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- Elden Ring managed to set a high bar for open-world games in 2022.
- Shadow of the Erdtree continues to impress with an incredibly fleshed-out open world.
- The DLC presents various mysteries, interesting areas, and more to keep the open world interesting at all times.
Shadow of the Erdtree has received criticism due to its difficult bosses. However, it hasn’t received any shred of criticism for the world and level design. Elden Ring’s open-world was so good that it managed to raise the bar for open-world games.
The DLC is no different, and the bar is arguably even higher now. I still find it hard to believe how FromSoftware managed to make the open-world and level design of the DLC better than the base game.
Why it matters: I already had high expectations from the DLC, but FromSoftware still managed to exceed them by a mile.
Unparalleled Sense of Discovery
By now, you would already know that Elden Ring doesn’t hold your hand, and you have to explore and find most things yourself. There might be a few hints every now and then, but the exploration requires careful examination of the surroundings. Staying true to this nature, the DLC is no exception; in fact, it takes things to the next level.
I have explored everything Shadow of the Erdtree offers after 70 hours. Wasn’t the DLC supposed to be only 30 hours long? If you are going to explore it thoroughly and beat every boss, then no, it isn’t going to be this short.
The level design is so unique that the map won’t help you much. You only have yourself in the DLC, and I am being literal here. Not only are the boss fights harder, but the complexity of the open world has been cranked up a notch.
Hidden walls, maze-type rooms, ruins to distract you, and obvious yet not-so-obvious paths, you will find everything in the DLC. It confuses you so much that you might begin to question the most linear of paths for secrets that don’t exist.
Shadow of the Erdtree is a great example of how there can be more to a game than meets the eye. As such, you’ll probably have to rely on thorough exploration to have any luck finding the best gear, weapons, and more.
The Level Design Is Mindblowing
I think no game released this generation has a better-designed open world than Elden Ring and its DLC. I still remember finding the way to Messmer The Impaler in Shadow Keep, but it wasn’t easy.
It took me around 30 minutes to find the path leading to the last floor, and it was far from easy to find. Shadow Keep might just have the best level design FromSoftware has ever created.
This is basically the core of the new content, or I believe it to be so. You can go to the Rauh Ruins from here, which is basically an end-game area. You can choose to fight Messmer, who is sitting on his throne, or you can simply go to the most haunted area of Elden Ring, Abyssal Woods, or fight Messmer’s Commander.
Getting to Messmer’s Commander is another tricky part, and it is as hard as getting to Messmer. So, if you are still in the early stages, you are in for one hell of an experience.
It Just Keeps Getting Better
I had the best experience in Shadow Keep, but there was just one small problem. It was packed with enemies. This is understandable to some extent, as Messmer The Impaler was at war with Hornsents.
Other than that, I really liked the level design of Rauh Ruins. You must have looked at the map and wondered where the last missing map fragment is, and I can relate. Who would have thought that the Rauh Base would be connected to a place no one would have imagined it to be?
Unless you are blindly going anywhere on the map, I don’t think it is possible to find it. However, if you have free time to play the DLC thoroughly, I can guarantee you will enjoy the overall experience.
For these reasons, I’ve found myself completely absorbed by Shadow of the Erdtree’s gorgeous yet treacherous world. Each new corner presents the promise of more gear, stories, and discoveries, but the danger of death lurks ever closer.
This balance is perhaps why Shadow of the Erdtree’s open world is so much better than everything you’ll find in most open-world games.
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[News Editor]
Obaid is pursuing a Law degree while working as a content writer. He has worked as a gaming writer for over three years because of his passion for the medium and reporting the latest updates in the industry. Having played hundreds of games, Obaid finds himself coming back to Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Red Dead Redemption 2, with these games being among his favorites. He has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as Wccftech, Metro UK, PS Lifestyle, GamePressure, VGC, and Gamespot.
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