Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree - DLC Review

Talking about my experiences with Elden Ring's only DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree.
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#gaming #gamereviews #eldenring

[@AeolianMoonraker]

Mortismal: Mikwella Malenia: How many times do I have to teach you this lesson old man?!

[@vvardenfellian]

Mort has mentioned that he has hearing problems from his time in the military (US govt issued faulty ear protection)

[@gesto211]

It’s pronounced MILL-A-WALK-AY.

[@dialecticcoma]

@@vvardenfellian He speak words good, for American video man

[@ShikaRoddy]

Considering how fast he 100% the games, he probably 1st tried Malenia

[@MortismalGaming]

I'm gonna pin this one so I don't have to answer a million of these comments. As @vvardenfellian was nice enough to point out, I have hearing loss from my time in the Army which combined with being in my 30s now is only getting worse, probably gonna have to see a doctor about it soon as it's starting to become an actual problem in my personal life. Fantasy names in particular pose a challenge because there is rarely a reliable source for how it is supposed to sound if you're struggling with it besides the occasional reddit thread with people arguing about it. I do try to pronounce things correctly, but at some point it's either agonize over a single word or just enjoy the game.

[@prototypelq8574]

It's insane to me that Fromsoft had to wait for TWO YEARS to let the players ride Torrent into the final battle, which the boss is Clearly Designed For.

[@BrandonHeat243]

It's interesting because a lot of people are saying that Torrent completely trivializes the Elden Beast now. My guess is that originally Torrent was supposed to be a part of that battle but for whatever reason they weren't able to get that in so they rebalanced the Elden Beast to be fought on foot. So now that they put Torrent in against the current version of the boss it's completely broken the fight because the Elden Beast doesn't have much as far as anti-Torrent moves.

[@prototypelq8574]

@@BrandonHeat243 I do think the release version was supposed for a Torrent-fight. The boss travels entire kilometers after each attack, so the players have to chase it the entire time, and the AoE of it's attacks it's also too big to outrun on foot. These are all signs the boss was made for Torrent, so even if there was pre-release Torrent-less rebalances - they haven't done much. As for fighting the Beast is easy now - Of Course it does, fighting a boss with it's design Not Contradicting the player is much easier than fighting a boss that's made to work with something the player doesn't have and without the ways to compensate. In general, the attacks and animations of the Elden Beast suggest that it was always more of a cinematic boss to me, and the real challenge was getting to it.

[@chillax319]

And to stop a flashbang upon launching the game.

[@BrandonHeat243]

@@prototypelq8574 Nah dude. A lot of his attacks can't even really hit Torrent unless you let them. I have a hard time believing the FINAL BOSS is that easy by design. Not that I really mind because it's one of the most annoying and unfun fights in the game but the current version is clearly not designed to deal with Torrent.

[@ryanzz1357]

Never needed it to begin with

[@jakubbarczyk4310]

Interesting, this is the most negative review i've seen so far, not in a bad way, just in general and its interesting to see.

[@battosai5311]

If you watch any mainstream channel/website. They will pretty much call anything that comes out 9/10 or 10/10 masterpiece right off the bat.

[@Guitarman5705]

Morty isn't necessarily someone whod enjoys souls games as much tbf, crpgs and souls may as well be polar opposites genres as far as taste goes

[@vivi_izy3344]

Elden Ring is probably the game with the worst reviews , not because the reviewers score it badly , but because they score it way too high. The game has SO many issues , like horrendous scaling and balancing , and bad boss desing in a game all about bosses. Oh and of course , the massive amount of copy paste. Just look at all the popular media outlets saying this game is a 10/10 and not mentioning any issues with it besides performance when it's clearly a very flawed product. Look at Penguinz0 calling it 10/10 because they added a mount that can double jump 😂 when it was a necessity. All in all , I liked the game because I have an addiction of maxxing out characters and that game allows me to do that.

[@namphan8593]

@@vivi_izy3344tbh every game that was scored 10/10 is flawed as hell tho

[@vivi_izy3344]

​@@namphan8593 I mean even Starfield has outlets rating it a 10/10 🤔. There are no perfect games. With Elden Ring, I always scratch my head and wonder how it got that high of a score. I'm guessing people were impressed by the scale and the beauty of it , rather than the content.

[@ericc4040]

You never cease to amaze me with how fast you get a lot of these out. Hands down one of the best review channels on KZbin

[@Melchiah28]

I think exactly the same.

[@erikcarlson6374]

Right? They're also quality, unbiased reviews, that's so rare in entertainment these days. Best game channel out there, as far as I'm concerned.

[@Dualities]

it is not when u realize company had given certain content creators access few days ago. be first or be a cheater. this saying still true today. idk why u give him praise for making money like xd true passionate reviews are not like that

[@drummrboy]

Like, does he even sleep?

[@Kobratero]

@@Dualitiestrue passionate reviews can’t be monetised? This guy makes reviews after 100% games, how much more passionate can you be.

