How hard is too hard?

 Why are you smirking?

Shadow of the Erdtree is here and I'm currently trucking through the thing alongside the three other Souls-Likes I'm playing at the same time. (That is not a joke, I'm doing the new Lords of the Fallen, Wo Long Fallen Dynasty and, to a much lesser extent, Lies of P.) And I have to say that for one- I think this is the greatest From Software DLC that I've played. I put that in bulk because a lot of people seem to insist the best they ever made actually hailed from a game I never, and will never, play because Sony are a bunch of dicks. (Had to be said. I'm sorry.) So in the absence of Bloodborne I am indulging myself, loving my time, and scratching my head at those calling this DLC 'so hard it's unfun.'

Now to be fair I understand what seemingly so very few dedicated souls players seem capable of comprehending- my situation is unique. One of the great glories of Souls games, and especially true in their most vast yet 'Elden Ring', comes in the way that almost no-one can end up with the exact same build unless they're literally following a guide. Even the most supposedly overpowered weapons require specific styles of play and most just like to keep looser constraints on their journey across The Lands Between. Then there's stat building, hidden clothing effects, talisman make-up- Just because I'm having a fine time exploring the Shadowy lands under the Scadutree, that doesn't mean everyone else is simply bubble blowing babies for finding it near unsurmountable.

But the response has been quite puzzling to me- as hoards of the aggrieved have taken to review bombing the DLC calling it 'too hard' and 'badly optimized'. (That last point might have some weight to it- I've uncounted a couple of really bad stutter moments on my Series X version of the game. Atop of the resolution drops everytime you are out in the field.) It seems like such a strange reversal of fortunes for a series that used to be the champion of difficulty now being considered a pariah for it- it makes me wonder exactly what these people expected. And to be honest, I think I might know exactly what the issue is and it's a tale as old as time- I think people are actually making the game too hard for themselves.

Firstly, there is this strange belief that Shadow of the Erdtree is a mid-game DLC to be comfortably challenged- which doesn't seem to track at all. The game marketed as being a challenge to the veterans, who had mastered the main game. Personally I figured it was New Game + 1 at a minimum- and even with that thought process I stumbled into a cryptboss who could two shot me with his casual sword swings! Then, there are the people who stubbornly refuse to use summons... across content perfectly balanced so as to not get totally crushed by summons. The DLC wants you to throw your everything at it! We're talking about players imposing hard challenges on themselves upon characters not strong enough for the content complaining about the game being imbalanced- and I have to wonder about that.

What is it that makes a game too hard? What would I consider to be a game that is too hard? For me it comes down to the gamefeel and the supposed 'fairness' of the challenge. Although obviously both of those are supremely subjective topics so you'll have to forgive the way I explore them. Firstly, I want a game that feels like I'm in control enough with how I move, snappy, punchy, firm-footed so that every death I take is due to my own mistakes and not the games. Which goes for the Camera too- I don't want to be stuck trying to manipulate the Camera so I can see what is even going on in front of me- that sucks and feels cheap. Then there is 'fairness'. Does this feel like a game which is providing me everything I need to handle it? Could I, if I wanted to, adapt to the challenge? Is this game full of fights that respect my time? Is there a two minute walk back to the fight despite the fact your game came out in 2023- Lords of the Fallen!?

FromSoftware games never really struck me as pushing on these button topics too much with the exception of the walk-backs which has improved over the years. But then again, is it really possible to get as bad as Dark Souls 2's Frigid Wastes?  (Surely not!) Elden Ring is the furthest thing from. And Shadow of the Erdtree even bends backwards to provide extras for the player having trouble with it all. Scadutree fragments boost damage dealt and armour resistance, summons can be boosted with a new special ash drop- (which is why I know summons are very much supposed to be used for these fights) all to imbue a new Seiko-style static upgrade system where you can improve purely laterally- without having to put a single errant thought towards build composition!

I'm sorry but that just isn't the kind of intelligent design thought and discretion I would take as indicative of 'the worst balanced content FromSoftware has ever made'. Plus, this is Elden Ring, is it not? The game that made famous the idea that if you can't get through this boss, go off and explore any of the dozen of other objectives until you are strong enough to try again? Since when did that stop being a viable way to play this game? Instead I guess it just feels less of a hassle to throw up your arms and claim it is the game's fault- but is it as fulfilling as trying again and succeeding with a firmer head on your shoulders? I suspect not.

Shadow of the Erdtree is kind of like a whole inbetween game tacked on to the original one, making use of all the content richness of that basegame to fuel a host of new mechanics and enemies that can keep you busy- and I happen to think it's a blast! Do I still get my butt handed to me? Yes. That dancing lion had me sweating for about twenty-to-thirty minutes, but that is kind of what I come to this franchise for. To be challenged. To be placed out of my depth. To cry in frustration as my skill comes up short time and time again until that one moment where I push through the muck. I thought that was what we all came to these games for, but perhaps there are shorter fuses out there than I expected.