FromSoftware’s latest and greatest dark fantasy RPG,Elden Ring, has proven a worthy successor in a long line of brutal and challenging yet rewarding role-playing gaming experiences. From its unforgiving combat to its expansive world-building and lore,Elden Ringechoes many of the qualities and mechanics found in its spiritual predecessors that guided it toward its take on that special FromSoftware formula that makes a Soulsborne gameplay loop so terribly addicting. AlthoughElden Ringborrowed and improved upon mechanics found in other Soulsborne titles, there remains a surplus of new concepts unique toElden Ringthat make it stand out from its kin, especially with the release of its major DLC,Shadow of the Erdtree.
In typical FromSoftware fashion, theShadow of the ErdtreeDLC is set apart from the main game, taking place in an entirely new map called the Realm of Shadow where the Tarnished protagonist pursues the lost demigod Miquella. Atypical of FromSoftware, however, is how the developers went about striking a balance between keepingShadow of the Erdtreechallenging and fun for veteran players while also making it accessiblefor newer and lower leveled players. Generally, given precedent with other Soulsborne titles, enemy scaling within a DLC area is locked, meaning the new content would be scaled to a particular level with respect to the rest of the game, despite the player’s level. This time FromSoftware did something a little different.
Legacy Mechanics Across the Soulsborne Genre May Be Changing
Enter the Scadutree fragments. TheScadutree is the name of the Realm of Shadow’s twisted variant of the Erdtree(more or less), and the fragments are used to increase the amount of damage the player deals while reducing the damage they take within the Realm of Shadow. This is already a major departure from FromSoftware’s usual memo of simply utilizing the in-game currency to build out the player (i.e. runes inElden Ring, souls inDemon’s Souls, etc.). Rather than saving runes to allocate points to individual stats, the Scadutree fragments are the primary method for mediating the difficulty curve within the DLC map.
While it is, of course, still possible to level up normally within the DLC itself using runes, the inclusion of Scadutree Fragments foreshadows the possibility of more complex leveling systems within future FromSoftware titles. The Scadutree fragments aremost reminiscent of the leveling system ofSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, wherein levels were only accumulated by use of prayer beads dropped from boss fights. That’s one reason thatSekirois sometimes referred to as the most difficult of the Soulsborne titles; the player cannot delay progression to grind levels, as is possible in the other titles. Scadutree fragments can be found in the open world ofElden Ringand not just as drops, but the similarity between the prayer beads and Scadutree fragments ought not be overlooked.
MechanicsElden Ringborrowed and improved upon from previous Soulsborne titles:
What Scadutree Fragments May Mean for FromSoft’s Next Game
Being thatElden Ringis a sort ofamalgamation of successful mechanics from previous Soulsborne titles, the prayer bread-like Scadutree fragments hint at the potential of reworked leveling in future FromSoftware RPGs. The dual leveling system that now exists inElden Ringis not only a fresh take on an age-old mechanic, but it highlights how such legacy mechanics and systems are capable of accommodating more complex, multifaceted additions and still blending with the flow of gameplay. Leveling using the Scadutree fragments, just as with the base game leveling, is purely optional, allowing the player the agency to temper the difficulty of their game as well as the DLC to their liking individually.
If this is an indication of the direction FromSoftware may be taking with the leveling systems and/or other legacy systems within the Soulsborne titles, the departure from simplicity would certainly draw notice, but that isn’t necessarily to a negative effect. The implementation of the Scadutree fragments has so far been well-received, so it’s not a bad idea to carry forward as long as any new mechanics are well-integrated. Nonetheless, FromSoftware is clearly innovating how its Soulsborne titles tick, coinciding with its growing fanbase and infamous status within the gaming community at large. Regardless of what the future holds, at present,Elden Ringhas set a tone sure to influence more than justwhat’s next for FromSoftware.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
WHERE TO PLAY
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
