Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree is FromSoftware's toughest piece of content to date.
Hidetaka Miyazaki believes toning down difficulty 'breaks the game itself'.
New weapons, armors, spells, talismans, Spirit Ashes, Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes are available in the DLC.
Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: A Challenging Expansion for Gamers
Welcome to our comprehensive article on Elden Ring's latest expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. This DLC, available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, and PS4,
has been making waves in the gaming community due to its challenging nature.
Background Information
Elden Ring is an action RPG developed by FromSoftware and released in February 2023. The game quickly gained popularity for its intricate world design, complex combat mechanics, and steep learning curve. Shadow of the Erdtree is the first major expansion to Elden Ring.
Title: Hidetaka Miyazaki's Commitment to Challenge
In a recent interview with The Guardian, game director Hidetaka Miyazaki discussed his philosophy on game difficulty and why he chose not to make Elden Ring or its DLC easier for players. According to him, the sense of achievement gained from overcoming challenges is a fundamental part of the gaming experience.
Facts: Toughest Pieces of Content from FromSoftware
Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree is one of FromSoftware's toughest pieces of content to date.
Hidetaka Miyazaki believes that toning down the difficulty would 'break the game itself.'
New weapons, armors, spells, talismans, Spirit Ashes, Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes are scattered throughout the DLC to help lessen the intensity of challenges.
Topics: Expansion Features and Platforms
Elden Ring
Shadow of the Erdtree
FromSoftware
Hidetaka Miyazaki
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, and PS4
FromSoftware's games, including Elden Ring, demand a lot from players and require engagement with mechanics to overcome challenging combat encounters.
Studio director Hidetaka Miyazaki believes that if FromSoftware wanted its games to be more accessible, they would have made them that way.
Accuracy
, Shadow of the Erdtree is bigger in scale than any other FromSoftware DLC before it.
, Miyazaki believes that turning down the difficulty in FromSoftware games would strip them of the sense of achievement and joy for players, which is a fundamental part of the experience.
, Elden Ring has sold over 25 million copies.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The author makes an appeal to authority fallacy by quoting Miyazaki's statements about the studio's stance on game difficulty and the importance of challenge in their games. However, this does not necessarily mean that the article itself endorses or promotes this viewpoint as a logical fallacy. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing FromSoftware games as 'punishing' and 'master-crafted combat encounters', but this is a subjective opinion and does not constitute a logical fallacy.
FromSoftware titles stand out because they buck established norms and demand something from the player
Had we taken that approach, I don’t think the game would have done what it did because the sense of achievement that players gain from overcoming these hurdles is such a fundamental part of the experience.
Turning down difficulty would strip the game of that joy – which, in my eyes, would break the game itself.
Shadow of the Erdtree is a new DLC for Elden Ring, which is bigger in scale than any other FromSoftware DLC before it according to game director Hidetaka Miyazaki.
Shadow of the Erdtree follows the story arc of Miquella, brother of Malenia and one of the demigods important to Elden Ring lore.
Miyazaki said that packaging Miquella’s story as a standalone DLC was about completing Elden Ring’s circle and honoring George R. R. Martin’s contributions to the game.
Shadow of the Erdtree contains more than 10 boss encounters, according to Miyazaki.
Miyazaki said that some optional bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree are especially difficult.
Accuracy
Shadow of the Erdtree is bigger in scale than any other FromSoftware DLC before it
Shadow of the Erdtree follows the story arc of Miquella
Elden Ring has sold over 25 million copies
Deception
(30%)
The author makes several statements that are misleading or exaggerated. For example, the author claims that Erdtree is 'by far the biggest in scale in volume than any other FromSoftware DLC before it,' but later admits that it's 'about the same volume as the Limgrave part of the base game.' The author also understates the number of boss encounters in Erdtree, stating that there are '10 plus boss encounters,' but acknowledges that estimates suggest there are 55 or more. These statements can be considered deceptive because they create an exaggerated impression of the size and difficulty of the DLC. The author also uses emotional manipulation by expressing frustration and exaggerating the challenges he has faced in the game.
As I work my way through Shadow of the Erdtree, the new DLC for Elden Ring, I can’t help but think that game director Hidetaka Miyazaki is trolling me. ... I’d say it’s far, far larger than Limgrave, with plenty more to do as well.
None of my strategies nor any of the game’s built in assistance features seem to work. My best attempt got her down to half of her health and I cannot seem to progress further.
I agree. But while I think Shadow of the Erdtree could better straddle the line between pleasantly challenging and frustratingly impossible, the game was tuned to Miyazaki’s intentions, representing the lessons the development team learned from the original game’s feedback.
Fallacies
(75%)
The author makes an exaggerated statement about the size of Shadow of the Erdtree DLC being 'about the same volume as the Limgrave part of the base game,' which is a clear understatement. This is an example of a hyperbole fallacy.
'But he also said Erdtree is ‘about the same volume as the Limgrave part of the base game,’
I'd say it’s far, far larger than Limgrave,
Bias
(80%)
The author expresses a clear bias towards the game's difficulty being excessive and frustrating, implying that it is not engaging or enjoyable for players. The author also understates the size of the DLC and number of boss encounters in a derisive manner.
According to Miyazaki, this is by design. He said that Erdtree contains 10 plus boss encounters - honestly, another hilariously absurd understatement.
I cannot seem to progress further against Rellana, Twin Moon Knight. None of my strategies nor any of the game's built in assistance features seem to work.
It's true that this distinct type of FromSoft-engineered frustration is an indispensable part of the Souls experience, but this feels like difficulty for difficulty's sake, turned up to eleven.
Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree will feature FromSoftware’s toughest ever bosses.
Game director Hidetaka Miyazaki believes that making the game easier would ‘break the game itself’
Shadow of the Erdtree arrives on June 21, 2024, and getting into the expansion requires defeating an optional boss.
The expansion includes new weapons and quest lines, as well as challenging new bosses.
Accuracy
Hidetaka Miyazaki believes that making the game easier would ‘break the game itself’
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The author is expressing his opinion on why FromSoftware does not make their games easier, stating that it would 'break the game itself' and take away the sense of achievement for players. This is an example of an appeal to emotion fallacy as Miyazaki is appealing to the reader's emotions by describing the importance of overcoming challenges in gaming.
If we really wanted the whole world to play the game, we could just crank the difficulty down more and more, but that wasn’t the right approach.
Had we taken that approach, I don’t think the game would have done what it did, because the sense of achievement that players gain from overcoming these hurdles is such a fundamental part of the experience. Turning down difficulty would strip the game of that joy, which, in my eyes, would break the game itself.
Elden Ring’s DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is one of the toughest pieces of content FromSoftware has ever released.
Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that toning down the difficulty would ‘break the game itself’ in a recent interview with The Guardian.
New weapons, armors, spells, talismans, Spirit Ashes, Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes are scattered throughout the DLC to help lessen the intensity of challenges.
Accuracy
Shadow of the Erdtree is one of the toughest pieces of content FromSoftware has ever released.
Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that toning down the difficulty would 'break the game itself'' in a recent interview.
Rellana is one of the deadliest bosses players encounter early in Shadow of the Erdtree.
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