It’s time to return to Elden Ring

Elden Ring developer FromSoftware not too long ago introduced particulars on the sport’s extremely anticipated growth, Shadow of the Erdtree. This meaty new addition to the role-playing recreation’s already huge open world will arrive this June, letting gamers go to an unexplored area often called the Land of Shadow. Like FromSoftware’s previous expansions, count on difficult new bosses to battle and highly effective new weapons and talents to wield.

June is a great distance away, although, particularly when seen from the attitude of ready for brand spanking new Elden Ring content material. However when it comes to getting your Tarnished prepared and reorienting your self on the planet, there’s no time like the current to revisit the bottom recreation. Take a touch from the tens of 1000’s of gamers, in response to Steam Charts, who’ve returned to the sport over the previous month: It’s excessive time to return to the Lands Between.

I jumped again into the sport just some days after February’s announcement of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree for a number of causes:

• I wanted to write down a information about entry Shadow of the Erdtree’s content material, which might solely be accessed by progressing at the very least a number of hours into the sport and beating a demigod-class boss;
• On a lark, I had not too long ago revisited one other FromSoft recreation, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and realized I had fully misplaced any muscle reminiscence I’d acquired by beating that recreation a number of instances;
• I had not too long ago spoken with a pal who tried to revisit Cyberpunk 2077 after a yearslong pause between that recreation’s troubled launch and the discharge of the Phantom Liberty growth. He discovered it disorienting to attempt to bounce right into a closely modified recreation after prolonged away time.

Returning to Elden Ring and beginning with a brand new character helped me keep in mind a number of issues. The early hours of the sport might be grueling, even when Limgrave, the primary space, is pleasurable to discover on the again of your steed, Torrent. Battling powerful enemies just like the Tree Sentinel and Margit, the Fell Omen have been particularly punishing at low ranges with the awful gear of my new character. I wanted to, as soon as once more, get good.

Picture: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco

The most effective purpose for returning to an previous recreation like Elden Ring is rediscovering — and in some instances, discovering for the primary time — its many layers and secrets and techniques. Throughout this new playthrough, I discovered a Crystal Tear I hadn’t encountered in my earlier 200 hours with the sport. What’s extra, I had barely paid consideration to Elden Ring lore as I hurriedly performed by the sport initially for evaluation. This time, I truly listened to the dialogue distributed by Melina, Ranni the Witch, and others, so I might be higher ready for no matter story beats await in Shadow of the Erdtree. I’m now going slowly, poring over merchandise descriptions and digesting lore movies in an try to make sense of Elden Ring’s opaque storytelling.

Ranging from scratch with a brand new character could profit me in one other method: I gained’t be beginning Shadow of the Erdtree at a brand new recreation plus (plus plus plus) stage of problem — if that even issues. Recreation director Hidetaka Miyazaki says that Shadow of the Erdtree could have “a component of leveling distinctive to the DLC,” which can make my concern moot, however I don’t need to method the growth both over- or under-leveled. In an interview with Famitsu, Miyazaki likened the brand new leveling factor to the assault energy system in Sekiro.

“Separate from the unique stage system there’s an ‘assault energy’ that’s solely enabled within the DLC areas,” Miyazaki stated in feedback translated from Japanese. “This was launched in an effort to give freedom to fulfill the threats talked about earlier, so you are able to do one thing like exploring different areas earlier than going again to problem bosses that have been too robust the primary time, permitting you to extra simply expertise this even within the high-level vary.”

No matter that new leveling system seems to be, I’d prefer to be ready. Whether or not that’s with certainly one of my superior high-level characters or my brand-new one, I’m completely happy to have a number of choices. I’ll be prepared and ready, inside arm’s attain of Miquella’s gross egg sac, for my first steps into the Land of Shadow.