Despite warnings from reviewers and FromSoftware itself, fans are quickly finding out Shadow of Erdtree IS extremely difficult. Extension until 2022 The Elden ring was released on June 21st and has earned a reputation for being tough, even for a FromSoftware game. This has led to DLC revision status steam diving into “Mixed” after people started review-bombing the game for its difficulty.
Just a few days ago Shadow of Erdtree‘s release, director Hidetaka Miyazaki discussed the challenge the expansion would pose to players. “We’ve really pushed the envelope in terms of what we think the player can handle,” Miyazaki said. CNET in an interview. While the Soulslike genre has usually been synonymous with hard difficulty, some players think Shadow of Erdtree may have gone too far.
“I’m here to play the game, not be tortured by it,” wrote one Steam Review. It’s a sentiment shared by many. Another reviewer said that FromSoftware “has lost the essence of what made their games fun – fairness”. They are referring to the idea that most “Sulslikes” give players the skills to overcome challenges, but claim Shadow of Erdtree it lacks that balance in combat encounters. Review-bombardment and general discussion of Shadow of ErdtreeThe difficulty has revived a conversation about Soulslikes as old as the games themselves: Are these games too hard, or are people just too used to hand-holding in modern games to appreciate a real challenge?
Contrary to review bombers and other players who are genuinely unhappy with the difficulty, some say that’s just how FromSoftware rolls. This is true, to an extent, as the studio has a history of creating DLC for its games that are more difficult than the base game. These expansions are meant to be a higher challenge for those who have mastered what came before. This was also the case, for example, with With bloodS ‘ The Old Hunters DLC (which, in my opinion, remains one of the most challenging experiences FromSoft has made). There is an element of “what do you expect?” by some, aimed at those who complained about the extreme difficulty.
However, the situation is a bit more complicated than that. The discussion of FromSoftware’s difficulty has always had two sides. Many people often think of “Git Gud” crowd, who don’t want to have nuanced discussions and think players who complain just need to be better. But on the other hand, there is valid criticism of FromSoftware’s difficulty, especially regarding the lack of accessibility options. This has continued to be a pain point, as it means these games are less available to all players. Additionally, FromSoftware’s design ethos often demands a high level of perfection, while the games themselves are riddled with imperfect designs (such as broken camera controls) that cause unintentional friction that the player must overcome as well.
There is another layer to the surrounding conversation Shadow of Erdtree. The Elden ring is arguably the most accessible (and therefore most played by newcomers) game that FromSoft has created to date. The open world is a big reason for this, as players who encounter a challenge they can’t beat can go elsewhere. This more accessible design and the popularity it gained created a community of players who have never played a Soulslike before and are now diving in with excitement Shadow of Erdtree just discovering FromSoft DLC is difficult.
image: Bandai Namco
This jolt of difficulty is likely to cause a hum of frustration at the perception of an extremely unfair challenge. With so many discussions going on, even The Elden ring Publisher Bandai Namco weighed in. “This is a suggestion to level up your Scadutree Blessing,” the company posted on X (formerly Twitter), to encourage those who complain about the difficulty to use the new expansion improvement material. This highlights another fact of FromSoftware: The developer (almost) always gives players a way to tackle new challenges.
That’s how it is Shadow of Erdtree Very difficult? Well, it’s complicated. It is definitely more difficult than The Elden ring, but there are also ways to face the biggest challenge. If you’re having a hard time with any of the new bosses, take your time, take a break, and really need to collect as many Scadutree Fragments as you can.
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