Elden Ring - Shadow of the Erdtree: Is It Too Difficult?

Welcome to the channel! In this video, we're covering my initial impressions of Shadow of the Erdtree after the first playthrough. Join me as we discuss what I believe are the two most important talking points of the DLC. The performance & the difficulty. I'm going to be keeping things relatively spoiler free and for those of you who want a more in depth analysis well, good things come to those who wait. Enjoy!
Intro: 0:00
Performance/Optimization: 4:04
Gameplay/Difficulty: 7:00
Combat/Bosses: 12:34
New Weapon Classes: 18:38
World Design: 20:42
Outro: 24:12
Follow me on X for updates on my channel! @Sword_Scrollyt

[@Charsept]

*me who's beaten the DLC twice* "Ah yes, let's watch a video on if SOTE is too hard"

[@Soulute367]

Same basically

[@sword.scroll]

Ha thats great, hope you enjoyed the video!

[@obiwanshinobi87]

As it should be :P

[@GenesisJay]

On my second play now lol

[@kevinvolchok14]

Me too. I mean, the debate is almost part of the gameplay by this point

[@thegnib1914]

Perfectly put. Using summons and Scadutree fragments are the game's normal mode. I don't personally use summons that often as I enjoy the challenge of a boss 1v1, even with the high aggression. But it really irritates me how some people still refuse to use summons because they "don't want to cheese the game." The game was designed to use summons, and its even more prevalent in the DLC with how aggressive some of the bosses and enemies are. Yes the DLC is brutal, but with the use of summons, Scadutree fragments, and consumables, the difficulty is very manageable. I honestly think some people throw themself at a boss a few times and call the fight unfair. I'm semi guilty of doing this as I can get tilted easily, however, I just recognize that I don't understand the boss yet. You don't have to be amazing to play and enjoy Elden Ring, but you have to be willing to adapt to the challenge presented, which many people aren't.

[@sword.scroll]

Well said! It really comes down to if you have the patience and persistence to learn the boss mechanics…and not get 1-2 shot lol. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@SanjeevRau]

i agree with you mostly except for the fact that i don't think it's really correct to say the bosses are 'designed' around summons or co op....they're not lol, the split aggro really just makes things MORE confusing and unpredictable. bosses can even aim some attacks in a combo at one player and target switch mid combo to another player with 0 warning. obviously it makes it easier and reduces the aggression you have to deal with because you get breathing room and have a few opportunities to hit the boss without it focusing on you but like from a consistency standpoint i would argue the bosses in this game actually do not handle multiple players/ summons well especially compared to a dedicated multiplayer game like remnant 2 - that's a game where the bosses are straight up designed around multiplayer.

[@DreyfusLagoon]

It might not be cheese but it feels like cheese to use spirit ashes. Especially if your first “souls” game isn’t elden ring

[@thegnib1914]

@@SanjeevRau I agree with what you said, but I think its incorrect to say that Elden Ring's bosses aren't designed around summons at all-I do agree that they aren't fully designed around them though. My statement was generalized, which is my bad (thank you for pointing it out), so I'll elaborate on what I meant. Most of the bosses are aggressive and fast enough to handle multiple targets at once. Plus, they've been given plenty of cleave and aoe attacks, allowing them to hit targets other than the intended one in the same attack. The only other Fromsoft game I've played that has co-op as a feature is DS3. While I never used it, its obvious, simply through movesets, that they'd get destroyed if they had to fight multiple targets at once. The bosses in Elden Ring are equipped to handle multiple targets and therefore designed with the use of summons in mind. But, as you said, boss AI's tend to freak out when there are multiple targets, causing them to unpredictability change targets mid combo. The reason Elden Ring's balance can feel so off is because the game is designed around both solo and co-op play, but since its not focusing on one specifically, both playstyles suffer from the other's design. It feels like movesets are designed with summons in mind, but AI's are strickly 1v1. This is something that Fromsoft will most likely work on improving in their next game. Elden Ring is their first game that has put a greater emphasis on co-op play. My point was that the DLC cranked up boss aggression, which may lead players who previously didn't use summons, to feel like they need to use them in order to control pacing. Meaning, the DLC's design emphasized the strategic use of summons more than the base game did.

