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The Shadow of the Erdtree gameplay trailer has officially been released, and fans can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this much-awaited DLC is only a few months away. After being announced a year ago, there was a lot of attention and hype around this expansion to Elden Ring. The Shadow of the Erdtree continues events from the base game and features an entirely new region called the Shadow Lands.
FromSoftware has a great track record with DLCs and expansions, with all of their Souls games receiving at least one. Bloodborne's sole DLC, The Old Hunters, is easily one of their best to date, only rivaled by Dark Souls 3's Ringed City DLC. The Old Hunters DLC is a finale to the story of Bloodborne and ties in a major plotline hinted at in the base game.
That being said, we look at what made The Old Hunters DLC so great and if some of those aspects could make their way into Shadow of the Erdtree. Without further ado, here are five things from The Old Hunters DLC that could be replicated in Shadow of the Erdtree.
5 great things that Shadow of the Erdtree can borrow from The Old Hunters
1) A challenging boss fight at the start of the DLC
The Old Hunters DLC has an immense skill check before you even reach the fabled fishing hamlet. This skill check comes in the form of Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower. For Souls fans unfamiliar with her, she was the Malenia of her day and 'Liberated' many a hunter from their wild curiosities.
She can be found in the aforementioned Astral Clocktower and is the first hurdle before you can access the Fishing Hamlet. Her story is quite tragic, and you can later find her Rakuyo Katana thrown down as you explore the rest of the expansion. Lady Maria is one of the most challenging fights in the Souls series, and her placement is also iconic.
2) Iconic Weapons and Armor
As mentioned in the entry above, players can acquire Lady Maria's iconic Rakuyo as they explore the fishing hamlet, but this isn't the only legendary weapon hidden in the DLC. The Moonlight Greatsword is also found in The Old Hunters DLC, and its Bloodborne name is Holy Moonlight Sword. It is wielded by Ludwig, the Holy Knight, and its moonlight splendor is magnificent to witness.
Alongside these boss weapons, there is the offhand Gattling Gun that is quite fun to use. Simon's Bowblade is another trick weapon that packs a lot of punch. While there aren't a ton of great armor sets in the DLC, the Maria Hunter set is one that most Fashion-Souls enthusiasts will gravitate toward.
Shadow of the Erdtree has already shown off some weapons and armor that will undoubtedly be iconic in their own right.
3) Replayability
The Old Hunters DLC is arguably the most replayable DLC released by FromSoftware. It isn't tortuous but has enough content to warrant a couple of playthroughs at the minimum. Players will usually miss out on secrets and weapons, and a second playthrough with a new character always sorts that problem out.
While Shadow of the Erdtree will be a lot longer than The Old Hunters DLC, there is still the question of how many playthroughs you can squeeze out of it. The Old Hunters DLC also incentivizes players to return to Bloodborne even today. This is something that Shadow of the Erdtree can pick up from this DLC.
4) Bring in another Cosmic God into the story
The Greater Will is the ruling authority in the Lands Between and while the main story does resolve some of the plotlines involving the Greater Will, the rest of the cosmic beings mentioned in the game are not given any screen time at all. The Old Hunters DLC does an excellent job of this as they use the Cosmic entity — Kos as one of the major talking points for the events in this expansion.
The Old Hunters DLC explores the story of decrepit Fishing Hamlet, where hunters of the past conducted vile experiments on its inhabitants. They were also responsible for defiling the body of the God Kos, and you, as the player, are met with her vengeance in the form of her child.
This final battle set on a moonlit beach is one of the best highlights of gaming in the last decade. The Shadow of the Erdtree can greatly benefit from showing off at least one of the cosmic beings teased in the base game.
5) Resolve the missing 'link' from the base game
The Old Hunters DLC explores the horrible nature of the crimes the Church and the hunters committed in the fishing hamlet. These crimes are addressed in the base game, and the current state of the world is seen as retribution. The base story of Bloodborne and the DLC does a great job resolving the story for the player.
Elden Ring also feels like a complete experience. Still, as players explore more of Miquella's Haligtree and learn about his abduction by Mohg, they are left wondering where the benevolent Emperyean has gone. The Shadow of the Erdtree is about searching for Miquella in the Shadow Lands and will hopefully be a well-deserved resolution for the enigmatic yet mysterious demigod.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree releases on June 21, 2024, and is available for pre-order on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows. For more information about the upcoming DLC, check out the articles linked below.
How to preorder Elden Ring DLC | Does Shadow of the Erdtree take place after Elden Ring? | 5 ways to prepare for Elden Ring DLC | 5 new things showcased in Shadow of the Erdtree trailer | 5 things you might have missed in the gameplay trailer