[@magpie1466]

you are now my #1 trusted source for a review on just about anything. I love how you keep your head fastened on straight even on games you like/love, and how thorough you are in both articulating and investigating the pros and cons of what you review!

[@Ocean5ix]

While the scaling mechanic isn't perfect by any means, it was the best they could come up with, considering people were never happy about previous From DLCs because you were either too strong for the DLC in the current NG+ cyle OR you were insanely weak in the current NG+ cycle. So they decided to add a mechanic the levels pretty much every player level to the same experience. Although there's people saying it's almost impossible at NG+7.

[@KaiWoodX2]

As someone who is on NG+7 this is true, every enemy no matter what will two shot you, they also have like 6k hp per regular soldier 😂

[@pbear1988]

Why not just add shadow runes or something that give stats that only work in the DLC zone. This way you’d be rewarded for combat in the same ways as before. I think the rate of progression with fragments is ok but the way you get them is a bit boring.

[@Parawhiskey]

@@KaiWoodX2well yeah, you’re playing NG+7. That’s absurd as is. Of course it’s gonna be that hard

[@KaiWoodX2]

@@Parawhiskey Yea, it’s completely my fault I understand that 🥲

[@Shiftshapercat]

@@pbear1988 This is a suggestion I have not previously considered. It makes sense from a gameplay standpoint. The current system robs the casuals like me the ability to outscale by intentionally overleveling. The gaming gremlins will continue to have no issue though.

[@Assassin21BEKA]

3:59 new fame plus system only makes things harder in the lategame. Early game on new game plus is really easy because our stats are much bigger than whatever buffs enemies got from ng+.

[@JasonRyanMills]

I was a souls and zelda player who was obsessed with Elden Ring and had never touched a CRPG in my life. I found your channel a year ago and played DOS2 because of it. Now I’ve become a full CRPG enthusiast in between the time of ER’s release and this DLC and viewing it through a completely different lens. I’m 10 hours into this DLC, agreeing with everything you’ve said and all I can think about as I explore is what build should I do next in DOS2. Thank you for opening the door to CRPG’s for me and letting me realize I can actually play them (with and because of your guides).

[@Konfide4043]

Don't miss out on the original DOS, Skald, and of course Baldurs Gate 3

[@ZombiAstral]

DOS2 is one of my fave games of all time. I haven't played BG3 yet, because no physical is a no buy from me. (And no the "limited" overpriced CE physical doesn't count to me). If you think DOS2 is vast, and varied with builds, or if you think Elden Ring was a challenge; play Pathfinder: WOTR. Legitimately one of the best CRPGS ever made imo. And one of the most difficult games I've ever had to learn as well.

[@Konfide4043]

@@ZombiAstral I go for the experience vs the physical copy but I totally get it

[@Konfide4043]

@@ZombiAstral I liked Pathfinder but stopped playing it. Maybe I'll give it another go

[@milkweedreflections]

What is DOS? lol

[@giorgoskatselis9515]

The Best game Reviewer in the internet right now. If a day comes that I will have time for only 1 hour of gaming every week and only 1 channel to watch, this will be it.

[@ryandavid1277]

Only Josh Strife Hayes rivals Mort.

[@giorgoskatselis9515]

​@@ryandavid1277 I dont know who that is...and by checking now his channel, I understand why...I don't play MMORGs :)

[@ryandavid1277]

@@giorgoskatselis9515 he has 3 channels. The biggest does reviews on old titles

[@ryandavid1277]

Three??? I'll check the third one out.

[@Dorrovian]

I too think Blood & Wine is better as DLC overall, but I would place The Old Hunters above Shadow of Erdtree too, so it must contend with third place for me :D

[@neloviolence]

I'm glad there's reviews out there like this TBH. It'll help temper expectations for me to hopefully end up being wowwed as Elden Ring did for me.

[@Arkskii-gf03]

lol the dlc is garbage , can’t believe people complained and waited for this 😂😂😂 brutal

[@snakebite6x6x6]

@@Arkskii-gf03 I'm having a blast with it....more content than most AAA games....

[@Arkskii-gf03]

@@snakebite6x6x6 I’ve already beaten it twice now with 2 different characters and it’s not long at all you could be done it in a weekend

[@snakebite6x6x6]

@@Arkskii-gf03 I guess it depends on how you play. I hunt around every nook and cranny studying the architecture, reading every item description and collecting every single thing I can. I love the lore that From puts in their games plus I like to be as thorough as possible. I have easily put over 25 hours into the DLC and there are still areas I haven't been to yet.

[@RADIOKNIF3]

​@@Arkskii-gf03I felt like it was alright but I swear just like the base game they reused so many assets and they also use the same moves and just change the element and call it new. The weapons and armors were disappointing as well and like I said they just change the element.

