wasn’t really that menacing.

He starts off with a great attack and follows up with hard-hitting combos. I liked them all; in fact, I loved the boss fight until phase 2. Don’t get me wrong; the cutscene was epic, and a certain character’s entry gave me goosebumps.

However, phase two was extremely disappointing. The boss wasn’t Radahn anymore, and it didn’t feel like fighting the prime version of that monster in Caelid. The second phase didn’t really feature many new moves, and this new character was continuously showering the arena with holy magic.

I know many would have enjoyed this fight, but as a hardcore Elden Ring fan who has spent hundreds of hours in the game, I was disappointed.

Iconic FromSoftware Final Bosses

I have enjoyed every single DLC FromSoftware released for Soulsborne games. Every DLC has an epic last-boss fight, whether it be The Old Hunters or The Ringed City. I still remember fighting Oprhan of Kos, Slave Knight Gael, and Sister Friede.

All three of these boss fights were epic, in my opinion, with the last one being my favorite. It was so memorable, and while many fights in the recent DLC have managed to be just as great, the last boss fight failed to do so.

Do you remember how epic the Slave Knight Gael fight was? The cutscenes? Gael’s continuous search for the Dark Soul when it was inside him all along as he killed and ate every person. Then, he went berserk mid-fight and used every move possible to make us start over.

Similarly, when Sister Friede’s third phase was revealed, Do you still remember how you felt? I do, and it was one of the most exhilarating gaming experiences ever. What about the insanely aggressive battle with the Orphan of Kos?

I didn’t find this feeling in Shadow of the Erdtree’s finale. I absolutely adore the character, but I expected his prime to be way better. Caelid’s corpse-like Radahn actually looks bigger than this version.

A Hard Fight But Not A Memorable One

So far, I have found Radahn, Consort of Miquella, to be the hardest boss in the game. I am pretty sure there are bosses who may be harder, but it took me a whopping 40 tries to beat this boss. The boss fight was stupidly hard, but it wasn’t memorable.

The taunt grab during the fight was the only thing that excited me. Other than that, Radahn constantly spammed moves in the second phase, and fighting him wasn’t a great time.

On the other hand, it was still nice to see a fan-favorite character showing up again in such grand fashion. I just wish the boss fight had done his character justice and given him the finale he deserved.

Obaid Ur Rehman

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

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