We had already suffered enormously in 2022 with FromSoftware’s first open-world foray. But with its expansion entitled “Shadow of the Erdtree”, the pain is pushed to its paroxysm. Indeed, the Japanese studio has pushed the difficulty slider even higher. Each miserable creature encountered does monstrous damage. And it’s even worse with the bosses, each more merciless than the last. Indeed, their erratic movements, coupled with constant pressure, like the terrifying creature hiding in the volcano, risk driving a good portion of players crazy and restarting the production of controllers in the world, or even screens.
Fortunately, there is still the activation of incantations, essential for the less skillful, and the search for blessings, improving the avatar’s statistics throughout an enigmatic adventure where we follow the steps, from afar, of a demigod in the Kingdom of Shadows. Smaller than the original game, the surface of the extension is a small marvel of level design, with areas that intertwine with each other with unparalleled verticality. If this new immersion in this fantastic universe is a masterpiece, we can only rage against the camera and targeting problems, always strawberries, as well as against certain fights, too long, where the monsters are real bags of life points.
