The upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for FromSoftware's hit title Elden Ring has the potential to expand the Lands Between in ways players might not expect. There are some high expectations placed on this DLC after the success of Elden Ring, and with the development of this expansion seemingly taking quite a while, it could point to the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC being bigger than any previous FromSoftware DLC. However, the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC could revolutionize the game by taking a page out of Bloodborne's book and introducing firearms as a new weapon type.
For as popular as Elden Ring is, there is a large subset of FromSoftware fans who are very dedicated to the developer's gothic horror-inspired Soulslike. As calls for a remaster of Bloodborne for current-gen platforms continue to grow, FromSoftware could acknowledge the love for the game by including an homage in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. While adding firearms in a primarily dark medieval fantasy setting might seem to clash tonally, Elden Ring boasts enough unique armaments that lifting some of these weapons from Bloodborne wouldn't be all that strange.
Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC Could Add Bloodborne-Style Firearms as a New Weapon Type
Bloodborne introduced firearms as secondary weapons that function similarly to shields in past FromSoftware Soulslikes, but more appropriate for the game's faster paced gameplay and Victorian era-inspired setting. Instead of using a shield to parry incoming enemy attacks, Bloodborne allowed players to fire their sidearm at just the right time in order to stagger enemies, effectively parrying their attack and rendering them vulnerable to counterattack. Additionally, these firearms could also be used for ranged combat, allowing players to deal damage to enemies at a distance and increase their overall combat options.
While Elden Ring is firmly rooted in the dark medieval fantasy genre, there are ways that firearms could be introduced to naturally fit within the game's tone and setting. These weapons could be much more rudimentary firearms based on flintlock pistols and blunderbusses, or even the ancient Chinese fire lance, moving away from some of Bloodborne's more advanced weapons like its Gatling Gun or Flamesprayer. The game's numerous weapon types already create a diverse swath of gameplay styles for players to choose from that introducing firearms could work very well with many of Elden Ring's already existing builds.
Elden Ring has a greater emphasis on ranged gameplay than past FromSoftware titles, with numerous ranged weapon types available to players. Between its bows, great bows, crossbows, and ballistas, adding firearms as another ranged weapon category wouldn't be too out of the ordinary and could help give the DLC a reason to include brand-new weapons. As a game with some truly bizarre weapon options like Elden Ring's Ringed Finger and Ghiza's Wheel, the latter of which bearing a striking resemblance to Bloodborne's Whirligig Saw, including firearms seems like a tame addition by comparison but would help give the game the feel of Bloodborne for fans missing that style of gameplay.
Although the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is still cloaked in mystery, it's likely that the expansion will feature new weapons in some capacity. With the calls for a remastered version of Bloodborne for modern consoles intensifying, FromSoftware could take this opportunity to appease this portion of the fan base somewhat by including a variation of Bloodborne's firearm mechanic in the Elden Ring DLC. While Bloodborne Remastered is only rumored to exist, Shadow of the Erdtree is a far more concrete way to bring one of Bloodborne's beloved elements to fans once again via Elden Ring.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.