Summary
- The Land of Shadow in Elden Ring's DLC offers unique environments and stories, contrasting bright and dark spaces.
- The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC emphasizes verticality with more platforming challenges and a condensed map size.
Elden Ring's highly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is finally here, offering players a brand-new adventure that further explores some of the base game's most mysterious characters, alongside some of the most challenging enemies and bosses ever encountered in a FromSoftware game. Rather than having players remain in Elden Ring's Lands Between for the extent of its story, Shadow of the Erdtree sees players traveling to the Land of Shadow. Once there, players are tasked with following in Kindly Miquella's footsteps by finding his many crosses that are strewn about the Land of Shadow to uncover the story that awaits them.
It would arguably be a bit disappointing for the Land of Shadow to be identical to the Lands Between, as it might feel too much like more of the same. Thankfully, despite its open-world structure remaining almost identical to Elden Ring's base game, the Land of Shadow is quite a bit different than the Lands Between, offering players unique environments and a different overall geological layout, all on a much smaller map that somehow doesn't feel so small.
How Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow and Elden Ring's Lands Between Compare
Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow Features More Contrasting Environments Than Elden Ring's Lands Between
In spite of what its name might imply, Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow features much brighter environments than Elden Ring's Lands Between. This is from both a lighting and tone perspective, as many of the Land of Shadow's bright environments are well-lit and much more pleasant in their tone than those found in the base game experience for Elden Ring. The Lands Between are not devoid of bright environments by any means, but they are largely lacking the deceptively uplifting warmth that some of the Land of Shadow can provide.
On the contrary, Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow also features much darker environments than the Lands Between. In fact, some of the Land of Shadow's darker environments are something out of a horror game, especially the suspenseful Abyssal Woods area. There are plenty of dark areas in the Lands Between, but the Land of Shadow's darker environments contribute a sense of dread that even those in the Lands Between failed to provide.
Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow Emphasizes Verticality More Than Elden Ring's Lands Between
One of the most significant characteristics of Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow is its emphasis on verticality. There is a much greater need for platforming in Shadow of the Erdtree, as many of the Land of Shadow's smaller regions are either much higher or much lower than its ground level. While Elden Ring's Lands Between occasionally sees players using Spiritsprings to reach higher points, these moments are few and far between compared to those in Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow.
Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow Is Significantly Smaller Than Elden Ring's Lands Between
Being nothing more than a DLC, it makes sense that Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow is much smaller than the base game's Lands Between. Comparably, the Land of Shadow is similar in size to Elden Ring's Limgrave area. Even so, the Land of Shadow still manages to feel large despite what it lacks in horizontal square mileage, thanks to the world's emphasis on verticality. It therefore offers players much more ground to explore without increasing the size of the map from border to border.
It's fortunate that Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow is quite a bit different from Elden Ring's Lands Between as it means players get a fresh experience. With a healthy balance of light and dark environments, plenty of new heights to reach and lows to drop to, and a much more manageable size, the Land of Shadow is a fulfilling addition to Elden Ring.
- Released
- June 21, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Base Game
- Elden Ring
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, FromSoftware
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- Proprietary
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.