[@SanjeevRau]

@@thegnib1914 good point about boss attacks being able to hit multiple opponents so they're better able to handle multiple opponents than in the past. I guess I just don't agree that the boss movesets feel unmanageable solo because they're too aggressive... I just don't think they're unmanageable at all, I think people are losing the patience it takes to learn a boss moveset. I can't rationally make an argument for any of the bosses in the main game or dlc for that, I played and enjoyed every fight solo. I certainly have critiques of bosses - specific moves(radahn double slash into cross), hitboxes, or stupid shit like malenia not being able to die from a riposte but I really don't believe any fight is DESIGNED with the idea that you're supposed to summon based on the boss's moveset- the summons are there to make it easier on you and give people who don't have the patience to learn the fights a chance at completing the game. I am not good at the game, I am no sweatlord. Every single from game I've played, I've had to spend a few hours learning each boss before I succeed solo. It was the exact same for elden ring and for the dlc and I feel like voices like mine who have always genuinely enjoyed this challenge are being drowned out by entitled people who aren't interested in engaging with mechanics like the boss movesets or learning how avoiding and punishing is different in elden ring than it is in previous from games. Just makes me sad because there's very few of us left who still believe in Miyazaki's vision and trust from to curate a satisfying challenge for us.

[@someguythatdoesstuff7658]

There's a difference between "hard" versus "complex". Apart from Rellana, I don't find the movesets of the DLC bosses to be insanely complex/deep (comparable to DS3 bosses), making them simple. However, Scadutree upgraded or not, they three to one-shot you, which means they are hard. In essence, I find them to be simple yet hard if that makes sense. They have a simple move pool, but the devs made it so that they one-tap you to extend the learning time. I am very split on this form of difficulty of extremely punishing yet simple.

[@TheArmyofHades]

The movesets are unfortunately pretty much the same on their core except maybe Radahn. Something to roll catch, something to punish your heal, a huge aoe explosion, a combo with delays an attack with absurd range and a grab, then depending on the type of enemy (humanoid or monster) a charge, an attack with ridiculous active frames and an attack to catch you from all possible sides of the boss.

[@sword.scroll]

Great analysis. I would say I do think the final boss has a bit more of a complex moveset and Rellana, like you mentioned. I did find myself learning boss moves and attacks fairly quickly for the rest of them. Doesn’t mean the bosses went down easily because they hit so hard, but the Golden Hippo especially was fairly easy to learn their moveset.

[@theholypopechodeii4367]

This is why Rellana is my favourite boss, she is the only one that feels like a well executed meaningful increase in the depth of boss fights. It's obviously not DMC or ninja gaiden depth, but it doesn't have to be. Just the fact that rellana encourages spacing and strafing while attacking mid combo instead of only the timing rolls and attacking we have had since 2009. Not saying the others are bad but she is the only one that is an actual evolution. I also found that most bosses 3-5 shot me, with the exception of messmers grab which one shots very easily.

[@theholypopechodeii4367]

​@@TheArmyofHades I disagree, I would say radahn is more of the same, Rellana is the only one that's actually different. I still liked the other bosses though.

[@TheArmyofHades]

@@theholypopechodeii4367 Well to each their own i guess. I just thought for Radahn some phase2 moves where kinda unique mainly the semi-teleporting dashes.

[@Dankometer]

Nice video! I was getting vibes off all of the dark souls game while playing this. Ds1 because of the verticality. Ds2 because of the jank hit boxes. Ds3 due to the progression of quests. Sekiro because of the great katana with the over head chop. And bloodborne with the winter lanterns. It truly was like a greatest hits dlc, I loved it.

