Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is a sublime follow-up to one of the best games ever

FromSoftware has been operating in rarified air for some time.

While playing through Shadow of the Erdtree, we were struck with a feeling that is usually only reserved by something from Nintendo, or perhaps the latest Grand Theft Auto. This is a developer operating at the absolute peak of the medium. This is an experience that breeds a fanbase as loyal as those devoted to FromSoftware. This is one of the best games ever.

We’ve played every single game in the loose Soulsborne-kiro series, it shouldn’t be possible to surprise us any more, and yet, multiple times within Shadow of the Erdtree’s first hours, we audibly swore in astonishment at what we were looking at. To create something as massive as Elden Ring, and still have the wealth of creativity to create what is an expansion that’s longer than Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls 1&2, and Bloodborne, is awe-inspiring.

The expansion, which requires players to best some of Elden Ring’s tougher foes to access, takes us to the Land of Shadow. This world sits beneath a hulking husk of an Erdtree, painting the sky with dread. It’s a world that’s set to instantly put the player off their stride.

It’s beautiful but imposing. You can see a mammoth castle in the distance and some impossible floating islands both above and below you. You know, as an Elden Ring veteran, that you’re eventually going to go there, but at that point, it’s impossible to predict the labyrinthine twists and turns that the journey will take you on.

As you set off towards the first densely populated area, you encounter a hulking forge, almost as tall as the main game’s Fire Giant. This boss-sized enemy produces no health bar across the bottom of the screen, no special cutscene, this is simply a regular threat to contend with in the world. After your first one-on-one and a swift return to the initial site of grace, you get a taste of what you’re in for here.

Shadow of the Erdtree feels like the best of Elden Ring condensed into a more concise package. While the main