{"id":2936,"date":"2024-06-28T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldclassservers.net\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/"},"modified":"2024-06-28T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T12:00:00","slug":"is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult?"},"content":{"rendered":"

FromSoftware has once again delivered a critical darling in Shadow of the Erdtree, its gargantuan DLC expansion for Elden Ring. But while it has received glowing adoration from professional critics, a not-insignificant slice of players have rallied against Shadow of the Erdtree\u2019s difficulty. Perceiving its enemies and bosses to be so challenging that they make the game unfair, some fans have review bombed the DLC on Steam<\/a> and even crafted mods for the PC version<\/a> that make the experience easier.<\/p>\n

And so comes the inevitable question \u2013 is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree too difficult? Has FromSoftware finally gone too far? The answer, at least according to the various journalists and Souls content creators I\u2019ve spoken to, is no. However, the answer to Erdtree\u2019s steep challenge lies in much more than that age-old, condescending advice of \u2018git gud\u2019. <\/p>\n

A Challenge Too Far? <\/h2>\n

\u201cI was surprised to see people passing judgement on the difficulty so quickly,\u201d says VaatiVidya<\/a>, the YouTuber known for his meticulously researched FromSoft lore videos<\/a>, about the review bombing. \u201cIf you’re up against something difficult, you need time to explore different areas or come up with a different strategy, and I think many critics were overlooking that.\u201d <\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to characterise some of that backlash as naivety. It is entirely unsurprising that Shadow of the Erdtree is difficult. Elden Ring is difficult, and so this DLC \u2013 locked behind two of the base game\u2019s most challenging bosses \u2013 was bound to be a hurdle designed for the most dedicated fans. FromSoftware\u2019s approach to DLC has always been to cater to those hardened players. In a list of the studio\u2019s most punishing bosses, fearsome DLC foes such as Sister Friede, The Orphan of Kos, Ludwig The Holy Blade, and Darkeater Midir will all inevitably rise to the top. But it\u2019s not just the bosses. Pushing forward through Dark Souls 3\u2019s Ringed City and Bloodborne\u2019s Fishing Hamlet is an uphill struggle thanks to tricky enemy placement and \u2018mid-tier\u2019 monstrosities that are practically bosses without ceremony. Such areas demand complete mastery of your abilities. There is no way to be \u2018relaxed\u2019 in FromSoftware\u2019s expansions. By being more punishing than its parent game, Shadow of the Erdtree is merely following tradition. <\/p>\n

There is something Elden Ring has that Dark Souls or Bloodborne never had, though: mass popularity. \u201cI think the reality is that Elden Ring is the most successful game FromSoftware has ever released, and introduced literally millions of newcomers to the genre who\u2019ve never played a FromSoftware game before,\u201d says Matt Kim, IGN\u2019s senior features editor. \u201cWhich means they\u2019ve effectively dove straight into the hardest DLC the studio has ever produced. But there\u2019s a progression here that they may have missed, with the Elden Ring DLC being harder than the Dark Souls 3 DLC, which was harder than the Bloodborne DLC which was harder than \u2014 you get my point.”<\/p>\n

Newcomers have been raised on what is the most approachable Souls-style game the developer has ever made \u2013 one with strong NPC allies available at beck and call, incredibly powerful magic and weapon skills, and an open structure that allows you to bypass bosses until you\u2019re suitably ready. All this also exists in Shadow of the Erdtree, but so do the aforementioned increased difficulty traditions. And so fans have quickly discovered that the medieval superheroes they built and perfected, with stats stacked higher than skyscrapers thanks to countless hours spent grinding out runes, are now far from the devastating powerhouses they once were. <\/p>\n

By being more punishing than its parent game, Shadow of the Erdtree is merely following tradition. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have come up with builds that can shred [the base game\u2019s] hardest bosses without breaking a sweat,\u201d says Mitchell Saltzman, who reviewed Shadow of the Erdtree for IGN<\/a>. \u201cAll of the weapons and talismans to complete those builds have been painstakingly mapped out and can be relatively easy to obtain, and there are rune farming spots that can skyrocket a player’s level by the hundreds in just a handful of hours. So FromSoftware had to make this DLC difficult to account for all of the above.\u201d <\/p>\n

But while many a FromSoft veteran will have entered Shadow of the Erdtree with full understanding of this, they may have been surprised at just how quickly the height of that challenge smacks you in the face. When you stumble across the Western Nameless Mausoleum, the first optional location in Erdtree\u2019s Land of Shadow, you\u2019re forced into a fight with the Blackgaol Knight<\/a> \u2013 a foe equally skilled at ranged and close combat. Inside his arena you are prohibited from summoning Spirit Ashes, Elden Ring\u2019s NPC allies, and so you\u2019re entirely on the backfoot. It\u2019s like going back to level one all over again. And, in a way, you are. Progression works differently in this expansion. Your stat levels, earned over hundreds of hours by spending hard-earned runes, are\u2026 not exactly useless here, but less impactful. Instead, your ability to inflict and resist damage comes from Scadutree Fragments, a new collectible that increases your stats.<\/p>\n

