Is Shadow of the Erdtree Really That Hard?

Elden Ring‘s long-awaited DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, had incredibly high expectations placed upon it ahead of its July 2024 release. And by almost all accounts, it hit those expectations—and then some.

I say “almost” all accounts because, in the early days of its release, some outlets listed the DLC’s reception as “mixed” because the conversation around Shadow of the Erdtree became dominated by players saying the game was too hard.

Of course, this is not the first time that a discussion has kicked off about a FromSoftware game being “too hard.” FromSoftware—the studio also behind Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne—is famous precisely because they make incredible video games that are really, really difficult. Difficulty was a common topic of discussion around the original release of Elden Ring, too. But Elden Ring differentiates itself from the rest of FromSoft’s games because its open world allows players to “over-level” to their personal degree of comfort.

Since Elden Ring came out over two years ago, many players were expecting to jump into the DLC with their end-game builds and wreck house. Instead, everyone kept getting one- or two-shotted by seemingly basic new enemies.

That’s the thing with Elden Ring—even in the base game, an OP build still means you can die at the bloodied hands of a boss. So of course it wasn’t going to be that straightforward. And while Shadow of the Erdtree is definitely hard, once you figure out the “trick,” it’s just as doably difficult as Elden Ring.

Okay, Shadow of the Tree is more difficult than Elden Ring. But it’s still doable.

A new level-up mechanic

Apart from the famous difficulty level, another distinguishing feature of FromSoftware games is their environmental storytelling. The story comes in fragments from such unexpected sources as item descriptions. A more blunt way to phrase this is that FromSoft games don’t tell you anything. You’re dumped in the world and have to figure everything out for yourself.

Shadow of the Erdtree is the same way. When you enter the land of shadow, you’d guess that because you’re level 130, it should be a piece of cake. Instead, some random jerk kills you in one or two hits. That’s essentially FromSoft’s incredibly obtuse way of telling you that your levels don’t matter here.

Your high level count isn’t entirely obsolete, but it’s not going to get you through the DLC. Instead, you need to find Scadutree fragments (essentially pronounced “shadowtree,” taken from old English). There are 50 in all, and they’re responsible for raising your stats in the Land of Shadow.

While we’re at it, there’s a similar item called Revered Spirit Ashes which will similarly raise the stats of Torrent and your Spirit Ashes. Because just like your player character, if you don’t raise raise your Spirit Ashes’ level in the Land of Shadow, they’ll die immediately.

Shadow of the Erdtree does not tell you about the existence of their items or their fundamental necessity when you step into the Land of Shadow. You only figure it out as you explore the world and find them. A lot of people missed them (understandable!), leading to the wave of complaints that the DLC was too hard.

Is Shadow of the Erdtree actually too hard?

Now that we’re all on the same page about Scadutree fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes, let’s return to the original question. With the proper method of leveling up in hand, is Shadow of the Erdtree still hard?

And the answer is: Of course it’s hard! But there is an extra dosage of difficulty. Some critics are calling Shadow of the Erdtree the hardest DLC FromSoft has ever released. Which says something. The whiplash might be especially profound considering that the base Elden Ring is the most approachable game FromSoft has ever released.

But here’s the thing: It’s still Elden Ring. It’s still open world. If you find yourself unable to get past a certain boss or section, just like in the base game, you can simply go somewhere else. You always have the option to try to find some more Scadutree fragments, then come back to the place which was giving you trouble and reap the rewards of your growth. That’s the beauty of Elden Ring.

So yes, Shadow of the Erdtree is widely considered to be harder than Elden Ring. But you can still do it!