Like the main game, Shadow of the Erdtree demands a lot from the players – and its creator.
Advertisement
Games from From Software are known to be a real challenge due to their high level of difficulty. Even Studio head Hidetaka Miyazaki had to pull out all the stops to play through Elden Ring again in preparation for Shadow of the Erdtree.
Release preparations for the Elden Ring boss
In conversation In an interview with the British Guardian, Miyazaki reveals how he is preparing for an upcoming release:
In the run-up to a game's release, I'm very hands-on and play it as much as possible, but after release, I don't want to touch it because I know I'll either find things I forgot about or problems that will bother me.
In the run-up to the release of Shadow of the Earthtree, Miyazaki played through the main story of Elden Ring again, which was not easy for him:
Advertisement
[…] I'm pretty bad at video games, so my approach or playstyle has been to use everything at my disposal, every bit of support, every bit of help the game offers, and also all the knowledge I have as the architect of the game. The freedom and open world of Elden Ring may have lowered the barrier to entry, and I'm perhaps the one who benefits most from that as a player, more than anyone else.
The studio boss must therefore use every helpto get through his own games, but that doesn't mean they're too difficult.
10:37
Elden Rings Shadow of the Erdtree is the best expansion From Software has ever made!
The level of difficulty is essential
In an earlier interview, Miyazaki explains that the level of difficulty is a fundamental component the gaming experience.
He even believes »it would ruin the game«if it were easier. Elden Ring and other From Software games would be better without the challenge not fun.
However, shortly after the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, there was criticism of the difficulty level, for example in the Steam reviews. From Software also responded with a patch that made the beginning of the DLC a little easier. You can find out what was criticized there and what changes the patch brought in the articles linked in the box above.