[@dezzdinn]

Appreciate your assessment of DLC and comparing them such as Blood and Wine and explaining why. Few take the time these days and it sets you apart in your profession

[@cornprices1718]

my only real issue with the new scaling is that the game doesn't necessarily shove it in your face, which in this particular instance, i think it *should* being that it's absolutely mandatory and simultanously not super difficult to miss

[@kram9850]

I wish this singularity of good games came out when I was in high-school, so many games I've yet to finish or even make time for, I still havent got around to finishing Mhw iceborne, then gamepass throws jedi survivor in my face, Lords of the fallen in my face and now shadow of the erdtree like common only thing I hate about working is that your energy is gone when you come home and you say your gonna make time and then years fly bye, it's so ironic when I was a kid I was limited to the selection of games and had all the time in the world, adult me has gamepass for the next 4 years and can buy any game I want yet don't have the time or energy to play such is life

[@D1sappo1ntmentPanda]

Man I can tell you really care about giving a good review to your audience. No other agenda, just a genuine dude helping is why you're my top reviewer on all of KZbin!

[@serjofcinder8925]

I actually love the new scalling system, I was hoping for something like that and couldn't believe when they added it. Keeps things a lot more fresh. That was always a bit of an issue on the previous from soft dlcs

[@muzakkilast6398]

i think this is an upgrade from King Vendrick Dark Souls 2 dificullty system

[@serjofcinder8925]

@@muzakkilast6398 nope, that's completely different, this is exactly like Sekiro. Even from soft called it a system most similar to Sekiro

[@21preend42]

@@serjofcinder8925 I f**king hate it. Sekito was a different story, tho. The parry system in the game is god like, it can carry you easily if you good.

[@serjofcinder8925]

@@21preend42 you can use Sekiro parry here as well if you find the right flask

[@Ostrava6572]

@@serjofcinder8925I don’t think it is exactly like sekiros, these seem to just be collectible items while sekiro had them tied to bosses and mini bosses feels VERY different and I believe sekiros was far better

[@aliquidcow]

Elden Ring itself was a day one purchase for me, and it was fun to be involved with online stuff right at the start. This one, I think I'll wait and hope for a sale. For one thing, I need to get re-acquainted with the game itself, then beat the two bosses again (as I'm in NG+).

[@beyondz55]

I had to do the new game plus thing too, FYI there's a shortcut to mogwhyn palace just do Varre's quest at Rose Church.

[@goutbreak]

I don’t think I’ll ever do this dlc on NG+, when you come into the world and have no scadutree blessings everything two shots you, I can’t imagine how it’ll be for people with NG+ scaling

[@aliquidcow]

@@beyondz55 Yeah that was actually how I first got to Mogwhyn Palace, although I didn't complete the area until later as it was clearly a late-game level.

[@aliquidcow]

@@goutbreak I haven't found NG+ to be massively tougher than NG, I think it's more in later NG+s it gets really hard. About what area of the main game would you say the start of the DLC is equivalent to? If it's like Consecrated Snowfield then that's going to be rough.

[@Overphased]

​@@aliquidcowif your build is glass canon, than probably snowfield. That combined with unfamiliarity with enemies and bosses makes for a miserable experience. I was using pretty heavy armor, faith build so full access to defensive spells and of course defensive talismans. It felt like leyndell from start to finish.

[@spas6433]

I really enjoy the new scaling system. I think it works very well as a compliment to the base game.

[@aersla1731]

Unpopular opinion but I don't think souls game fit the open world genre. I like elden ring and think it's a great game but I can't help but feel it would have been better if it wasn't open world. That being said thinking about starting a new playthrough since I haven't played the game in forever just to play the dlc sounds tedious to me. It's the only souls game I have replayed multiple times. I am glad the dlc is good for the most part. I guess I'll get to it when I get to it.

[@the_seer_0421]

I wholeheartedly agree and even talked about that in another reply. I hope with the next souls like game they make, they go back to the old formula. Or if not, at least improve upon the open world aspect. Now, I haven't tried the dlc yet and they may have improved on that but I've yet too see if that's the case.

[@doratheshade]

They tried to bake their cake and eat it. Meshing soulslike formulas with the open world mechanics without adapting ANYTHING to it.

[@Skadi.-]

im sure it should work its just fromsoftware is doing a really bad job at it, thats all

[@matmate5795]

I don't agree that the souls games don't fit the open world genre but I understand what you are saying. I believe that the issues comes from them try to always bigger and greater which in turn makes it hard balance all the mechanics in the game. The main game has too big of map, too many weapons, items and bosses which results in not everything getting the same polish and care as the others. Sekiro is so good because it's built around solid mechanics which in turn makes it easier when designing areas, enemies and bosses. My point is smaller but more vertical, less weapons and a solid combat foundation instead puting together a bunch combat mechanics together. The dlc is a good step in the right direction but it's still Elden ring and I hope from soft figures it out in their next projects

[@aersla1731]

@@matmate5795 You made some good points, you are probably right. Maybe open world souls game can work but the execution is not the best. I wish there was more a discussion around this. I feel like any time someone tries to be critical about elden ring they just get shut down by the fan base. People can't understand you can enjoy something and still be critical about it.

[@SpecShadow]

7:08 a very important dialogue for those who want to survive in the DLC

[@davidnewhart2533]

I appreciate how honest you are bro.