[@sword.scroll]

Glad you liked the vid! It was very cool to see how From Software was able to create all new areas for the DLC that were so reminiscent of things we love in past games. The Bloodborne influence with the winter lanterns and the entire Abyssal Woods area was really cool. A lot of utilized empty space, but I think it added to the atmosphere of the area. Makes me excited for whatever they’re cookin up next!

[@DJIronChef]

what sucked was having to change my entire play style to take out the final boss. it didn't feel good to use the tools I did, when what I had was fine for every other boss (once I got the weapon/set). besides that, it really wasn't 'hard'. just some of those anime styled attacks were overwhelming

[@GodWarsX]

The difficulty is right where it needs to be. I just wish we could select our shadowrealm blessing level on ng+ cycles so we're not stuck to level 20, trivializing the early game and mid game

[@sword.scroll]

@@GodWarsX That’s a great point! I haven’t played the DLC on a NG+ cycle. Both of my characters were on the first playthrough that I brought into the DLC. Hopefully that’s something that will be added. Could be as simple as the flask allocating feature. Thanks for watching!

[@NewOO1]

Interesting, so do you start a ng+ run in the dlc with the max of 20 blessing every time?

[@geordiejones5618]

So I decided to just hoard my fragments without upgrading for this very reason. It's made the bosses very tough but still manageable. I beefed up Torrent because he was WAY too squishy but I wanted to compare Haligtree/Farum with the DLC without upgrades on a new game and they feel all around the same, with the exception of the DLC bosses who just hit so hard. Does anyone know if unused fragments carry over in NG+? If not I'll just upgrade right before the last boss and call it good.

[@david_kingori]

Use a +1 weapon...should kinda balance out

[@GodWarsX]

@@NewOO1 you start the dlc in ng+ at whatever shadow level you finished it at

[@TheArmyofHades]

Well i have finished 5 runs already currently on 6th and probably last. My impression is that its not that its too hard, it is just very draining to do, whenever i finished a bloodborne or demon souls or ds3, run i would feel energized and excited to do it again. The shadow of the erdtree is quite demanding and the bosses are hard in an unfun way mostly (for me always thats my personal experience), thus i dont know if i am ok with this, i dont like the feeling of "oh its finally over" every time i kill a boss versus "damn that shit was dope".

[@sword.scroll]

I can definitely understand that opinion. I also don’t really disagree. You have to be “on” the whole time for each boss fight because if you’re not paying attention for a couple seconds, they’ll 1-2 shot you. You can obviously employ tactics that make it much easier (summons, shields, etc.) but if you want to do it have a more authentic 1v1 experience it’s very challenging.

[@TheArmyofHades]

@@sword.scroll Indeed it does not feel like a match anymore. It feels like either you are cheating or the boss.

[@naterod]

Consort assface was man that was a wild fight. I used the impenetrable thorns had to respec a bit and level up a staff I’ll never use again but I finally got him. That move set in phase two was just to damn much for my str/fth build.

[@Colin-kh6kp]

I don't think the damage enemies deal is crazy but the damage YOU deal definitely could use a buff.

[@tmanno1987]

I think they should compress the size of future titles, by which i mean map size. I prefer the old souls style where it was like exploring a massive dungeon the whole way through. It would be cool if, like Stormvail, there were more dungeons with alternative routes. It gives more to the exploration value of these games; which are some of my favorite reasons to play.

[@sword.scroll]

Agreed! I loved Elden Ring, but I hope for their next game they go back to Dark Souls 1/Bloodborne level design. Not to say those two games are the same in terms of level design, but I love the interconnectivity of the prior games as well. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@meowmeowie1925]

