a fter two long years of waiting, we are so back. In 2022, action-fantasy Elden Ring was our (and basically everybody’s) game of the year. Fellow fans will share our fond memories of fighting ultra-hard bosses, exploring the gorgeous Lands Between, and generally being turned into an enthusiastic punching bag.
For those who haven’t yet jumped in, it’s time to get caught up: developer FromSoftware’s long-awaited Shadow Of The Erdtree expansion launches later this month, and after playing it for several hours, we couldn’t be more excited for release. Shadow Of The Erdtree begins in the latter half of Elden Ring’s main story, which means players need defeat bosses Radahn and Mohg before starting this new adventure. Upon doing so, you can touch egg-bound demigod Miquella to be whisked to the Land Of Shadow, a gloomy realm dotted with hundreds of spectral gravestones.
A walking brazier stomps and smoulders in a nearby field, and in true FromSoft fashion, two gothic castles loom on the horizon. Within minutes of arriving at the first fortress, Castle Belarut, we misjudge our footing and fall down a well. “You Died” flashes across the screen, the first of its many appearances, and oh how we missed this.
Following deaths are less humiliating, at least: the area is haunted by cleaver-swinging ghosts who are simple to kill in single combat, but tight corridors and devious enemy placement mean it’s easy to get outnumbered. Meanwhile, the castle’s towering knights are .
