Rewrite this title for a blog post. Remove any site names from it The title is: Elden Ring: I was spoiling the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC but I won't make that mistake again!

Scenario: You are entering the last quarter of a boss's life in Elden Ring. Your fingers are clenching, you are starting to sweat and your heart is beating faster and faster… Do you have enough vials left to last until the end? Is this the right time to imbue your weapon? What is the best window to attack knowing that a few mistakes can be fatal? And above all, in case of failure, will you be able to reach this stage of the fight again? These questions are simple, I ask myself them EVERY TIME I am about to beat a boss in a FromSoftware game (or in another very good Souls-like). I then enter a second state where nothing around matters anymore, and if I ever win, I exult like jaja. A precious feeling that I almost overshadowed in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. I tell you here what happened to me.

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Facing Rellana

Like many of you, the paths of the Kingdom of Shadows quickly led me to Rellana, Knight of the Twin Moons – boss of Ensis Castle. An enemy that is a priori obligatory to progress and which offers a combat that is certainly classic (it remains a human with two swords) but is frankly gripping, notably thanks to its second phase and the soundtrack. In short, I wanted to break my teeth a little on it. I had my fully upgraded backhand blade, good armor, a few fragments of the Occult Tree in stock and I felt that the balance of power was more or less balanced. I was ready but after a lot of effort, there was nothing I could do, it wasn't happening.

Then, ladies and gentlemen, I don't know what happened. It was getting late, I wanted to end with a victory, I gave up, I called on the Imitator Blade (a power that literally allows you to split yourself). You suspect what happens next? I smoked Rellana and when the famous “major enemy downed” appeared in big letters on my screen, I felt nothing. Not even a little pride or joy at the sight of the new area that was waiting for me. I just felt like I had accomplished nothing.

My relationship with difficulty

However, I am not one of those who swear by difficulty or forbid themselves from using summons. I had – for example – already used the Imitator Blade to get rid of yet another dragon fight. But at that moment, facing Rellana, I did not find what I was looking for. I played with dice that were a little too loaded for my taste, I lost that feeling of accomplishment that I love so much.

It all has to do with my own relationship with difficulty… I didn't feel like I had surpassed myself, but there was something else. After this half-hearted victory, I realized that I had not fully experienced one of the final bosses of Elden Ring. Yes, you probably know that Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and last addition of content to FromSoftware's masterpiece. After this DLC, we'll have to wait, what, three or four years before we can relive an adventure signed by Hidetaka Miyazaki and his teams. So I think I should take the time to savor the expansion as it should be – even if it means starting a boss over and over again when I could make my life easier. Also, plot twist: thanks to the magic of the cloud, I was able to go back and beat Renalla the right way! In any case, I'm sure I won't make that mistake again for the rest of Shadow of the Erdtree.