My opinion is that the biggest difficulty issue that people encounter (at least those who tend to be loud) is due to the neglect of using the game mechanics. Elden ring difficulty is more than just summon = normal mode, and don't summon = hard mode. Outside of gank fights (double gargoyle, godskin duo) I also don't think the game was designed to be beaten with summons. You can use jumping attacks, charge attacks, go for posture break, change your armor to deal better with the boss's damage type, debuffs (bleed, frost, etc), talisman adjustments, damage negation, strike/slash/pierce damage types, shields, magic, consumables, buffs, etc. Only current cheese builds or cheese set-ups make the fights extremely easy. The issue here is that many people don't engage with these mechanics. "My build is a 2-handed collosal sword, medium rolling", OK that's cool, as long as you change your talismans for damage negation if you need it, use jump attacks/take advantage of ashes of war, posture break talismans, and block if you need to, you are still playing the game in normal mode. "Nope, my build doesn't use any of that, I only go for R1s + fashion souls" -> now you have turned the boss fight from a 1h learning process into a 10h challenge run and you have only yourself to blame. This is all fine and good, until you start crying about the difficulty. Penguinz0 said it best, if you want to play the game with your self-imposing challenges, do it, but the game doesn't have to cater to that. And yes, it's quite likely the average player doesn't even level their scadutree blessing sadly.

[@TheArmyofHades]

Most people have that mentality because it was easier to do in the previous games. Eg me i have finished ds3 and bloodborne around 12 times because i wanted to try many different builds and it never really felt like i was actively punishing myself. All felt viable, some were obviously harder to pull off than others but i never felt undoable and in elden ring it does sometimes feel undoable to do with certain builds. Is it possible still? Absolutely? Do most people have the time to take on what used to be 1 hour process into a 10 hour process, well thats up to the individual.

[@babloescobango5143]

Still working on the final boss, but no, it's not too hard. Gather ye Scadutree fragments, learn the moves, and work a build.

[@leek5682]

Using the words "more densely packed" is questionable for me. Shadow Keep is. Other areas are densely packed with stuff I don't want 😂

[@TheArmyofHades]

Fr most world items are worthless or useful in specific builds.

[@sword.scroll]

This is a great point. I should have been more clear in the video. I think that the overall world/level design is dense and constructed tightly. In terms of actual items to be picked up, I think there are fewer, and I honestly didn’t really mind that. Many of the items in the base game, and even the dlc, are crafting items or not applicable for most builds. So while a few of the areas did seem more open and barren, I still think the overall utilization of the map in terms of verticality, especially when compared to the base game, was quite dense. I hope that makes sense. Appreciate your thoughts, and thanks for watching the video!

[@TheArmyofHades]

@@sword.scroll In that regard you are absolutely right, besides the abyss everything else did seem full of life.

[@Jikuri]

My history prof is so based to send us the director cut of LOTR. Never watched the shorter version.

[@sword.scroll]

@@Jikuri That’s awesome! Thanks for checking out my channel. So cool that you were introduced to LOTR through history class! Extended editions are 100% the way to go. Always.

[@NewOO1]

There is no shorter version haha

[@Wilhelm4131]

How is that Based? You know the origin of that word?

[@Jikuri]

@@Wilhelm4131 Who hurt you?

[@Wilhelm4131]

@@Jikuri Miyazaki

[@metabones95]

The amount of content they pack into this game really feels like it’s own game. It’s incredible to go through and experience and more than worth the price. That being said, it’s the hardest game I’ve ever played 😂

[@sword.scroll]

Agreed. In my opinion, they certainly justified the $40 price point.

[@timothymoore2966]

Would have paid $60 happily after base game

[@tmanno1987]

I think the hippo needed some work. The hitbox was BS for the bite grab. Good news I heard it was fixed in the recent patch.

[@phrozac]

Speaking of graphical fidelity/technical performance and art direction, I'd love if Bluepoint remade Elden Ring with Demon's Souls Remake quality visuals. SotE already looks amazing and I think From DID level up with the DLC in terms of visuals but hand it to an art team with Bluepoint's level of technical expertise and visual polish and it could look insanely good.

[@andreichetan4694]

No. Only 2 bosses. If you take the time to learb without raging. You overcome them in max 2h.