[@stevendrake477]

On xbox as of last night only 17% of players have beat mohg. I was expecting it ti be higher.

[@Ghorda9]

not everyone is going to get or play the dlc right away, give it a couple of weeks

[@stevendrake477]

@@Ghorda9 you're correct. I just thought after 2 years the % would have been higher. I wasn't expecting to look and see 17% lol.

[@Gronmin]

The completion present for most games is probably lower than you think, but it's also why the number of players that buy DLC usually significantly lower than the amount that buy a new game

[@dau4738]

You also have to remember that console is just for less skilled gamers. PC percentage for Mohg is at least double that. Looks like Xbox just has a bunch of broke boomers playing it 😂😂 ​@stevendrake477

[@stevendrake477]

@@dau4738 maybe 🤔😂😂🤷

[@OverlordRosenburg]

Thankyou for the honest review Mortym !!

[@justanother8862]

Always appreciate the honesty here

[@JulioFrosi]

If I get this DLC. Should I start a fresh save or use my old character? Because I'm not a fan of getting back to old characters that I havent played for a long time, it gets overwhelming.

[@louieberg2942]

It sounds to me you kinda answered your own question. I'd make a fresh one and take it to the endgame. That way, you're familiar with your build and the difficulty at the start of the DLC/game experience isnt as jarring.

[@21preend42]

Use old character, especially if you farmed all the talismans or most of them. You may burn yourself up if you play the base game and then the DLC.

[@_SacredNemesis]

Use your old one. If you need a refresher go back to the cave of knowledge site of grace in limgrave. It’ll let you replay the tutorial dungeon

[@MadameRouzgar]

While I'm conflicted about how much I like the shadow blessing scaling, it provides us with a DLC that is not easily demolished by endgame builds. It was painful to understand that at first but I'm happy I have a challenging, new area. It solves a problem for which there could probably be other solutions.

[@NATIK001]

I think the scaling system works great if you already have a NG+X character, but honestly I think its going to be annoying on new starts for me. I would probably have preferred they didn't do it. Still enjoying everything so far, and especially loving the Light Greatswords so far, using the dual ones from Renalla atm and having a lot of fun with them.

[@_0wl_]

It’s nice to see someone else who isn’t thrilled with the scardutree upgrades. I think the concept is good, but there are just too many, and no way to tell when you are at the right level, or if the boss is just hard. There should’ve been like 15 fragments not 50

[@linkblade91]

Mort the Slayer, still using Icerind Hatchet after all the nerfs to it hehe. I don't care about "metas" and whatnot, myself; just thought it was a funny thing to tease you about.

[@MortismalGaming]

I was actually one of the first people to notice how OP it was originally and the build video I made about it is still up. It's actually still pretty good but simply for applying frostbite which slows enemies down and makes them take more damage for a good while.

[@linkblade91]

@@MortismalGaming I remember the video; how time flies, right? I wasn't trying to bash you or anything: just a friendly poke :)

[@yurinoworry]

They just buffed it slightly with the new patch, it’s probably a low A or high B tier weapon now.

[@iainyoung8057]

Great to hear your thoughts! Thanks dude!

[@BlackCanvasAudio]

And this is why I love your reviews. You answered a lot of questions other outlets didn't even bother to ask. I've been grinding for the last year on Lords of the Fallen, Lies of P and others. I'm in no hurry to jump back into Elden Ring. I'll wait for the inevitable Definitive Version that includes the DLC. Thanks Mort! You're one of the absolute best!

[@peppeaccardo]

Ciao Mortismal where can i get the details of the rig you use for your reviews ? thank you

[@MortismalGaming]

about section of the channel

[@Rikiko722]

As I understand, it's true that this DLC doesn't necessarily particularly innovate beyond the gameplay of the base game, but they have simply refined it to a higher level. The map so far seems to be more detailed, fuller and more varied in terms of things to do. I think with Elden Ring Fromsoft made one of the best designed open worlds in terms of both how you explore it and your desire to want to. Add to that its stellar art direction and enemy variety and it is a real treat to immerse yourself in. I think what good adventure games in general should do is manage to surprise you over and over, and I think few games achieve that as well as Elden Ring. Of course some people may not value the aspect of Elden RIng's exploration and gameplay as I described it, and from there you may not view the DLC to be as good as most consider it. I think even for me I don't enjoy its combat or RPG systems that much, it's just that the added difficulty in comparison to most other games makes its world more tense and intimidating to explore.

[@coconutologist]

Thanks for the video. 8:03 yeah... the hype is strong with this one. Onward to 400k. All glory to the algorithm.

[@purplatypus7405]

I think i played elden ring almost 250 hours between both ps5 and pc. Im still not ready to dive back in but one day i 100% shall enjoy the heck out of tbis game. Looks like more of the same greatness from the base game. More explorarion more fun tools and a ton more interesting bosses.