A Blessing or a Curse?<\/h2>\n

\u201cA big part of the issue seems to be people not understanding the Scadutree Fragment mechanic, whereby your character gets stronger from the process of wide exploration,\u201d explains VaatiVidya. <\/p>\n

Scadutree Fragments<\/a> fit together to make Scadutree Blessings, which when used at a Site of Grace buff your character\u2019s ability to both inflict and resist damage. The logic behind them makes a lot of sense: those aforementioned boss-shredding builds could steamroll through the DLC, bypassing the artistic intent of its many bosses and challenges. And so to ensure everyone experiences Shadow of the Erdtree as intended, FromSoft has put everyone back on a roughly even playing field from which only Scadutree Blessings will raise you up. In short: they made you start again from scratch. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think the Scadutree Blessing system is actually a pretty smart solution that allows Shadow of the Erdtree to be difficult right from the start, but also allow people to overcome that difficulty by doing the thing that Elden Ring has always been about: exploration, discovery, and being rewarded for your curiosity,\u201d says Saltzman. \u201cThere are a ton of Scadutree Fragments that can be obtained right from the very start of the game, without even having to fight any of the big bosses that players seem to be getting stuck on.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is worth considering how that system impacts Elden Ring\u2019s values of exploration and discovery, though. In the base game, simply playing is enough to acquire the runes needed to level up and become more powerful. But by locking increased stat power behind specific items located in specific places, Shadow of the Erdtree has arguably turned the entire experience into something of a scavenger hunt. The effect of this will vary depending on taste; for some, this further encourages exploration of a world that frequently rewards the curious. For others, it may turn any reward that isn\u2019t a Scadutree Fragment into a disappointment, or even a waste of time. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been getting a vibe check on people\u2019s reactions to the DLC, and the one thing I keep seeing is people underestimating the impact of Scadutree Blessings. These make a MASSIVE difference and you CAN come back later. No, you don\u2019t need to kill the lion or Rellana at the start. pic.twitter.com\/B6ZGivK1yh<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Iron Pineapple (@IronPineapple_) June 22, 2024<\/a> <\/p>\n

Personally, I agree with Saltzman\u2019s views on the Scadurtree Blessing. But while the system is certainly mechanically sound, it does function very differently to what players are used to. For those trained on not just Elden Ring but FromSoft\u2019s historic reliance on traditional levelling, it may not be immediately clear just how vital to the experience the Scadutree Blessing truly is. A tool tip does explain that the blessing \u201cbolsters the recipient\u2019s abilities to deal and negate damage,\u201d but \u2013 in FromSoft tradition \u2013 there\u2019s little further information on the system to be found within the game itself. It\u2019s been down to the community<\/a>, guides writers<\/a>, and even the Bandai Namco X\/Twitter account<\/a> to emphasise the Scadutree Blessing\u2019s importance. It\u2019s therefore understandable that many people outside of those circles may have missed the very system designed to aid with Shadow of the Erdtree\u2019s escalating difficulty. <\/p>\n

Beyond the Golden Path<\/h2>\n

Another, less obvious contributor to Shadow of the Erdtree\u2019s apparent difficulty is the community focus on boss fights. While these spectacular showdowns are Elden Ring\u2019s centrepieces, it\u2019s important to remember that they are the spine of the experience rather than the body. With so much discussion in the community around conquering each foe and getting closer to the final boss, it\u2019s easy to be caught up in the need to speedrun through the chain of major fights. Down that path lies not just frustration, but a distraction away from a wider world that holds the many tools required to achieve an easier victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t enjoy spending four hours learning a boss,\u201d says Daniel Krupa, IGN\u2019s former Prepare to Try<\/a> loremaster and founder of the Souls-focussed YouTube channel RKG<\/a>. \u201cI love exploring these worlds and piecing together the stories they tell, and I\u2019ll do everything I can to make that easier. I\u2019ll horde equipment, constantly reconfigure my Talismans, and over-level my weapons as quickly as I can. I still wouldn\u2019t say I\u2019m good at these games, but over the years, I\u2019ve learned enough to survive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s what I always tell people who are interested in these games but put-off by the perceived difficulty,\u201d he adds. \u201cYes, there\u2019s no in-built \u2018easy mode\u2019 but you can make your experience far less punishing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe online community has always been a huge help in this regard,\u201d says VaatiVidya. \u201cMaking it clear how your build can be optimised, or telling you which things are overpowered. For example, the Mimic Tear summon, or the Blasphemous Blade. As the days go by, even more powerful things are being found in the DLC to make use of. If you’re truly struggling, you can use these to move the difficulty level of the DLC more in line with your ideal level of challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remix and Retry<\/h2>\n