[@hhowdy]

Great video can’t believe you only have 78 subs

[@sword.scroll]

Thanks, I appreciate the kind words! Just starting out, so looking forward to the journey.

[@NewOO1]

Performance aside, I loved the dlc. It really did feel like a greatest hits of the Soulsborne games of their past. The world design as you mentioned I also believe is particularly exceptional, give me stacked verticality over broad expansive areas any day of the week. Put on top of that SUPER distinct colors and vibes for the different zones I was honestly stunned at how much was packed into the DLC map. The difficulty complaints I also think were exaggerated, the enemies do hit HARD, you will get 2-3 shotted early in the game, but as long as you utilize the Shadowtree (thanks for that) fragments and the tools the game gives you I found it doable and by the end I was enjoying it much more than endgame of the base game. The dlc is also filled with secrets and optional areas that I cant wait to keep finding. Was wonderful to get back into the lands between. Speaking of From's exceptional output quantity of quality games, which direction do you think they will go for their next release?

[@sword.scroll]

I completely agree! I loved how vibrant the environments were in the DLC. I also really liked how different it could look depending on the weather/time of day. In terms of what they do next, I’m hoping that we get a sequel for either Bloodborne or Sekiro. I think that Sekiro has an almost perfect combat system, so I’d love to see what they could iterate on with Bloodborne 2. I think that Bloodborne has arguably one of the coolest atmospheres and art direction in gaming, so it would be really cool to see what From Software could do with modern hardware. But I’d also love a sequel to Sekiro, honestly I’m fine with whatever they’re working on next. While I have my favorites, they haven’t let me down yet so I’m sure whatever it is will be fantastic.

[@NewOO1]

@@sword.scroll Yess, also how they integrated emergent gameplay/items based on the time of day was a nice touch, totally agree. I would love a revist to either of those games forsure, more importantly I would love them to make a tighter, more 'linear' game vs how Elden was so designed around an open world. Though I didn't beat Sekiro because I was unable to slam my head into the wall enough to git gud the combat mechanics were neigh on perfection and SO rewarding. Cut back all the items, crafting, excessing space and give me a TIGHT DS1 integrated world design in the aesthetic of BB and I'd be so in...or the same with Sekiro gameplay/design (don't know if I want them mixed or not) and I think we could get something special...honestly give me a Sekiro 2 and BB Remaster and I'm good to go. Don't know if I want another buffet that is Elden Ring when I think they could make an amazing 3 course meal in the styling of BB or Sekiro ya know.

[@sword.scroll]

@@NewOO1 Very well said! I agree with all of those points. I love Elden Ring for sure, but I would be fine if they took a break from the massive open world of Elden and focused on a more controlled integrated environment. A DS1 on steroids. In terms of a Bloodborne remaster, I’m still baffled that this hasn’t happened yet. I’m confident that a Bloodborne style remake in the vain of Demons Souls would sell millions of copies. Especially if they also released it on PC. Even if it’s just a pc port of Bloodborne as it is now, that’s fine. Just give me Bloodborne at 60fps! I NEED IT.

[@DelphieNEhuntah]

I heard in another video somewhere that the stuttering is actually caused by newer generation CPU's something to do not knowing what is background tasks and prio tasks.. so its kinda jumping back a d forth. So my CPU which is somewhat dated runs smooth as silk... doesn't have that feature that new ones have.

[@sword.scroll]

That sounds about right. Serves me right for upgrading! Lol. Glad the game ran well for you though, and thanks for checking out the video!

[@gabrielm3340]

yeah i wish they bring back the limb break system from bloodborne, idk why they took it out? feel great to see you pokes or hits doing work on the boss, and how it reacts.

[@sword.scroll]

Agreed. I was a big fan of the mechanic in Bloodborne.

[@stevemichael652]

Imagine a souls game where just solo playing it is now the new self imposed challenge run lmao That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. I’m not crippling myself bc I don’t want to summon. It’s not my fault the entire game becomes trivial when u summon. And if that is the case, then we have a major issue here. Solo fighting bosses isn’t a challenge run , or it certainly shouldn’t be. Summons are an option, not a solution.

