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Elden Ring's upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is all set to take you back to the Lands Between. FromSoftware is known to provide a well-crafted experience with its game DLCs. While much new content is coming to the game with the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, you might wonder how FromSoftware can top what was offered in Elden Ring.
While it is still unclear what players will receive in the upcoming DLC, many hope it will provide another great adventure that's on par with the base game, if not better. So this article will discuss five ways Shadow of the Erdtree can improve on Elden Ring's already fantastic experience.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.
How Shadow of the Erdtree can surpass Elden Ring's base game experience
1) Better boss battles
Fans of the Soulslike genre enjoy a challenging boss fight. Elden Ring, in typical FromSoftware fashion, houses some of the best bosses that challenge your tenacity and your moral compass as you defeat them throughout the story. Hidetaka Miyazaki, in an interview with Eurogamer, has stated that Shadow of the Erdtree will include boss battles that will be as tough as Malenia.
During your travels through the Lands Between, you might have clashed your blades with Malenia, the Blade of Miquella, an optional boss in the base game. She is considered the strongest boss in the game, leaving a lasting impression on Tarnished worldwide because of her attacking movesets that are nearly impossible to dodge.
2) Improving playstyles and weapons
During the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer, many new weapon types and playstyles were showcased, which will come to the game when the upcoming Elden Ring DLC is released. While it is exciting to wait for new weapons and fun new ways to beat down the enemies, FromSoftware has the potential to buff some of the existing ones.
The Greatswords in Elden Ring is one of the clunkiest weapons in the game. It does great damage for sure, but it puts you at a disadvantage against agile foes. Some spells, such as the Elden Stars and the Sorcery playstyle, are also ineffective. The DLC might spice things up by adding spells, incantations, and weapons to make these playstyles viable.
3) Campaign
FromSoftware tends to deliver an excellent expansion that provides you with a story you will love more than the base game's narrative. Elden Ring's storyline is by no means bad. It is one of the best narrative-driven experiences that you can find. However, Shadow of the Erdtree has the potential to up it by a notch.
This is the same reason why many people love The Ringed City expansion from Dark Souls 3. This DLC improved on the already fantastic experience of the base game by providing a great storyline and adding to the overall Dark Souls 3 lore.
4) Dungeons
Elden Ring does have its fair share of well-crafted dungeons you can explore for a challenge, to obtain the rewards hidden in it, or both. The upcoming expansion will add more dungeons throughout the Lands Between that the Tarnished can explore.
Many people consider the Old Hunter DLC from Bloodborne one of the best examples of how the level design and enemy combat are improved from the base game.
5) Side quests
Side quests are a crucial part of any RPG or open-world game. These additional contents can enhance your gameplay experience with the fantastic stories they might offer. FromSoftware's open-world RPG offers a lot of NPC and side quests that you can complete to learn more about the characters and receive various rewards.
Shadow of the Erdtree can provide side quests throughout the new region of Realm of Shadow, which can expand more on the game's already vast lore. There will be new characters at play, such as Messmer the Impaler, about whom Tarnished can learn more via these additional quests.
