Summary
After more than two years since the base game was released,Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreearrives as a truly massive expansion, though it may come as a surprise that the DLC’s map design is something of a departure from that of the Lands Between.Elden Ringwas highly anticipated in part because it’s FromSoftware’s first full-fledged open world, contrasting with the often labyrinthine design of its previous RPGs. The Legacy Dungeons have a hint ofDark Souls' level design in them, butShadow of the Erdtree’s Land of Shadow feels like a true successor to the layered world of Lordran.
Shadow of the Erdtreesees the Tarnished following in the footsteps of Kindly Miquella, child to Queen Marika, sibling to infamouslydifficultElden RingbossMalenia, Blade of Miquella, and one of the base game’s more curious figures. Miquella has left the Lands Between for the Land of Shadow with an unknown task at hand, and the TarnishedstartsShadow of the Erdtreeby interacting with Miquella’s cocoon at the back of Mohg’s boss room inMohgwyn Palace. The Tarnished emerges much like they did in the Lands Between, with practically the entirety of the Land of Shadow open to them.
Shadow Of The Erdtree Is Smaller, But More Compact Than Elden Ring
The Land Of Shadow Is Stacked On Top Of Itself
In terms of square footage,Shadow of the Erdtree’s map appears significantly smaller thanElden Ring’s, but the bird’s-eye view allowed by the in-game map is deceiving.Shadow of the Erdtree’s map size is roughly equivalent to two regions from the base game, likeLimgrave(including the Weeping Peninsula) andAltus Plateau, for instance, stacked on top of one another. The scale can be conceptualized through the map’s zoom functionality: the second image in the gallery above is a composite of two screenshots (images three and four) from the furthest possible zoom; it is impossible to seeElden Ring’s full map all at once.Shadow of the Erdtree’s map, in comparison, can be viewed in full (image one).
In the first image above, allShadow of the Erdtreemap fragments have been found, but the map is still missing numerous Sites of Grace, dungeons, and other points of interest not yet discovered.
Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Map Is Denser Than Elden Ring’s
Less Sprawl, More Verticality
It only takes a few minutes of exploring the Land of Shadow to realizeit isn’t quite as sprawling as the Lands Between. The first area, Gravesite Plain, is not as wide open as Limgrave, and has significantly fewer points of interest – there are not as many caves, catacombs, nor other minor dungeons. It is, however, buttressed by Belurat, Tower Settlement –Shadow of the Erdtree’s first Legacy Dungeon – and Castle Ensis, a dungeon of significant size, not to mention the many paths available for continued exploration of the open field.
Where To Go First In Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t give you explicit directions on where to go, but there is an ideal first stop in the Land of Shadow.
After a while,Shadowof the Erdtreebegins to feel like one continuous dungeon, interrupted by frequent, more claustrophobic spaces. What the Land of Shadow lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality; the easiest comparison is the game’s Imp-filled catacombs, which are lengthy, multi-level delves inShadow of the Erdtree, rather than the brief jaunts they tend to be inElden Ring’s base game.Shadow of the Erdtreeultimately ends up feeling much like the originalDark Souls, but on a larger scale. Plenty of interesting places can be seen in the distance, or far above and below, but the way there is yet to be uncovered.
The Land of Shadow is labyrinthine on a grand scale, built on top of itself so well that choosing to explore a seemingly innocuous path can result in a winding, hours-long journey to unexpected places. Torrent shines as areas themselves feel like grand dungeons, letting the spectral steed gallop through massive stone corridors while the Tarnished chops down enemies.Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s map is ultimately quite small compared to the base game’s, but it is often more elaborate, and inherits the game’s incredible sense of exploration.
Players venture into the shadowed realm of the Land of Shadow to confront new biomes, dungeons, and formidable bosses. Guided by the enigmatic Miquella, they face the terrifying Messmer the Impaler and uncover the dark secrets shrouded beneath the Erdtree’s influence, featuring new weapons, magic, and challenges.
