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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's progression issues could do with a bit of Nintendo magic

I really do love Shadow of the Erdtree. I love its varied, spectacular environments. I love how its dungeons are more c…

But really, the perceived challenge is exacerbated by the DLC's new Shadow Realm Blessing progression system, which limits player agency in favour of a singular mission. The provided boost is minimal too, meaning progression in Shadow of the Erdtree is a slow burn with players mostly unable to brute force through bosses without fully exploring the world. Instead, for all its improvements, it's a typical Souls DLC: a creative, fairytale spin on a familiar world filled with even more twisted bosses, but with sometimes excruciating difficulty - and as a result one that struggles to integrate its more linear grinding with the structure of the base game.

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