[@PleasantSkulman]

Typical Mort already has it done

[@sodapopinksi667]

I just started the last game he reviewed, and he's done with the next one already lol

[@chrishighwaash3755]

Despite warnings, the game is rather easy and the quests aren't convoluted like in the base game. Completed it too, while exploring all I could at a leisure pace. And no, I'm not "gut". I'm pretty sure if a build worked in the base game, it will carry you in the dlc.

[@hymns6031]

Does he "have it done"? He didn't mention beating the game and his steam page puts play time at 9 hours. This isn't his usual 100% review -- it may be closer to a first impressions

[@Scottmcknife]

​@@hymns6031I think he's being purposely obtuse, he seems to really dislike the game and doesn't plan to compete it yet didn't mention that which makes me assume he's hoping people will just think he did.

[@jonalen4217]

New weapons like light great swords, heavy small swords, extra-medium hammers...

[@High_Rate136]

Tbf, there are a lot of Dex based weapons that have strength as the main scaling stat but hardly any of the opposite.

[@rk13567]

I mean, I'm not even that far in and have come across reverse/backhand blades, throwing weapons, and a perfume bottle. Kinda disingenuous to say it's all just different size weapons

[@slothorne8222]

@@rk13567not to mention martial arts and also beast claws being in the game now

[@jonalen4217]

@@rk13567 You're correct. The DLC does offer many new weapon types, which are all very cool. The martial arts weapons, and the beast fury weapons are especially cool. My comment is only poking fun at the name of the one kind. "Light Great Swords" seems silly to me.

[@rk13567]

@@jonalen4217 Ah, yeah fair point lol

[@alexrogers9051]

I understand the criticism, I even agree to an extent. I still love it, I think having your spirit ash summon being strong enough to stay alive through entire fights is much better. I agree on some of the bs combos and endless feeling attack patterns. I’m only just entering the second part of the map of the dlc but it feels a lot like DS3 DLC as far as difficulty goes, I struggled hard right at first but after I got to plus 4 on my 2 bonuses it seemed much better.

[@hymns6031]

I noticed you didn't mention whether you got it early or how much time you spent with the game like you usually do?

[@MartianHomebody]

I personally really liked the idea of, instead of bringing in your built, buffed up character into the dlc and rolling through it, there's a mechanical reason to explore the poke around in corners you may have not bothered with looking into. I can definitely understand the opposite opinion, though. It won't be very interesting on NG+7 or whatever when you pretty much have to go find those fragments for the umpteenth time since it's scaled for it.

[@CoolPup98]

Always giving a good honest review. Thanks man.

[@adarmus4768]

I recently got the platinum trophy on the base game and am all Elden Ringed out at the moment. Will get the dlc sometime down the track but am in no hurry. Maybe after I am done with Flintlock and Black Myth.

[@vilathras5408]

Good thing the game was made with the community in mind, keeping the narrative we all love and the challenge that we expect. I couldn't be more happy.

[@GamingCaveman1989]

very sober review, which is why youre the best at what you do

[@AdversaryOne]

Bars.

[@fratcebisci2045]

Great video as always. Might i ask you at what level you started the DLC ? Or do you have any recommendation of a somewhat level range ?

[@MortismalGaming]

180, most of the recommendations Ive seen say at least 150, but the dlc's scaling system is every bit as important as your level

[@wolfofragnarok1]

Frankly, if you can comfortably beat Mohg you are probably strong enough to do the DLC.

[@ThudMan67]

I'm at level 137 and not really having many problems. I occasionally get my ass kicked, but never to the point I feel underleveled.

[@asolanara]

Always love your reviews and respect your opinion. I'm curious if this new "scaling" system is the developers testing out a new system for their next ip.

[@31codyskater]

Probably not considering sekiro essentialy had this system and it was almost certainly put in place to try and balance the play experience of omega end game builds.

[@Memphise101]

I couldn't believe a lot of people hadn't beaten Mogh ... Not in a skill issue way but with how good the community is in the souls series surely theres plenty of help going around.

[@SkullPlaysDestiny]

Yeah my biggest complaint is the stupid Scadutree system. Like you said it was absolutely not necessary considering they could've just scaled the game with what NG+ level you were on but whatever.

[@kerrzUSR]

It really is refrreshing seeing someone discuss the flaws of this game and dlc instead of just giving it an immediate 10/10 masterpiece with little thought. You continue to prove that you're a trustworthy voice in gaming mort

[@countryc0unt]

funny enough Eurogamer did the same thing before release and people clowned on the writer.

[@Melchiah28]

I think from Fromsoft you always have a good price/ performance ratio to the DLC’s. For the 40 dollars you definitely get a lot of content. I find it really refreshing that you do not swim with the current and simply take the opinion of the game journalists. You always stay pretty objective, I appreciate that in your reviews.

[@ElectricBookWorm]

I like the dlc but I also really don't like the new scaling system. I love the other souls games and the base game's leveling system that lets my low skill but bash my head through any wall given enough time to gather more souls.

[@xen3588]

ye i agree i think they did too much with the scaling system but its nothing major that takes away from the fun of the game at its core.

