Summary
Over two years after its initial launch,Elden Ringis set to see a massive content overhaul with the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC later this year. While manyElden Ringfans are excited to see how this expansion builds upon the world and mechanics of the base game, there are some obvious design choices that deserve to be repeated in Shadow of the Erdtree. One way Shadow of the Erdtree could mirrorElden Ring’s base game is by including a series of mini-bosses like the Erdtree Avatars, building off their design to challenge players in new ways.
From what has been shown about the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion so far, it’s clear thatElden Ringis upping the ante with the difficulty of its boss fights. Several monstrous enemies were shown in the DLC’s reveal trailer, many of which seem to be reminiscent of the base game’s toughest foes, such as theFire Giant and Malenia. If Shadow of the Erdtree is going this route in its efforts to build upon the difficulty of the base game, then it only makes sense that the DLC would feature a similar set of Erdtree Avatar-like bosses that have their own slight variations from one another.
Shadow of the Erdtree Needs its Own Erdtree Avatar Bosses
InElden Ring’s base game, players will encounterErdtree Avatarbosses when getting close to a Minor Erdtree, and there are a total of six that can be found across the Lands Between. In addition to the standard Erdtree Avatar, players can also find five total Putrid Avatars, which are similar in design to the standard variant but have the ability to inflict Scarlet Rot. While it might be intimidating to battle these foes, they are well worth the player’s time and efforts, since defeating them drops items needed to upgrade the Flask of Wondrous Physick, such as a Cerulean Crystal Tear or Crimson Bubbletear.
While all of these bosses can prove to be a solid challenge for players unprepared to face them, arguably the most difficult version of this fight is against the two Putrid Avatars that guardElphael, Brace of the Haligtree. The movesets between variants of these bosses don’t change much, but these bosses have the highest health pool of any version in the game and can also inflict Scarlet Rot on the player. To recreate a similar feel to bosses, Shadow of the Erdtree should feature a new series of similar foes that guard important locations throughout the expansion and offer players the chance to earn helpful items by defeating them.
Why an Erdtree Avatar-like Set of Bosses Makes Sense for Shadow of the Erdtree
With Shadow of the Erdtree taking place outside the Lands Between in a new realm known as the Land of Shadow, it would make sense for a set of bosses parallel to the Erdtree Avatars to exist. There are bound to be new mechanics introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree that didn’t exist withinElden Ring’s base game, and these types of bosses would be the perfect way to guard upgrades for this new mechanic, similar to how the Erdtree Avatars granted players upgrades for theFlask of Wondrous Physick. Going this route would help the DLC feel familiar yet fresh for players jumping into it from the base game.
It’s also clear fromShadow of the Erdtree’s trailerthat the DLC will feature a variety of new locales for players to explore. As such, these new environments could be the perfect reason to design a recurring boss like the Erdtree Avatar with different variants depending on where they are located, taking advantage of different status conditions like Scarlet Rot, Poison, and Frostbite. While these bosses wouldn’t have to be identical to Erdtree Avatars, having a similar recurring boss would be a great way to tie this expansion back to the base game.
