Arise Now, Ye Tarnished

Elden Ring, 2022’s game of the year, is finally getting its long awaited DLC, Shadow Of The Erdtree. I played the game right when it was released, and it quickly earned a spot on my top 10 list, as well as becoming a cultural phenomenon. Now, in order to get ready to tackle the new DLC, I’ve been revisiting the game, and it’s just as great as it was the first time around.

Having been over 2 years since I last played the game, I decided to start fresh, and make a brand new character. In order to access the new DLC, you have to defeat two major bosses, Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. This isn’t an easy task, and in my initial playthrough I never beat Mohg, so I had my work cut out for me.

In the abstract, it’s a little funny that I had gaming “homework” the past few weeks, where I had to spend time getting ready in order to play new content. For me though, this has been a great excuse to visit a game I adore. The combat, the exploration, the environmental storytelling, it all comes together to create such an incredible experience. The tension and triumph that the game creates is unlike any other.

My first playthrough took me over 100 hours to reach the credits, but there was still so much I hadn’t done. I intended to explore every nook and cranny during a new game plus, but I either lost steam or got distracted by the next big release. As I’ve been revisiting the lands between, I’m struck by how many new discoveries I’m making, or how many bosses I’m fighting for the first time.

It’s not just finding new things though, I’m also trying to play in some new ways. I stuck with an Int/Dex build for the entirety of my first Elden Ring playthrough, it was simply far too strong to give up. With this new character, I chose the same class, and was on a similar trajectory, until I forced myself to try something new. Frankly, I’m glad I did, because one of this game’s strongest points is that there’s so many different ways to play it, and all of them are a delight.

I’ve been leaning more into Faith this playthrough, and delighted by all the different options Incantations can offer. Instead of just slinging powerful damaging spells, I’m stacking different buffs, healing myself, and of course still throwing the odd fireball when needed. Respecing is pretty readily available in Elden Ring, which is perfect because there’s no shortage of builds I want to try, and I’m sure the DLC will only give me even more options to try.

It’s interesting playing this game years later, now that so many of the secrets buried in the game have been uncovered. One of the best parts about Fromsoft games is the sense of discovery that arises from the community coming together to help each other out, largely in the forms of messages. At any time, you can leave messages for other players using pre-set phrases. These range from helpful, to funny, or even deceitful, trying to trick you or waste your time.

When the game first came out, I remember finding a fake wall, and not seeing a single message pointing it out. I left a message, and was receiving health boosts even hours later from people liking my message. It made me feel like I was a part of something greater, just one person enjoying and exploring the game alongside so many others.

Now, most of the game has been explored and documented. The questlines for NPCs that were so inscrutable at release are clearly laid out in wiki pages, easily accessible for anyone who’s curious. The lore has been dissected and compiled into lore videos, making it far easier to understand (mostly) what’s going on with the various characters and the larger world.

It’s made my life much easier playing this game a second time, since I can easily grab the weapons and spells I want, but it doesn’t match that initial sense of discovery following the first few weeks of the game’s release. I’m excited for the DLC for lots of reasons, but having something to explore and discover alongside the larger community is easily one of the top reasons I’m excited.

I’ve played about 65 hours with my current character, reached level 130, and defeated Starscourge Radahn. I fought Mogh a few times, but felt a little underleveled my first few attempts. I went to fight him just last night and managed to beat him on my first attempt! I did cheese the fight a bit by getting him stuck behind a pillar, a win is a win! I might still be a little weak for the DLC though, as I think it’s recommended to be around level 150.

I’ll try to prepare as best as I can for the new DLC, but I really have no clue what to expect, and that makes me very excited. I’ve read some of the reviews and previews, so I have some knowledge, but you find out very quickly in Fromsoft games just how limited your knowledge can be. I’m looking forward to having questions that no one can answer, having to find your own solutions rather than just looking up a guide.

I try to play games blind as often as I can, especially when it’s my first time playing a game, but often the temptation to look up a solution is too great. Sometimes I just want to know the answer, or the best way to do something, rather than spend my precious time being frustrated. In games like Elden Ring, frustration is part of the experience, and not knowing is half the fun.

I’ve played other Fromsoft games before, like Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3, but neither of them quite clicked for me. I preferred Dark Souls over Bloodborne simply because I could use magic, and made it maybe 30 hours in before losing steam. I always hit a wall in those games where a boss or a challenge makes me eventually bounce off the game. Because of how linear those games are, you often don’t have any other options, you have to do whatever is in front of you to progress.

What’s truly brilliant about Elden Ring, is that if you find something too difficult or frustrating, you can simply go somewhere else. There are plenty of places to explore, and challenges to take on, not just whatever it is that’s giving you grief. If a particular boss is making you want to throw your controller across the room, you can take a breather, go explore, maybe find a new weapon, and come back later.

I typically don’t love open world games, since they often start to feel like a giant checklist. Your map is filled with icons, you go to each icon, do the task, then go to the next. It’s all very obvious, and often has little rewards for exploring anywhere besides these icons. In Elden Ring, in order for an location to show on the map, you have to find it first, and that rules. It’s aided by an excellent map that shows the geography of the area, giving you hints at possible areas of interest to go check out.

I could go on and on about why I love Elden Ring, but really, I’m just excited. A game I love is getting a huge expansion that’ll give me even more hours of exploration, frustration, tense moments, and elation. It’s been a great excuse to revisit something I love, remember why it’s great, and see its greatness expanded on. I may be getting ahead of myself, but the reviews of the DLC have been resounding praise.

I know Fromsoft games, and souls-like as a genre aren’t for everyone, but if you’re at all curious, or even if the other games haven’t clicked, play this one. Before Elden Ring I really only clicked with Nioh and Nioh 2 in this genre, but now I see why Fromsoft is responsible for creating such a unique subgenre. They really are masters at their craft, and Elden Ring is a masterpiece of a game.

Arise Now, Ye Tarnished, and seek the Elden Ring. You won’t be disappointed.

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