[@sword.scroll]

Great perspective. I agree that soloing a boss shouldn’t be considered a challenge run. I think that for the average Elden Ring player it has become that. The most experienced among us will certainly find a way to overcome and defeat the bosses 1v1, but imo it’s never been more of a challenge than here. Isshin, the Sword Saint felt just as challenging, but better designed imo. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@stevemichael652]

@@sword.scroll yea I agree. I think personally FSW went too far with this dlc

[@keskorian5820]

personally i believe summons are only designed to be an external tool for newcomers or those who specifically struggle. aside from a few bad hitboxes, each boss has been fun and doable solo without a broken build for me its a fromsoftware dlc, they're always going to be harder than the base game. but eventually we learn and adapt, and in the end it wont feel nearly as hard as it used to the cycle of souls xD

[@Chillblackcat]

So far, I've beaten the dlc twice once on ng+0 and once on ng+7, and as such, I have plenty to say about the boss difficulty, shadowtree fragments, and how this dlc compares to other games in froms catalog. Before that, though, I'd like to mention that while I'm no gaming god, I've beaten all the darksouls games and bloodborne multiple times. Now that that's established, I believe that the dlc is near perfectly balanced for a first playthrough but is unbalanced on later playthroughs due to a flaw in the shadowtree system. Inherently these new bosses have health and damage scaling that far exeeds the base game because Miyazaki wanted to replicate the feeling of progression from the base game but the way that was done lacks longevity compared to the regular leveling system because of how they we're designed. The normal leveling system isn't meant to be maxed out to the point where you could kill every boss on every ng cycle and still get nowhere near max level. Meanwhile the shadowtree fragments can be maxed out in one playthrough which means you cant progress in power past ng+0 with anything but the regular leveling system which gives diminishing returns after awhile. This means that the player's growth cannot keep up the bosses growth which is an issue when these bosses were overturned in the first place. In other words this problem is summarized as such Player level 120 + 0 shadowtree level < all ng+0 bosses Player level 120 + 20 shadowtree level = all ng+0 bosses Player level 713 + 20 shadowtree level < all ng+7 bosses because each of those bosses recive a boost similar to the shadowtree blessing with extra poise and resistance while player soft caps ensure that they cannot match this progression.

[@sword.scroll]

Well put! Both of the characters I played the DLC with were on the first playthrough, so I haven’t experienced it in NG+ yet. Certainly makes sense what you’re saying though. I’m sure the final boss on NG+7 was a chill relaxing experience… 😂

[@Chillblackcat]

Shield tank with bleed, lol. I couldn't do it without the cheese it was miserable. Really, all I want fromsoft to do for this dlc is nerf the damage on higher ng cycles because these bosses hit oppressively hard even with heavy armor max stats and damage negation talismans something that wasn't the case in ds3.

[@allandm]

I agree that (appart from the final boss) the dlc wasn't that much harder than the base game. It's hard, it's hard cuz many times it's unclear how to avoid attacks, there's no colour indicator telling you what to do. You gotta experiment with every option and remember them for next time you fight that same enemy/ boss. Sometimes you have to dodge a specific direction, or outspace, or jump, if its a two hit you might need to dodge early to be able to dodge the second hit... it's a lot. I guess that's why I love Sekiro, miriki thrust attacks, jump sweeps, dodge grabs and parry everything else. It's simple, sweet and fun

[@sword.scroll]

Agreed on all fronts. It definitely asks a lot out of the player. Some ppl will find that more rewarding than others. I’m with you on the Sekiro side of things though. I think it’s the tightest and most objectively “perfect” combat system From has made. I love bloodborne as well, but though to compete with how smooth Sekiro is. Thanks for checking out the channel!

