Summary
One of the main features every FromSoftware fan looks forward to in one of the developer’s games is engaging, intense, and challenging boss fights.Elden Ringthrew a whopping 238 bosses into its Lands Between, giving players more than enough of these exciting encounters. Now,Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC adds dozens more, with most of them being optional bosses that players can skip if they so choose. In fact, only ten ofShadow of the Erdtree’s boss fightsare required to progress the main story, so the vast majority of the DLC’s bosses are entirely skippable — from a certain point of view.
Elden Ring’s base game experience has plenty of worthwhile boss fights, but its optional boss fights can be even more so. Fortunately, that continues to ring true in Shadow of the Erdtree, as players are constantly rewarded for venturing off the beaten path with some of the DLC’s most memorable battles. However, there is a massive downside to these bosses, especially considering one of the main things that bothElden Ringand its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC do right — and this downside is highlighted even more by the difficulty that Shadow of the Erdtree is now famous for.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s Optional Bosses Give Players More of Its Best Content
It would be impossible forElden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC to be considered a true FromSoftware experience without plenty of boss fights, and it delivers that and even more with a sizable number of optional bosses, especially for a DLC. Shadow of the Erdtree’s optional bosses are immensely difficult, but the reward for defeating them is often worth the effort. Players can acquire anything from new armor sets to new sorceries for tackling these tough foes, and it’s simultaneously all a part of what makes Shadow of the Erdtree atraditional FromSoftwareexperience. Unfortunately, the downside to these fights can sometimes outweigh the good.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s Optional Bosses Can Put a Damper on Open-World Exploration
It is now almost universal knowledge thatElden Ring’s open world is perhaps the best open world ever designed, with some considering it even better thanThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s open worldof Hyrule. InElden Ring, players are constantly rewarded for exploring every nook and cranny in the game’s massive Lands Between, whether that reward comes in the form of a special item or a hidden boss. Shadow of the Erdtree continues whatElden Ringstarted by giving players the same experience in a completely different world. However, its optional bosses can sometimes put a damper on that experience.
Many of Shadow of the Erdtree’s optional bosses serve as gatekeepers to some of the DLC’s best areas. Commander Gaius, for instance, guards the Scaduview area, where players can find fiveScadutree Fragmentsto enhance their character’s damage output and negation. While this does offer players yet another boss fight, Commander Gaius is one of the most frustrating enemies in the DLC, which means those who lack the patience to take him down may never see the Scaduview area nor the Scadutree Fragments that are housed within it.
This is true of many optional bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree, which is very unfortunate considering some players may be shut off from certain areas of the Realm of Shadow simply due to them not being able to subdue their gatekeepers. The sheer number of boss fights added in Shadow of the Erdtree is certainly a positive for those who can endure countless defeats while they learn boss mechanics, but those who may not be strong enough nor patient enough to overcome them may find themselves unable to see all thatShadow of the Erdtree’s Realm of Shadowhas to offer.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
WHERE TO PLAY
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
