WhenElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree was first announced, one of the first things fans of FromSoftware’s 2022 Game of the Year thought was how they would access the expansion. Historically, the developer’s other DLC additions have never been straightforward to access, with previous entry points usually involving late-game side quests or convoluted NPC interactions. Shadow of the Erdtree is no different, and players have to overcome a tough, mid-to-late game boss before they can teleport into the DLC’s map from his arena. Still, withElden Ring’s scale, many expected the huge expansion to at least have some kind of accompanying intro cutscene, but unfortunately, it doesn’t.
Provided the other prerequisite of defeating Starscourge Radahn has been accomplished, defeating Mohg, Lord of Blood, in his palace, will lead players to discover an NPC standing next to Miquella’s cocoon. The NPC reveals herself as Leda, and she tells the player to touch Miquella’s withered arm in order to be transported to the Land of Shadow, where they, like Leda, can set off looking for the Empyrean. This isas close to an intro cutscene as Shadow of the Erdtree gets, as when the arm is touched, the player finds themselves in a huge area called Gravesite Plain, where they begin their journey.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Opens Abruptly
It’s worth noting that in terms of lore and storytelling,Shadow of the Erdtree is less vague thanElden RingandDark Soulsoften are. It’s relatively simple to follow the narrative established as the Tarnished goes in search of Miquella and tries to understand why he’s in the Land of Shadow in the first place. Making the story a little easier to follow means that the decision not to include some kind of proper introduction for Shadow of the Erdtree is even more puzzling, especially considering the marketing was heavily story-focused, with plenty of dialogue in trailers explaining the premise of the expansion.
That being said, none of FromSoftware’s other expansions have had intro cutscenes either, and this could just be a case of reverting to type. Similarly, many fans arepuzzled by the decision to not give Shadow of the Erdtree its own trophy list, but a quick look at other DLCs from the same developer, likeDark Souls 2’s Crown of the Old Iron King andDark Souls 3’s The Ringed City reveals that none of them came with new trophies besidesBloodborne’s The Old Hunters. It seems FromSoftware likes to stick to the same set of rules for its expansions, regardless of size or scope, and Shadow of the Erdtree is no different.
Shadow of the Erdtree’s Opening Doesn’t Hurt the Experience
Despite the lack of a meaningful opening, such is the quality anddepth of content that Shadow of the Erdtree providesthat it’s easy to forgive the lack of a cutscene after spending a couple of hours with the DLC. Easily one of the largest expansions ever created, it comes with a huge map of its own, as well as numerous new weapons, armor pieces, and some of the most challenging bosses FromSoftware has ever designed. Thankfully, most of these main bosses do come with the customary cutscenes which help to shed more light on the search for Miquella.
Shadow of the Erdtree is confirmed to be the only DLC forElden Ring, so its release marks the final chapter in this incredible game’s story. FromSoftware will no doubt already be working on its next projects, and speculation is already rife as to what these may be. One thing is for sure, even by its own high standards, FromSoftware will have an extremely difficult time attempting to clear the high bar set byElden Ringand its DLC.