Shadow of the Erdtree is full to bursting with a variety of exciting new weapons and talismans that can either boost your existing build or encourage a new one entirely. As a long-time Moonveil user with high intelligence and dexterity stats, I was delighted to discover the DLC features a thrusting sword<\/a> that can be used to cast spells<\/em>. That\u2019s a game changer, and has entirely altered my tactics when it comes to combat. But I know it won\u2019t be a catch-all solution to every boss down the line, and that being open to experimentation is more valuable than ever in this expansion. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to the final boss,\u201d says Krupa. \u201cYes, it\u2019s tough \u2013 but I\u2019m choosing not to suffer. I\u2019ve always seen bosses in these games as problems to be solved, rather than gruelling challenges to overcome. So I\u2019ll go explore the Cerulean Coast some more, and maybe I\u2019ll find something that will help.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI had a great experience against the final boss,\u201d says VaatiVidya. \u201cI had trouble, and so I switched up my build to incorporate a greatshield and Scarlet Rot […] I like when bosses force you to switch up your strategy\u2026however I wish an infinite source of Larval Tears could have been made available in the DLC, so people could have more freedom to test out different strategies.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are just 18 Larval Tears in Elden Ring \u2013 the item that allows you to reallocate your stats<\/a> \u2013 while Shadow of the Erdtree adds at least another nine. But that\u2019s still a very limited number of times you can completely rebuild your character\u2019s stats. It makes exploring other gameplay avenues a risky business. Sure, a new weapon may sound like the key to defeating a boss, but if respeccing your character to use it results in yet more defeat, then it\u2019s a waste of precious resources. <\/p>\n

I wish an infinite source of Larval Tears could have been made available in the DLC, so people could have more freedom to test out different strategies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey’ve made more Larval Tears available in the open world as they spawn at night time, which is great, but I personally would have loved if these could have respawned infinitely as a resource for players to make use of to overcome difficulty,\u201d says VaatiVidya. Such a system would bring Elden Ring in line with other build craft-focused RPGs like Diablo 4, which allows for infinite reallocation of skill points and thus promotes freeform experimentation. It\u2019s easy to see how Elden Ring could benefit from this, not just in regards to its difficulty, but in allowing players to experience its incredibly broad range of weapon types and approaches. <\/p>\n

Legitimate Concerns <\/h2>\n

It\u2019s clear that the key to success in Shadow of the Erdtree is the exact same as it was in its parent game: explore the world and the world will provide the answer. Elden Ring is not a boss rush, it is an open world game, and that structure is key to overcoming what can initially seem an overwhelming difficulty spike. <\/p>\n

Despite this, everyone I\u2019ve spoken to acknowledges just how challenging Shadow of the Erdtree is, especially in its later hours. \u201cFromSoftware definitely skirts the line between fair and unfair with some of the later boss designs in particular,\u201d wrote Saltzman in our review<\/a>, while Kim tells me that he thinks \u201cFromSoftware pushed the envelope further in Shadow of the Erdtree, particularly with the final boss\u201d. <\/p>\n

Use the tools the game gives you, go explore, find Scadutree Fragments. You can do it. I believe in you.<\/p>\n

That challenge scales with your New Game+ progress, too. If you\u2019re on your second, third, perhaps even fourth or fifth run on the game, then your character will suffer more than those using a fresh save file. A future balance patch could potentially address this. \u201cI’ve heard some complaints from a lot of people struggling on their NG+ characters, so I guess I could also see the effects of NG+ being toned down as it applies to the DLC areas,\u201d VaatiVidya says.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the issue of Elden Ring\u2019s performance. Digital Foundry<\/a> notes that, two-and-a-half years on from launch, the game still suffers from long-standing technical issues. Shadow of the Erdtree has come with no stability fixes. When perfect parries and desperate dodges are part of the game\u2019s core fabric, an unstable frame rate is just as much the enemy as Messmer the Impaler. Without fixinging such long-standing performance woes on all platforms, FromSoftware is sadly leaving players vulnerable to frustrating defeats. These issues may not be an intentional increase in difficulty, but they can contribute all the same.<\/p>\n\n

