It finally happened, folks. From Software have released the trailer for Shadow of the Erdtree, the first and possibly only expansion for Elden Ring. It’s been a long year since the existence of the upcoming expac was revealed, waiting with baited breath during every Playstation State of Play for even the tiniest crumb of Elden Ring news. But, the time has at last come, and we have our first look at the Land of Shadow. Beware spoilers for Elden Ring below, but, honestly, you really should have played this game by now if you care about that sort of thing.
As expected, witless tarnished will be entering the expansion by touching the withered hand of sleeping Miquella, the mysterious demigod only alluded to and briefly glimpsed in the base game, emerging half-formed from his disgusting cocoon. This places the content of Shadow firmly in the endgame of Elden Ring, as Miquella resides at the very end of Mohgwyn Palace, an area usually accessed very late into the game (unless you’re particularly keen, in which case rushing through White Mask Varre’s questline can get you there early, at a significant disadvantage.)
Beyond we will enter the Land of Shadow, promised by director Hidetaka Miyazaki in a recent interview to be a sizeable landmass slightly larger than the area of Limgrave, the first open world location we visited in Elden Ring. The exact nature of the Land of Shadow remains unclear- Miyazaki hints that it exists in the “same universe” as the Lands Between but has become “physically disconnected” from it, so the jury is out on whether this strange land visited by dreamers is a physical realm or some kind of spiritual mirror to the Lands Between.
I know what you’re thinking; “Is there a poison swamp? Dear god, please, let there be a poison swamp!” I’m here to help- Yes! There IS a poison swamp! The player clearly traverses an area that should now be familiar to From Software veterans, a miserable plane filled with some corrosive substance or other that is likely to cause serious mental damage to any who spend too long in the area. I dare say that the black water seen in the trailer could be the type to inflict deathblight, meaning instant death for those who spend more than a few moments wading in it. As such, this poison swamp could end up being the worst of the bunch, the apex of Miyazaki’s hideous fascination with fetid bogs. What a card!
We see many other locales in the trailer, particularly the main overworld, dominated by the mysterious image of two trees, one straight yet cracking and leaking sap, being strangled by the other, darker tree, coiling itself around its sibling and choking the life out of it. With the existence of a potential deathblight swamp, one has to wonder about the implication that Godwyn the Golden, progenitor of deathblight, may have unwittingly spread his infectious tendrils even into this otherwordly plane of existence, resulting in this corrupted tree. As brother of Miquella, this could be the impetus for the eternally young demigods pilgrimage to this place.
Alternatively, the dark tree coiling around the other could be symbolic of the posterboy for this expansion, the mysterious Messmer the Impaler. Messmer clearly has a snake motif going on, and the tree’s snake-like behaviour could hint at his involvement in the apparent corruption of this strange land. Miyazaki has confirmed that Messmer is yet another child of Marika the Eternal, and his red hair would seem to imply Radagon of the Golden Order is his father- meaning that this is another true sibling to Malenia & Miquella, another demigod born of two gods who are secretly one. Malenia was inflicted with rot and Miquella cursed with eternal youth, leaving one to wonder what strange affliction Messmer will suffer as a result of his bizarre parentage.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the cool new armor and moves we will be unlocking in this expansion – I can already see one particular armour set that my chunky warrior will definitely be parading around the Land of Shadow. New moves include a fleshed-out throwing knife moveset and what seems to be some kind of unarmed, super-kicky combo that my Tarnished probably wouldn’t be able to get off the ground.
As the trailer ends, we get our first true look at Miquella- which is to say, not a dessicated arm reaching out of a freaky egg. An unknown speaker warns that he “wields love to shrive clean the hearts of men” and item descriptions from the base game imply that Miquella is capable of somehow compelling adoration from his followers. His true motives and alignment remain unknown, but he certainly seems like a bit of a shady character to say the least. Time will tell if Miquella will be friend or foe, but hey, if he’s got the stamp of approval from our trusty steed Torrent, he’s ok in my book.
Shadow of the Erdtree releases June 21st, with a collectors edition featuring an awesome statue of Messmer that I totally cannot afford. Let’s fucking go.
Boss Rush Mode 