[@ElectricBookWorm]

@xen3588 so far I haven't been totally stone walled. But I can see the possibility of the dlc becoming like sekiro. Really cool but beyond my skill ceiling and not enough tools in game for me to bridge the gap like I could in the other games.

[@ricardodarcangelo2437]

​@@ElectricBookWormI'll tell you a secret: for 99% of the player base in every FS game besides Sekiro, there is no "skill". Only that top 1% really have "skill". For every other player, it's about patience, strategy, and positioning, along with learning what you're fighting. I started out the DLC at RL65, and I don't have a lot of time to play, so don't have time to beat my head on walls. Despite that, it only took maybe 2 hours to have little trouble with anything that's not a boss. And I'm not "skilled", just play smart. Anyone CAN do it just fine, no matter level or blessing level, it's just about if you WANT to or not. And believe me, after playing a dozen games with better combat than ER in the 2 years since I last played it, it was very underwhelming to come back to the slow, simplistic combat of ER. So I have just focused on exploring, and you get a little stronger, more blessing, and play better, while enjoying what ER IS good at. Don't be down on yourself friend. Playing a game like this isn't a skill, is just simple patience and planning; be smart. Good luck, and hope you enjoy whatever you decide to play!

[@Overphased]

​@@ricardodarcangelo2437can you tell me what those games are? I'm gonna be having a lot of free time during this summer and need some recommendations haha

[@pepperjam6247]

Good ol' Mikwella the Unallied

[@vvardenfellian]

Mortismal has mentioned he has hearing issues due to his time in the military/artillery

[@snakeplissken111]

Visually, this looks exactly like the main game. A big part why I bought that personally was experiencing a triple-A game for once that doesn't treat me like a tourist: guiding me exactly wherever to go at any second. Basically, letting me actually explore stuff and discover it largely myself. However, whilst there's many unique areas, the overworld and dungeons were mostly same-same eventually. The first area I visited after starting out was Caelid -- which probably set the bar a tad high, as it's probably the most visually distinct. Still: Part of the reason why I've yet to finish the main game.

[@codazle]

Nice review. Personally I am enjoying the DLC, but don’t really enjoy the scadutree blessing system myself. You are the first reviewer to critique this. Was pretty surprised more reviewers didn’t have an issue with it.

[@taomahNEGEV]

For the Masochist.

[@apollodingo3583]

Morti the biggest issue for why they did the progression system is that they are trying to get around an issue from dark souls. Specifically, when you finish the expansion you’ll go back into the base game so overpowers as to make it a joke. Now this isn’t a big issue for most as they probably finished the game before starting the dev. But since the doc technically takes place in the middle of the base game, they are trying to keep it balance. I like the idea, but maybe the buffs should be automatic.

[@Ghorda9]

that's not it at all, it's because dlcs in all souls games are pretty stagnated when it comes to progression. They just wanted the dlc to not stagnate and give the players something to still work towards

[@Gronmin]

Sounds like not an issue, since missing content and grinding up levels are also part of a souls game....

[@richardhunter9779]

Well, they tried. Doing even the first castle gives you an astounding amount of runes, so you would be overleveled for the base game very quickly, regardless of this damage negation system.

[@toooydoeur]

​@@Gaming_01525good one lol

[@toooydoeur]

@@Gaming_01525 ds2 sure, sekiro is plenty popular. Otherwise it wouldnt have a 4.4

[@Ytinasniiable]

I love the idea of the scaling, the gameplay loop of the base game was always "if boss too hard, explore and upgrade, then return" it has done nothing to change that, but it also allows me to finish the DLC before elden beast without turning elden beast into a wet tissue through natural difficulty/character progression It also means you cant explot the albinaurics (or rune farming in general) to significantly overlevel the dlc since the dlc has it's own progression No different than finding more energy tanks in metroid if a boss/area is giving you headaches

[@bwhere45]

They turned power scaling into an Ubisoft grind to pick up items. How they messed this up with Sekiro sitting right there is confounding.

[@Ytinasniiable]

@@bwhere45 how you get an Ubisoft grind out of a fixed progression system is beyond me. It is mechanically no different than progression in any metroidvania. All they've done is nullify and remove grinding from their progression for this system, so you can engage with it at any point and not accidentally ruin the difficulty curve by being too high level just to survive the DLC

[@bwhere45]

@@Ytinasniiable it's quite literally pick up item for more damage done/less damage taken. They didn't remove the grind, they just shifted it from killing enemies to finding items. That's Far Cry 5 levels of awful.

[@Ytinasniiable]

@@bwhere45 your definition of grind does not match with reality From what I can tell, you just don't like open world games at all Because the idea that you have to explore to gain power is intrinsic to open world and metroidvania game design, and that's where your gripe is, instead of having to grind an area for experience, you look for smithing stones I mean scadertree fragments and upgrade yourself, much like you do to get a weapon to +25

[@earentill]

dude ! I love what you said about blood and wine!!!!

[@playnalisis]

The only thing I am disappointed is the enemy placement. A lot of times there is nothing or just rehash enemies like the shadow ones.

[@slainbyjp]

Thanks man!