[@allandm]

@@sword.scroll i still love elden ring, but i def prefer the difficulty in sekiro as it comes from the fight being hard and not because idk what to do to avoid a certain attack and it takes me ages to figure it out xd

[@wilfredwayne7139]

Loved the dlc but it just isn't what I was interested in I wanted more on Godwyn and if I was to see radahn I wanted to hear him speak.

[@apolloisnotashirt]

17:56 YES YES YES YES

[@sword.scroll]

Thanks for checking out the channel!

[@Tobinator127]

I play on PS5 and I had no technical issues with base game or DLC

[@xXLunatikxXlul]

I think the dlc's difficultly is perfect, except for the final boss 😂 just a wee-bit too spammy imo.

[@dastana.4226]

The final boss is a mod that got mistakenly put in the final version of the dlc

[@joseenrico4753]

It is but I love it

[@D33STRUCTIV3]

I was honestly really, really struggling with the final boss. Then I realized I was playing on my NG+7 character. Switched to a character on Journey 1 and beat most of the bosses on the first try. It was like taking the training weights off, lol.

[@moart87]

SotE felt unfinished to me Tbh, Elden Ring as well

[@NewOO1]

Unfinished? Interested in what you mean by that? Did you feel like parts were rushed for release or like there are gaps in the game that would have been fleshed out had they had more time?

[@moart87]

@@NewOO1 both actually. The most painful example is they’ve actually reused dungeons in this game. And don’t get me started on the barebones lore, and nonexistent buildup for potentiallyimportant moments and characters. I think it’s disappointing, because the overworld itself is intricately designed with beautiful vista’s.

[@AQWSpellz]

Its actually crazy how stinky my dinky can get.

[@jexiebarrios1073]

I’m ng 5 in the dlc and it’s still fun

[@sword.scroll]

@@jexiebarrios1073 Nice! Thanks for checking out the video! NG+5 is no joke! How is the difficulty curve on NG+? Both of my characters were fresh on the first playthrough.

[@jexiebarrios1073]

@@sword.scroll compared to the other souls game it’s very mild, although I played the dlc on ng4 it didn’t seem that bad til I noticed I was getting 1 and 2 shotter by some enemies in the dlc on my 5th attempt. Where the bosses seemed easy compared to traversing some areas. I also cheesed the last boss of the dlc which helped. Lance and fingerprint great shield is the best.

[@sword.scroll]

@@jexiebarrios1073 Interesting! Good to know how it scales. I’ve done a few NG+ cycles but for some reason I normally go with a fresh character for repeated playthroughs. Something about picking up all the items again activates something special in my monkey brain ha. And NICE! The fingerprint greatshield is awesome. The old “tank and poke method” Nothing wrong with that!

[@MrPainter254]

It's obviously pronounced skibbity tree fragments

[@sword.scroll]

You’re so right. Thank you for the correction, wise scholar 🙏🏼

[@MrPainter254]

@@sword.scroll 🖤

[@Wilhelm4131]

Most of the DLC map is quite barren so not sure how it can be dense

[@sword.scroll]

@@Wilhelm4131 You’re not wrong in the sense of Items to pick up and crafting materials to be gathered. Personally I found it a bit refreshing to not have quite as many items as the base game. I found myself regularly picking up items of no consequence. While the DLC does still have this problem, I think it manages it better and makes the items we do find more compelling. I do agree a few areas do feel barren. I think the Abyssal Woods is a good example of this. I do think you could argue that it adds atmosphere to the area, but I can definitely see where you’re coming from with that. I do think that comparative to the base game, the overall map is utilized better and has tighter level/world design in terms of the verticality of the shadow realm. Appreciate you checking the video!

[@SI-po4qp]

@sword.scroll I’m with you in that I enjoyed the way the world was crafted. Every area felt pretty unique and distinct and the lack of items didn’t bother me much. I tend to just explore to explore, and I tend to judge exploration based on how I feel as I’m traversing an area as opposed to if I find new gear that I like. For me, mostly the exploration itself is the reward if it’s in a world that I’m pretty enamored with (as I am with most FromSoft games)

[@shahbazmalik1560]

I stared the dlc at new game plus 5 yes it was incredibly hard I would die by one hit if I’m lucky 2 hits.Then I decided to make a new character and honestly I don’t think the dlc is hard at all.

