It’s understandable if you have high expectations for Shadow of the Erdtree. I do, too. FromSoftware’s monumental action RPGs never cease to amaze, and Elden Ring had a shattering impact on the gaming industry when it launched in 2022, snagging Game of the Year and instantly becoming a favorite for many gamers—myself included.
So, I hope you can imagine my excitement when I was among the lucky few invited to play Shadow of the Erdtree at Bandai Namco’s preview event in Paris. Now, after three hours with Elden Ring’s first and only expansion, I’m confident it won’t just meet our expectations but will raise the bar for post-launch content and proudly claim the top spot as FromSoftware’s best expansion yet.
I hope you’re hungry
After touching Miquella’s withered hand, I awaken in the Land of Shadow, a hauntingly beautiful dreamscape that feels deliciously fresh but comfortably familiar. Shadow of the Erdtree’s new region is easily one of the most visually stunning landscapes ever created. It’s strange setting foot in a new Elden Ring region for the first time in nearly two and a half years, but it feels good to be back.
Moments later, I’m treated to a gorgeous vista: A twisted, infested Erdtree towering above while countless upcoming landmarks loom enticingly on the skyline. The longer I look, the more I see: Castles and settlements, encampments and ruins, mountains and valleys. The Land of Shadow’s somber horizon rivals the Lands Between for spectacle and scale, and you can bet you’ll be visiting all those distant areas later.
Bandai Namco only let us access the Land of Shadow’s first map piece, but there was more than enough on my plate for the three-hour preview. The first area is surprisingly expansive for such a small portion of Shadow of the Erdtree, and in a few short hours, I found everything we’ve come to expect from a FromSoftware classic. Dungeons of varying sizes, wandering elites and field bosses, NPCs with eerily vague dialogue, and tons of powerful new weapons and spells, the latter of which was easily my favorite part of the preview.
Like a kid in a candy shop
Shadow of the Erdtree gives you so many new toys to play with that it feels like Christmas came early. The expansion adds eight new weapon types and, staggeringly, over 100 new weapons—an impressive addition to Elden Ring’s already gigantic arsenal. I tried around a dozen weapons during the preview, and each had an interesting moveset or fun ability unlike anything in the base game.
There’s a two-handed great hammer you can whirl around and throw like Mjölnir, throwing daggers and axes, a great katana, and even perfume weapons that spray enemies with harmful elemental vapor—the ultimate alchemist fantasy.
I chose the Sorcerer class, a lightly-armored spellcaster that uses a mixture of Intelligence and Faith and wields one of the new hand-to-hand combat styles. The new martial arts attacks pack a punch (pun intended) and feel borderline OP, but I can say the same about every new weapon I tried.
Another of my favorites is the Beast Claw, a fast, close-range fighting style that sees you darting around the battle and swiping at your foes like a juiced-up animal. It’s essentially an upgraded version of Bloodborne’s Beast Claw, and I can’t wait to try it in a full playthrough.
The sheer breadth of what’s on offer is staggering, and I’m so excited to experiment with all these new tools. Elden Ring’s build diversity was always one of its strengths, but with Shadow of the Erdtree’s new additions, there’ll be a staggering number of options at our disposal—vastly more than every Souls game, Soulslike, and action-RPG out there.
Plenty of meat on the bones
You can put these new tools to the test in Shadow of the Erdtree’s legacy dungeons, the first of which is Belurat, Tower Settlement. It’s an enormous, crumbling castle town with impressive verticality and feels like peak FromSoftware level design. You’ll traverse winding alleys and twisting interiors, jump between rooftops, and unlock clever shortcuts as you ascend to the summit of a once-proud fortress, now crumbling and overrun by mindless denizens.
It’s reminiscent of Demon Souls’ Boletaria, Dark Souls 3’s Ringed City, and Elden Ring’s Leyndell in all the best ways, and I loved exploring its countless nooks and crannies. There are branching paths, optional areas hiding missable goodies, an expansive underground section hidden behind a locked door, and even a poison swamp. FromSoftware is back and ready to rumble.
Belurat has to be one of my favorite legacy dungeons in Elden Ring, and it culminates in one of FromSoftware’s best boss battles to date. You might remember it from the trailer—the Divine Beast Dancing Lion. This is the first of 10 major bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree, and as you’d expect, it wants to put your insides on the outside.
The Dancing Lion is ruthlessly punishing but hugely satisfying to beat. It prances around the arena unleashing a cacophony of storm magic and barely gives you a moment to breathe, but it’s an awesome fight, especially once you hit phase two. Just try not to get caught by its grab attack—it’ll eat you alive.
A feast to look forward to
FromSoftware always underpromises and overdelivers, so when the developer spends two years working on an expansion to one of the biggest and best-reviewed RPGs of all time, you know there’ll be lots to sink your teeth into.
I loved every minute of my three hours with Elden Ring’s expansion and can’t wait for it to launch on June 21. If the rest of Shadow of the Erdtree is anything like the three hours I played, it’ll easily be From Software’s best expansion, and the sheer amount—and quality—of content on offer will undoubtedly make it worth the $40 price tag.