[@jaxonfreeman1756]

My issue with Souls games is that the inevetible future of the genre is to continually make the games for a smaller and smaller audience as the difficulty curve increases with each iteration. What's the point of making a new Soulslike game if it's not harder than it's predecessors?

[@ricardodarcangelo2437]

Except that the door has been opened for other devs to try their hand at the genre for the 1st time. And in those instances, the good ones anyways, they emphasize exploration/mystery/atmosphere, etc; and they de-emphasize combat/challenge. So your analysis is flawed: while it's true that Fromsoft is keeping challenge to the forefront, for one thing, they've made several concessions to newer players to try it out. For another, it's not challenge for challenge's sake, it's their design philosophy. If there's no struggle, ie players can just grind to circumvent challenge, then the entire design of the game is lesser. I'm not one of the ones that believes FS can do no wrong, but one thing I love about them is that they've never caved to the pressure of watering down difficulty, just to sell copies; instead, they give players more tools to cope with the difficulty. That's a positive. As is the fact that games aren't made for everyone. Better to design a game for specific audiences, and use their strengths, than to make generic Ubisoft like games that are made for "everyone", but really don't offer much to most players. However, despite all that, my point is, many of the games in this genre aren't that challenging, so to give newer players their start. And there's 10x as many like that, then that are super difficult. Mortal shell, Another crab's treasure, Lords of the fallen, No rest for the wicked, Stellar Blade, Rise of the Ronin, and a dozen more; while there's maybe 2 outside of FS that are difficult. So there's something for everyone in truth

[@andrewbowen2837]

They literally did the exact opposite with Elden ring

[@phtefanphtefan3873]

Let's see :)

[@DNotzz]

Elden Ring was my first from soft game , and I absolutely loved my time with it. And I’m sure I’ll eventually get around to this DLC. But i find it hilarious that reviewers and these big channels are so afraid to critique it in any way. Their inability to be real overhypes the games and dlc and have normal people like myself eventually feeling underwhelmed bc they are afraid to be honest. So I go in thinking it’s gonna be incredible and an achievement in gaming just for it to be more of the usual. So they hurt the game in the end. This having the highest rated dlc is laughable. It just goes to show that these people know they have to pretend it’s the best or else the fromsoft cult will come after them.

[@ScotchEggD2]

im new to the fromsoft games, im on ng+ and was wondering if there is actually a substantial difference in ng+ vs ng? in the base game ng+ is arguably EASIER, but i feel like in the dlc i am being abused in ways that i should not be lmao

[@Overphased]

It isn't until like ng+4 that you start seeing a massive difference in the base game. In the dlc, well you probably figured it out by now but, you gotta get the scadutree fragments to not get abused

[@Boss_Fight_Wiki_muki_twitch]

This is a really great way to do a sequel. Keep the exact same engine and just concentrate on making new content w/assets

[@zen3578]

Anyone playing on the last gen ps4? Is it playable?

[@LymeGreen04]

The reason i love mort is i feel like he is truly honest. As little bias as possible as has his own opinions. Doesnt follow the crowd. Thats what i like.

[@aegis203]

2 HOUS AGO? IT JUST DROPPED

[@Noct_Snow]

Disagree with you mort but I like you because you’re honest about your opinion. You weren’t that high on Elden rings launch either so it’s not that surprising lol

[@CocolinoFan]

One of the best gaming reviews I've ever seen.

[@nickjanecke6688]

Mortismal Gaming: Fair and Balanced

[@garchomowner]

Just one question mort, basically since the DLC use a new progression path, is it safe to start this on NG+ save? I really dont want to replay the game on regular new game but i am afraid it will get too difficult with NG+ scaling

[@MortismalGaming]

It should be fine, but I can't make any guarantees

[@chemistryez1390]

Great review

[@MrMetFanSC]

You can really tell in reviews like this the difference in Mortismal and generic reviewers. The generic reviewers were likely mostly handled builds to handle the content and played a dozen hours and just romped through it and was amazed by the visuals and things while here you get an actual review of what it is like to play the game because that is what he does Fitting that his mixed review kind of lines up exactly with the reception the community has actually given the DLC. Not that this channel is perfect or will always agree with the majority on all reviews but in cases like this this channel offers something so important to the review space so thank you

[@Skadi.-]

your review pretty spot on, this dlc got mixed review

[@MetalGearCuban]

Gotta say man, even when I disagree with you, you articulate your points so clearly that I can't help but empathize with your perspective. This was an excellent and fair review. Also Wrath of The Righteous rocks.

[@shikkouko]

The ost, worldbuilding and lore is incredible. Boss scaling and some of the miniboss/higher tier enemies (especially poise wise) feel like a joke at some points, Rellana for example feels like an overtuned Pontiff+Malenia on steroids. Obviously they were leaning towards spirit summons and spirit ash summoning, but the only boss that seemed to have natural defense stats was the hippo, otherwise youre hitting a brick wall till your bleed/frost procs. The base game is probably my favorite game of all time, but as of right now with performance issues and everything being overtuned to the point where some bosses feel like youre limited to what weapon/damage types you can use, its weighing down on the game so badly. Elden Ring is a 10, Erdtree is looking like a 7 at most they at least fix performance issues. It just doesnt feel the same as the base game.