[@sword.scroll]

Agreed. I don’t think the difficulty was much different than the base game as long as you’re using scadutree fragments at a reasonable pace. Thanks for checking out the channel!

[@collapsiblechair9112]

DLC is hard but so was the parent game.

[@sword.scroll]

Agreed. I think the difficulty, as long as you gather scadutree fragments, is about on par with the base game. Thanks for checking out the vid!

[@Filumgaming]

Spirit ashes break any boss fight in such a way that they provide a far bigger help than any other tool in the game without ANY DOWNSIDES. I find it ridiculous to not consider this an easier mode of approaching the game A properly leveled solo experience regardless of build is far more akin to the normal mode

[@Windrider784]

Scadutree can't be pronounced shadow tree. Those letters don't make those sounds. The flexibility of pronunciation is not infinite.

[@bobdobbz9334]

Did you just casually claim The Witcher 3 is better than ER at the end there? 😮

[@sword.scroll]

…..sure did! Don’t cancel me tho! 😳 lol Thanks for watchin the whole video!

[@bobdobbz9334]

@@sword.scroll Too late. Canceled. Lol

[@obiwanshinobi87]

It's as difficult as you make it....

[@joyhappiness]

SOTE is too small. i already beat it three times

[@sword.scroll]

Dang, that’s impressive! You’ve been crushin it in the Shadow Realm. Thanks for checking out the vid!

[@Wilhelm4131]

Once you rule out most of the open world because its empty it is really short

[@opethmike]

It's too boring

[@bdaniels4627]

Spoiler alert: It’s not

[@lucas2mazini]

F'ing lie. It is.

[@McDinkledorfM.D]

Beaten it twice, maybe you have a crap build?

[@timmyturner6448]

It’s not hard at all, in my opinion it’s not even a good dlc probably the worst they’ve ever released

[@tronaldtv7099]

whatever early impressions you have of the game...by the time you get to the final boss the only feeling you'll be left with, especially if you've played the other souls games, is "thank God it's over." this i guarantee

[@sword.scroll]

The final boss was certainly a doozy! I had to set the controller down and come back the next day to beat him. I did enjoy the fight though. Thanks for checking out the vid!

[@tronaldtv7099]

@@sword.scroll you enjoyed radahn's light spam attacks in the 2nd phase? interesting...tho i guess this is about enjoyment, not objectively bad design. to each their own

[@redbritish]

@@tronaldtv7099I liked him. I stayed close to him and the aoe wasn’t a problem at all for me

[@tronaldtv7099]

@@redbritish again, you're talking enjoyment, i'm talking design, which for radahn, is objectively bad. good on you for enjoying it tho

[@sword.scroll]

@@tronaldtv7099I think almost every boss in the DLC has a move or mechanic that I think is pretty cheap honestly. I’ll be diving into some of them in my next video. That being said, I do like the challenge of learning boss attacks and how best to either avoid or punish moves. I’ll say the process of doing that is much more enjoyable for me in a game like Sekiro which I think has a better and more consistent combat system.

[@botero01]

The answer is: NO, it´s not too difficult, IT IS YOUR PEE-PEE THAT IS TOO SMALL.

[@tmanno1987]

Telling people its the game engines fault be like blaming Facebook when you post and a misspelled message. Gotta blame the proper people not what they used to make it.

[@soulrebelstudios3185]

Lmao it's definitely no Witcher 3 it's better. Witcher is trash and this dlc beat Witcher 3s score 😂

[@sword.scroll]

Listen, I have just one thing to say to you………You’re wrong. But I still love you, thanks for checking out the video! Maybe I’ll change your mind when I make a Witcher 3 vid down the road 😉