Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: A Look at the Difficulty Debate
The release of Elden Ring's highly anticipated expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, sparked a heated online discussion about its difficulty. Many players, both experienced and new, voiced concerns about the challenging bosses, some even labeling them as overtuned. Johan Pilestedt, CCO of Arrowhead Game Studios (creators of Helldivers 2), weighed in on FromSoftware's design philosophy.
Pilestedt, also the creative director of Helldivers 2, publicly agreed with streamer Rurikhan's assessment that FromSoftware intentionally crafts difficult bosses to provide a significant challenge. He argued that effective game design prioritizes evoking strong emotional responses above all else. Addressing concerns that this approach alienates a large player base, Pilestedt succinctly stated, "a game for everyone is a game for no one," emphasizing the importance of focusing on the intended audience.
Developer Insights on Difficulty
Prior to the DLC's launch, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki had already cautioned players that Shadow of the Erdtree would present a formidable challenge, even for veterans. He explained that boss balancing assumed players had significant progress in the base game. FromSoftware also analyzed player feedback from the main game, identifying enjoyable and stressful elements in boss encounters to inform the DLC's design.
Shadow of the Erdtree introduced the Scadutree Blessing mechanic, boosting player damage and reducing incoming damage within the Land of Shadow. Despite this explanation, many players apparently overlooked or forgot this feature, prompting Bandai Namco to remind players to utilize and upgrade it amidst the difficulty complaints.
Mixed Reception
While Shadow of the Erdtree boasts the highest rating of any video game DLC on OpenCritic, surpassing even The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Blood and Wine, Steam reviews reveal a more mixed reception. Negative reviews frequently cite both the challenging difficulty and newly introduced technical issues.