[@ross8093]

I was expecting the self-contained scaling to be more like Sekiro but maybe that would make it more linear like sekiro is compared to Elden Ring

[@bendelaughter]

As someone who has played every Souls game since Dekon's Souls first released, I am okay with "more of the same". Really enjoying the DLC so far. Particularly the difficulty spike.

[@DrasticSkuba]

I'll probably be playing this in a few months, no rush. I'm sure I'll have fun though

[@lobotomite4468]

the black gaul knight humbled me

[@scrappymutt2047]

Best DLC I have ever played!!! I’m loving every second of it! Journey 7 baby!!

[@chilliewhk]

Thanks for another solid review. I appreciate your even handed opinions and all the time you put into forming them 👍

[@sammustafa5491]

Can you co op on the dlc

[@MortismalGaming]

In the same way as the rest of the game

[@ryanz486]

I really hope for From's next game they go back to the Demon/Dark Souls formula. ER was too boring as the open world added nothing, the interconnecting areas in previous games felt much better. Also here's hoping one day they learn what ultra wide resolutions are.

[@the_seer_0421]

I 100% agree. Even though I generally enjoyed elden ring, the open world is one of my main complaints about the game as it just didn't really feel necessary for it to be good. If anything it kind of drags it down. Most of the time you spend in the actual "open" part of the world is just riding on the horse to get from point a to point b and that can get incredibly boring at times. And getting bored in a souls like game is not a good sign. Not to mention it almost completely eliminates any sense of danger since you can easily just bypass most enemy encounters with your horse and only engage with them if specifically want something from them, save for a few late game areas. It also resulted in heavy repetition of some of the content like the side dungeons and lot of the bosses. Previous souls like games have proved that they don't need a fully open world (at least in the traditional sense) for them to be interesting be full of content and that old game world design just worked better for the souls like formula. Dark souls 1 is a perfect example. If elden ring just had the classic level design without the open world, it would be pretty much near perfect imo.

[@apollodingo3583]

Morti never disappoints.

[@Landofalcon007]

I appreciate a review by someone who hasn't chugged an entire bowl of kool-aid like some people I know. I very much enjoyed the base game, way more than I expected to, but it's nowhere near my favorite game and certainly not best game ever. I'm sure I will give this one a shot as well, but probably not right away.

[@r6scrubs126]

Yeah agreed it's a good game but man some people really ignore it's flaws

[@KSpartan]

I'm 100% with you. And I platined the base game. It's actually interesting to see that in the Mortismal audience comments we can see a lot of reasonnable takes. It's probably not random.

[@the_seer_0421]

Agreed

[@TheR6R6R]

@@KSpartan I believe Mort's style of reviewing naturally draws the kind of level-headed discussions you see here. The creator cultivates his audience, and what-not.

[@bluerationality]

I played most of the main souls-like games and enjoy them a lot, but some of the enemy consecutive attack speed seem like they are playing a different game. That I was okay with. However the dancing lion is not enjoyable bs.

[@BrandonDenny-we1rw]

Looking forward to this one since I wont be playing the dlc myself

[@ryu5731]

Its refreshing to see a balanced view, right now this dlc feels like a warzone of 10/10 masterpiece versus 0/10 completely unplayable trash

[@christopherbarham4402]

So glade this game got a great DLC. I just can’t however replay the whole game and then do this. I beat it on my Xbox when I had it 3x. Now I am on PC and I just can’t with these long games lol

[@lorgren4002]

Hey, are there new dragon communion spells? What are stats needed for then? Want to prepare character

[@bsgeneral121]

I'm mostly just wondering if every boss one shots you

[@NekotTheBrave]

They can if you don't participate in the progression system which can be missed.

[@antonego9581]

the scaling system sounds kind of terrible. so you just find these fragments that give you a flat dmg increase and reduction, and thats basically it? find these or get destroyed, but you don't make any decisions about anything just basically a mandatory power up?

[@MortismalGaming]

Correct, pretty much why I didn't like that system

[@theobell2002]

Yes, and they don't even make much of a difference since everything hits like a semi-truck.

[@Michael-sq3nf]

It's just so tedious

[@ernestisom5878]

I'm excited for this dlc but I seriously don't want to play the base game again. I don't have my data from when I played it on ps4 😅

[@chadofwar6554]

I totally agree. Love the dlc but the new scaling system kinda sucks. It does force you to explore which I would do anyway but you really can't complete some bosses without them and your summons.

[@ashtonfrancis112]

Just trying to do 8 chapters of anatomy hw while working full-time but noooooo I gotta watch KZbin videos.

[@pixelhand9421]

Im sure i could beat it with bloodhound step and lightning bolt. Beat godskins like that and then realized everything will die like that.

[@greggeiger7532]

Who else is here after they already bought it? 😅