Elden Ring DLC: Dev Shares Insight on Difficulty

Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: A Balancing Act of Challenge and Accessibility

The release of Elden Ring's highly anticipated expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, sparked a heated online debate about its difficulty. Many players, both seasoned veterans and newcomers, voiced concerns about the challenging new bosses, some even suggesting they were overpowered. Johan Pilestedt, CCO of Arrowhead Game Studios (developers of Helldivers 2), weighed in on FromSoftware's design philosophy.

Pilestedt, also the creative director of Helldivers 2, publicly agreed with streamer Rurikhan's assessment that FromSoftware intentionally crafts challenging bosses to foster a sense of accomplishment and player engagement. He emphasized that effective game design prioritizes evoking strong emotional responses. Addressing concerns that this approach might alienate a broader audience, Pilestedt succinctly stated, "a game for everyone is a game for no one," advocating for developers to remain true to their target audience.

Developer Perspective on Difficulty

Prior to the DLC's launch, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki cautioned players, even veterans, to expect a significant challenge. He explained that the DLC's boss balancing assumed players had substantial experience with the base game. FromSoftware also carefully considered player feedback on enjoyable and frustrating aspects of the base game's boss encounters when designing Shadow of the Erdtree.

The expansion introduced the Scadutree Blessing mechanic, boosting player damage and reducing damage taken within the Land of Shadow. Despite this feature being clearly explained, many players seemingly overlooked or disregarded it, prompting Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco to issue a reminder to utilize and upgrade this crucial mechanic.

Critical Acclaim Amidst Mixed Reception

Despite achieving the highest rating of any video game DLC on OpenCritic, surpassing even The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Blood and Wine, Shadow of the Erdtree's reception on Steam has been more divided. Negative reviews frequently cite both the high difficulty and the introduction of technical issues. This highlights the inherent tension between creating a challenging experience and maintaining broad player accessibility.