Shadow of the Erdtree, Elden Ring’s much anticipated DLC, did not get the kind response that FromSoftware and maybe even fans had anticipated when it was eventually released. Unlike the basic game, which received positive reviews, the DLC received negative feedback for being too challenging and, in some situations, unbreakable. The boss battles were criticized for being too difficult, with unexpected strikes that needed absurdly precise timing to avoid.
Even while part of the criticism was legitimate, it became evident after some time that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is not as difficult as those early reviews said when it was first released. Shadow of the Erdtree is really more simpler to play since players have access to a plethora of tools. For those who are unprepared, the DLC will undoubtedly be difficult, although Shadow of the Erdtree is not more difficult than the majority of FromSoftware’s past games.
Unprepared Players May Struggle In Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is unquestionably a challenging game. Unprepared players will find it difficult to progress, particularly if they decide to rush every boss battle and encounter. This is mostly because bosses are more aggressive by nature; they will often charge the player with a barrage of strikes that must be timed precisely to either counter or evade. Shadow of the Erdtree will prove to be a nearly unbeatable task for those who had trouble finishing the main game.
The lack of really powerful weaponry in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree makes it even more challenging. Although Shadow of the Erdtree offers a number of incredible weapons to find, FromSoftware has done a commendable job of making every weapon fully functional for the most part. It was thus unable to include a weapon that broke the game in the DLC that gamers could subsequently use in the main game, destroying the flow and overall experience of the game.
Shadow of the Erdtree will seem unattainable to people who haven’t played Sekiro or the Dark Souls trilogy and whose only exposure to FromSoftware’s game design is Elden Ring. This is particularly true when facing the toughest fight in Shadow of the Erdtree, which even veteran Dark Souls players have found to be difficult. This is due to the fact that Shadow of the Erdtree lacks some of the conveniences that players encounter when advancing through the core Elden Ring adventure, and instead has a challenge more equivalent to Dark Souls and even Sekiro.
Shadow of the Erdtree Is As Hard As Dark Souls.
Gamers who like Elden Ring’s more laid-back gameplay probably entered Shadow of the Erdtree with a lot of confidence. Rushing into Shadow of the Erdtree boss bouts may be quite tempting, particularly for those who find themselves outclassed for much of Elden Ring’s boss encounters. But this is a grave error, which is probably why so many people immediately dismissed Shadow of the Erdtree as being too challenging.
Shadow of the Erdtree’s boss battles are more challenging than those in Elden Ring, making it more difficult for players to leave and find another fight before returning, unlike in the main experience. Furthermore, it is possible that players were not even close to Shadow of the Erdtree’s new maximum level when they began the DLC, despite seeming to be at a high level initially. Actually, in order to successfully complete Shadow of the Erdtree, players must be at least level 120; otherwise, they would find it difficult to defeat even the first monster.
It is far more balanced for players to enter Shadow of the Erdtree at level 150. The optimal starting level is around 150, however, it is absolutely beatable at level 120.
For anyone who has even somewhat played Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, or Dark Souls, the more violent boss battles and linear boss design are nothing new. For those who found Elden Ring’s comparatively low difficulty to be aggravating, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has simply reverted to their level of challenge, providing a more balanced and challenging game. Naturally, anyone who has never played a Dark Souls game before will find this difficult.
Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree: Scadutree Fragments Are Crucial
Thankfully, a brand-new feature called Scadutree Fragments was added in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree with the intention of simplifying the overall process. These consumables are very beneficial since they increase a player’s ability to both deal and take damage. With the 1.12.2 calibration update, Scadutree Fragments enhance and negate much more, making the early game in Shadow the Erdtree much simpler.
In addition to losing out on a significant portion of the DLC, players who don’t bother searching for them or merely collect a small number will undoubtedly find boss battles to be much simpler. The Scadutree Fragments locations in Shadow of the Erdtree are a terrific diversion from the early game monsters, and they’re fortunately not too hard to discover. It’s crucial to gather every Scadutree Fragment if you want to be as defeated as you were in the Elden Ring.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has fifty Scadutree Fragments. When all of them are gathered, the player will reach the maximum Scadutree Blessing level of 20.
In Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, obtaining only seven of the Scadutree Fragments will deliver 150% damage to the player as of the 1.12.2 calibration update. When players gather additional fragments, the rise in damage inflicted and negated decreases considerably, but by the time they have them all, they will still be causing a great amount of damage. But more crucially, they’ll absorb a lot less damage, which makes exchanging blows with monsters a little more advantageous strategy.
Elden Ring: The Erdtree’s Shadow Needs Patience
Even FromSoft aficionados will find Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree to be a challenging DLC. Its bosses are more vicious, with more difficult-to-read attack patterns, and unleash a barrage of lethal blows that may almost instantaneously take out opponents who haven’t learned time. Players should be aware that Shadow of the Erdtree is definitely not a simple game to play.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is not as difficult as some gamers claimed when it was launched, however. This isn’t only because the calibration update made scale improvements; rather, it’s because Shadow of the Erdtree equips players with all the tools they need to defeat it. In exchange, it anticipates that they will arrive with powerful builds, at the appropriate level, and at least somewhat prepared.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is not nearly as difficult as some early gamers claimed.
Shadow of the Erdtree is challenging but rewarding for those who seek out the Scadutree Fragments and invest the time to understand these new monsters. The DLC respects the progress gained in the basic game while drastically increasing difficulty, forcing players to reconsider their strategy. Another amazing adventure awaits those who can persevere through Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s difficulty level.
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