Helldivers 2 Devs Share Exclusive Details on 'Elden Ring' DLC's Challenges

Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: A Challenging Masterpiece?

The release of Elden Ring's highly anticipated expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, sparked a heated debate online. Many players, both seasoned veterans and newcomers, voiced concerns about its extreme difficulty, particularly regarding the new bosses. Johan Pilestedt, CCO of Arrowhead Game Studios (creators of Helldivers 2), weighed in on FromSoftware's design philosophy.

Pilestedt, echoing streamer Rurikhan's perspective, believes FromSoftware intentionally crafts challenging boss encounters to elicit a strong emotional response from players. He argues that effective game design prioritizes evoking emotion over universal accessibility. Addressing concerns about alienating players, he famously stated, "a game for everyone is a game for no one," emphasizing the importance of focusing on the target audience.

Developer Insights into Difficulty

Even before the DLC's release, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki cautioned players that Shadow of the Erdtree would present a significant challenge, even for experienced players. He explained the DLC's boss balance assumes players have progressed substantially through the main game. FromSoftware meticulously analyzed player feedback from the base game, identifying enjoyable and frustrating elements in boss encounters to inform the expansion's design.

The DLC introduces the Scadutree Blessing mechanic, boosting player damage and reducing incoming damage in the Land of Shadow. However, despite in-game explanations, many players overlooked or forgot this crucial element, prompting Bandai Namco to remind players of its importance amidst the difficulty complaints.

A Critical Success with Mixed Player Reception

Despite becoming the highest-rated video game DLC on OpenCritic, surpassing even The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Blood and Wine, Shadow of the Erdtree's reception on Steam is more nuanced. Negative reviews frequently cite the challenging difficulty and newly introduced technical issues. This highlights a disparity between critical acclaim and player experience, raising questions about the balance between challenging gameplay and broad appeal.