Here’s Why You Should Revisit Elden Ring This Summer
Elden Ring was released more than two years ago, to universal acclaim. It’s hard to even count all the game awards that the game managed to amass in a relatively short time. But once the initial hype cooled down it sort of fell off the radar for many players. That was the case until ‘Shadow of the Erdtree’ expansion was released, and now you have every reason to pick up the game again.
‘Shadow of the Erdtree’ was released back in June, to universal acclaim just like the base game. The expansion features tons of new content, 70 new weapons, 10 shields, 30 armor sets, new consumables, and craftables but most importantly – new areas, mechanics, quests, and enemies.
It’s exactly those enemies that hold the largest appeal to most of the fanbase. ‘Shadow of the Erdtree’ features some of the toughest boss encounters in any FromSoftware game, and you’re going to be forced to reassess your build several times. The bosses are relentless in their attacks, and at times, it’s going to feel unfair and impossible, but that’s the point of any soulslike right? Playing with friends doesn’t mean that you will have an easier time defeating a boss; as the mechanics allow them to become even stronger when a co-op mod is detected.
The toughest bosses in the expansion include the Golden Hippopotamus, Romina, Saint of the Bud, Promised Consort Radahn, Divine Beast Dancing Lion, Putrescent Knight, and Messmer, The Impaler. The hardest boss, well, depending on who you ask is Promised Consort Radahn, found in the Shadow Realm.
When you first load up the expansion you might feel overwhelmed and you might feel like the game failed to properly direct you, considering that the expansion features a new region, with numerous new zones, each more difficult and fascinating than the last one. If you’re Elden Ring veteran or have some experience with the game you should have no trouble figuring out what to do, if you’re new there are plenty of guides online.
The expansion also features a new progression system for the Realm of Shadow, allowing players to develop new strengths. Exploring the Lands Between offers countless secrets, hidden areas, optional bosses, and new side quests,you can theoretically expand your gameplay for dozens of hours. For those who prefer to just stick to the “main story” and want to do it as fast as possible, the New Game Plus system gives you that option. Players can take various paths to the game’s end, with different alliances leading to unexpected outcomes.
With this new stuff, it’s an ideal time to begin or continue your Elden Ring journey, but before you can do that, you’re going to need to purchase the base game. The game is available on all major platforms and all major storefronts. The cheapest PS5 Elden Ring bundle will set you back $69.99. The game is a bit pricier on Steam for PC players. You can find all compatibility information as well as additional news on the Elden Ring official site.