after 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 formidable fighters on their own. Belarut’s labyrinthine floors make exploring a delight – its intricacies are as remarkable as Godrick’s Stormveil Castle – but still, there’s a familiar rush of relief when we finally reach a Mark Of Grace rest point on the battlements.
So far, so good. FromSoft appears on top form – for better or worse, as the area’s final boss, Divine Beast Dancing Lion, turns out to be a right bastard. A grotesquely-stretched lion with an abundance of human limbs, Dancing Lion is deceptively fast and incredibly cool. It’s one of the most memorable battles of the entire game, as halfway through the fight it calls down a storm which means you’ve got to swing and roll through heavy rain, trying to dodge lightning on top of the Dancing Lion’s regular attacks. The weather then shifts into a snow storm and back again which adds a bit of cinematic thrill to the fight – but after six or seven deaths, whether you’ll have the sanity to appreciate it is another matter entirely.
That being said, there are ways to make Shadow Of The Erdtree easier. There are your usual summons and signs, along with new Scadotree Fragments – optional collectables that let players boost their damage and damage resistance while in the Land Of Shadow. We finally manage to defeat Dancing Lion with two of these equipped, and while their effect seems negligible, they presumably have more of an impact as you collect more, which is a nice offering for anyone who finds themselves put off by Elden Ring‘s difficulty.
Elsewhere, there are two more bosses to tackle in the preview. The second, Twin Moon Knight, is a humanoid warrior that guards Castle Ensis. Reaching her is an ordeal in itself – the castle is more linear than Belarut, but just as dangerous. At one point, we’re dropped into a hole filled with rabid dogs – killing them is a grim taste of what’s to come – and sniped by a trio of magicians who infuriatingly teleport away after each spell they fire. When we finally reach Twin Moon Knight, we make surprisingly short work of her – but with two swords, lightning-fast attacks and deceptively far reach, she’ll test anyone who struggled against mainline Elden Ring boss Melania.
With both of the preview’s main bosses out of the way, we leave the castle to kill a new dragon boss (it’s zombified, but otherwise offers no surprises if you’ve killed one of its scaly pals in the base game already) and take one of the DLC’s new martial arts weapons out for a spin. Like Elden Ring’s lighter dex weapons, this unarmed setup involves chaining together quick attacks that break poise and dish out devastating damage over time. Unfortunately, the nearest testing ground is a graveyard full of feral dogs.
To preface: we’re not proud of what followed. There’s no glory to be won in a Tyson-versus-terrier cage match. All the same, we became a whirlwind of fists and feet in a sea of hopelessly outmatched canines, furiously punching and spin-kicking every dog in sight. Guilty conscience aside, martial arts are some of the most fun weapons in any FromSoft game – they’re ridiculously fluid, and even the most die-hard dex user should consider trading in their longsword when Shadow Of The Erdtree launches.
When the preview ends we’ve explored two castles, took down three bosses, and culled crowds of canines. Still, it feels like we’ve barely scratched Shadow Of The Erdtree’s surface. Should that come as a surprise? Probably not, given FromSoft’s prior expansions in the Dark Souls series (particularly The Ringed City and Artoria Of The Abyss) have never disappointed. Even so, Shadow Of The Erdtree feels especially exciting in the same way Elden Ring did at launch – a world of brilliance, waiting for its moment to squash us.
Shadow Of The Erdtree launches on June 20 for Xbox, PlayStation and PC.