Trigger Cut Game Reviews

Shadow of the Erdtree is a meaty expansion of the main game with so much content that many other developers would market and sell it as a sequel.  Disclaimer: in order to play this expansion you have to have already defeated Radahn as well as Mohg. Once you defeat these bosses you can hop right into the Shadowlands. Like the base game the art design here is spectacular.  The environments are not as dense with secrets and enemies as the base game but that is okay, they are still areas that are unique and worth exploring.  The difficulty, like most From Soft expansions, is increased and I recommend that you beat Elden Ring before you jump into the expansion.  The game compensates for this increase in difficulty by providing you with Scadutree fragments that increase your base damage.  All of the bosses here are memorable and well designed; however, the final boss was the first time in my overall ER experience that I felt the boss was a little overtuned.  After many tries I almost resigned myself to never beating the final boss however, I stepped away for a bit, tried once or twice a day and eventually I defeated the boss.  Like the base game, finally beating a boss that you have been knocking your head against for hours provides an elated feeling that I haven’t felt in any other game.  There are several new weapon types here such as claws and perfume bottles (really) that are all fun to experience.  Shadow of the Erdtree is a must play if you are an Elden Ring fan.  Enjoy fellow Tarnished.