Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: A Discussion on Difficulty
The release of Elden Ring's highly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree expansion sparked a heated online debate regarding its difficulty. Many players, both newcomers and seasoned veterans, voiced concerns about the challenging encounters, particularly with the new bosses. 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 assertion that FromSoftware deliberately designs challenging bosses to foster a sense of accomplishment and player engagement. He emphasized that effective game design prioritizes evoking strong emotions, a sentiment he believes surpasses broad appeal. Responding to criticism about this approach potentially alienating a wider audience, Pilestedt stated, "a game for everyone is a game for no one," underscoring the importance of focusing on the intended player base.
Elden Ring's Approach to Difficulty:
Before the DLC's launch, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki himself warned players to expect significant challenges, even for veterans. He explained that the DLC's boss balancing assumed players had substantial experience with the base game. FromSoftware also analyzed player feedback from the main game, identifying enjoyable and stressful aspects of boss encounters to inform their design choices for Shadow of the Erdtree.
The DLC introduced the Scadutree Blessing mechanic, boosting player damage and reducing damage taken within the Land of Shadow. Despite this feature's clear explanation, many players seemingly overlooked or disregarded it, prompting Bandai Namco to issue a reminder to utilize and upgrade this mechanic.
Mixed Reception:
While Shadow of the Erdtree achieved the highest rating of any video game DLC on OpenCritic, surpassing even The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine, its Steam reception has been more divisive. Negative reviews frequently cite the challenging difficulty and reported technical issues as key concerns.
