GamesAction RpgElden RingShadow of the Erdtree is somehow easier than Elden Ring for me, but I’m worried that’s only because I fixed my awful build that almost made me quit this RPG 2 years agoWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAction RpgElden RingShadow of the Erdtree is somehow easier than Elden Ring for me, but I’m worried that’s only because I fixed my awful build that almost made me quit this RPG 2 years agoWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: FromSoftware)
True toFromSoftware’s DLC tradition,Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeis proving to be the hardest part of the game. At least, that’s what everybody else seems to think. Ascomplaints about the expansion’s difficultyrain in, I’ve been feeling like I’ve been playing an entirely different game. I wouldn’t call any part of Shadow of the Erdtree easy, but I found the original game more challenging in general with far more frustrating moments, and now I’m afraid I might’ve made some mistakes back in 2022.
When I started upElden Ringat its original launch, I set two rules for myself. First, I would avoid any kind of online guide. Second, I wouldn’t be afraid to make use of any kind of in-game advantage. Summons? Spirit Ashes? The cheesiest weapon strats I could come up with? All on the table. With that in mind, I specced my character toward what I remember always being the coward’s way of playing a FromSoftware game: ranged magic.
(Image credit: FromSoftware / Bandai Namco)
Nonetheless, the hype around Shadow of the Erdtree drew me back in. This time, I figured I’d go for a proper melee build and see how I’d do playing the game as all those annoying FromSoftware gatekeepers play it. I cross-referenced what I already had in my inventory with what seemed like general community sentiment on effective weapons, tried out a few options to see if I liked how they felt, and finally respecced to effectively wield the Bloodhound’s Fang.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I tracked down Mohg to unlock the DLC and beat him in about 10 attempts. I understand Mohg to be regarded as one of the more challenging fights in the game, and here I was with a brand-new build and questionable Elden Ring skills that were now two years rusty. Dumb luck, surely. I already knewShadow of the Erdtree was going to be way harder than base Elden Ring thanks to Austin’s hands-on preview, so there was no way my luck would last.
Then the DLC launch finally came, and after a good dozen hours exploring the Land of Shadow I’ve found it pretty smooth sailing. Granted, I still have alotleft to do, but fighting bosses like theDancing Lionand optional foes like the Death Knight, well… I wouldn’t say they’reeasy, but I haven’t been spending hours stuck on these foes the way I was in the base game. My one big roadblock was theBlackgaol Knight, who I encountered before I found anyScadutree Fragmentsand stubbornly kept fighting because nearly a full level’s worth of Runes were stuck in his arena after my first death. I shouted a few profanities at the TV, but I eventually learned the timings and got the fight done.
(Image credit: FromSoftware / Bandai Namco)
That’s why it’s been so weird for me to seeShadow of the Erdtree’s difficulty become such a talking point. Beyond the bosses, I’ve died maybe a half-dozen times exploring dungeons and the overworld, and even my time in the increasingly infamousFog Rift Catacombs filled me with only that jovial sort of despairFromSoftware’s biggest fans tend to enjoy. I’m not here to claim I’m some kind of Elden Ring savant - idiot or otherwise - but it keeps feeling utterlybizarrethat I’m having such a smooth time in the DLC when the base game gave me fits.
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Want to knowwhere to find Martial Arts in Shadow of the Erdtree? You can see our guide at that link.
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