So far, there\u2019s no indication that FromSoftware has any intention of reducing Shadow of the Erdtree\u2019s difficulty. However, the studio has already responded to the playerbase: in the DLC\u2019s first update<\/a>, the buff provided by Scadutree Blessings has been increased for the first 10 you obtain. That\u2019s half of the maximum blessing count. To balance this adjustment, the latter 10 will offer more gradual buffs, leading up to a slightly increased final blessing. The overall effect is that the initial areas of the DLC will feel more achievable, but the actual difficulty of the expansion overall remains the same. Of course, that additional level of ease will only be available if you actually engage with the Scadutree Blessings in the first place. Ignore that and you\u2019ll still face the same issues that seemingly triggered the review bombing in the first place. <\/p>\n

So, Shadow of the Erdtree is hard. We know it. You know it. FromSoftware knows it. As to if it\u2019s too hard\u2026 well, that\u2019s naturally a subjective topic. But from a purely design standpoint, the DLC\u2019s approach continues in the lineage of both Elden Ring and its FromSoftware predecessors. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not too hard,\u201d concludes Satlzman. \u201cUse the tools the game gives you, go explore, find Scadutree Fragments. You can do it. I believe in you.\u201d <\/p>\n

Matt Purslow is IGN’s Senior Features Editor. <\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FromSoftware has once again delivered a critical darling in Shadow of the Erdtree, its gargantuan DLC expansion for Elden Ring. But while it has received glowing adoration from professional critics, a not-insignificant slice of players have rallied against Shadow of the Erdtree\u2019s difficulty. Perceiving its enemies and bosses to be so challenging that they make […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nIs Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult? - Next Level News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Stay on top of the gaming world with Next Level News. Get breaking stories, honest reviews, and insider updates on your favorite games, studios, and platforms.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult? - Next Level News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Stay on top of the gaming world with Next Level News. Get breaking stories, honest reviews, and insider updates on your favorite games, studios, and platforms.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next Level News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Next-Level-News\/61578318399201\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-28T12:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult?\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-28T12:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2758,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/\",\"name\":\"Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult? - Next Level News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-28T12:00:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Stay on top of the gaming world with Next Level News. Get breaking stories, honest reviews, and insider updates on your favorite games, studios, and platforms.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/28\\\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Next Level News\",\"description\":\"Your Ultimate Hub for Gaming News & Updates \u2014 From fresh releases and in-depth reviews to behind-the-scenes insights, we\u2019ve got everything you need to level up your game.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Next Level News\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/cropped-nxtlevelNEW.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/cropped-nxtlevelNEW.png\",\"width\":130,\"height\":45,\"caption\":\"Next Level News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/people\\\/Next-Level-News\\\/61578318399201\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult? - Next Level News","description":"Stay on top of the gaming world with Next Level News. Get breaking stories, honest reviews, and insider updates on your favorite games, studios, and platforms.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult? - Next Level News","og_description":"Stay on top of the gaming world with Next Level News. Get breaking stories, honest reviews, and insider updates on your favorite games, studios, and platforms.","og_url":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/","og_site_name":"Next Level News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Next-Level-News\/61578318399201\/","article_published_time":"2024-06-28T12:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"14 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult?","datePublished":"2024-06-28T12:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/"},"wordCount":2758,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/","url":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/","name":"Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult? - Next Level News","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg","datePublished":"2024-06-28T12:00:00+00:00","description":"Stay on top of the gaming world with Next Level News. Get breaking stories, honest reviews, and insider updates on your favorite games, studios, and platforms.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg","width":1280,"height":720},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/28\/is-elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdree-too-difficult\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree Too Difficult?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/#website","url":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/","name":"Next Level News","description":"Your Ultimate Hub for Gaming News & Updates \u2014 From fresh releases and in-depth reviews to behind-the-scenes insights, we\u2019ve got everything you need to level up your game.","publisher":{"@id":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/#organization","name":"Next Level News","url":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cropped-nxtlevelNEW.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cropped-nxtlevelNEW.png","width":130,"height":45,"caption":"Next Level News"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Next-Level-News\/61578318399201\/"]}]}},"wpmagazine_modules_lite_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"cvmm-medium":["https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2-300x300.jpeg",300,300,true],"cvmm-medium-plus":["https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2-305x207.jpeg",305,207,true],"cvmm-portrait":["https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2-400x600.jpeg",400,600,true],"cvmm-medium-square":["https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2-600x600.jpeg",600,600,true],"cvmm-large":["https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2-1024x720.jpeg",1024,720,true],"cvmm-small":["https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2-130x95.jpeg",130,95,true],"full":["https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/eldenring-blog-1719573930762-nLl5V2.jpeg",1280,720,false]},"categories_names":{"1":{"name":"Uncategorized","link":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/category\/uncategorized\/"}},"tags_names":[],"comments_number":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2936\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextlevelnews.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}