Experience the Grandmaster Quest in a brand-new light as While Guthix Sleeps arrives in Old School RuneScape today
Wednesday, 10 July 2024, Cambridge, UK. Jagex is thrilled to announce the return of a classic RuneScape quest, ‘While Guthix Sleeps’, rebuilt and reimagined for Old School RuneScape, and available in-game today.
Revisit RuneScape’s very first Grandmaster Quest and discover an epic, high-stakes narrative on your adventure to stop the schemes of a deadly Mahjarrat. Unearth an ancient Guthixian Temple, venturing within to unlock rewards and take on the hordes of Tormented Demons inside.
Watch the While Guthix Sleeps Cinematic Trailer below:
Originally launched in 2008, While Guthix Sleeps set a new standard in RuneScape for its difficulty, complexity, and storytelling. Designed for veteran players, the quest’s return for Old School RuneScape brings with it the same attention to detail as its original RuneScape release, but with new rewards and improvements for a modern audience.
Players who complete While Guthix Sleeps can earn substantial in-game rewards and the opportunity to face repeatable combat encounters, challenging their skills and perfecting their strategies against iconic enemies in a setting steeped in lore and RuneScape history.
Old School RuneScape is available now on PC, Steam, iOS, and Android, complete with cross-platform progression and play on PC and mobile.
About Old School RuneScape
Old School RuneScape is the industry-defining collaboration between the community and developers. Embracing its nostalgic heritage, hundreds of thousands of active players control the direction of the game with an in-game polling system. Featuring adventures for solo play through to 100-player strong raids, Old School RuneScape caters for every brave adventurer. Old School RuneScape continues to innovate, introducing its first ever new skill in 2023 to commemorate its 10th anniversary, arriving later this year. Play now at http://oldschool.runescape.com
About Jagex
A leader in creating deep and engaging forever games that empower our communities across PC, mobile and consoles. Jagex’s flagship MMORPG, RuneScape, has welcomed over 300 million player accounts to its world and is a $1billion + lifetime revenue franchise. Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond live operations; our titles are forever games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds. Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly active worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped.
In 2022, Jagex expanded with the acquisitions of PipeWorks and Gamepires, bringing its expertise in building forever games to SCUM, a multi-million selling open-world survival title in Steam Early Access & other unannounced titles. Jagex employs more than 600 people globally, and is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
The introduction to the world of Kriegsfront Tactics will be available for free on July 17
VANCOUVER, Canada — July 10 2024 — Ready to roll out? Toge Productions and Chorus Worldwide wants YOU to join the fight in Kriegsfront Tactics – Prologue, which will be available for FREE on PC via Steam on July 17, 2024.
Created by the developers behind Coffee Talk and A Space For The Unbound, Kriegsfront Tactics is a turn-based mecha tactics RPG that transports players to an alternative 1970s Southeast Asia, where the battlefield is littered with an army of fearsome mechs. You’ll play as a commander of a mecha squad sent behind enemy lines. Manage your squad, resources, and mechs. Complete missions, and survive the front another day, while facing hard decisions that will test your morality.
Kriegsfront Tactics – Prologue is the proof of concept for Kriegsfront Tactics, offering players roughly the first hour of gameplay, introducing players to the events that trigger the conflict in the full game. This free Prologue features updated combat mechanics than those seen in the previously released demo, alongside exploration, mech customisation and a first-look at the game’s characters and storyline.
This mecha tactics title is a love letter to the military sim genre, combining elements from classic tactical strategy games, and lowpoly retro-style visuals. Customise your mechs, build up your squad and execute tactical mecha operations – whatever it takes to survive in the jungles of Southeast Asia during an era of conflict in this alternate view of history.
About Kriegsfront Tactics
Kriegsfront Tactics is a love letter to the military sim genre, combining elements from classic tactical strategy games, and lowpoly retro-style visuals. Customise your mechs, build up your squad and execute tactical mecha operations – whatever it takes to survive in the jungles of Southeast Asia during an era of conflict in this alternate view of history.
Metal Crunching Cinematic Combat: Watch the mayhem and destruction unfold, metal against metal.
Customize Your Mech: Customize your mech’s livery, salvage or swap parts, and equip weapons.
Recruit Pilots and Build Your Squad: Meet interesting characters and recruit them to join your cause. Each character with their own skills, traits, and stories.
Survive 1970s Southeast Asian Jungle: Explore the jungles of Southeast Asia during an era of conflict, encounter events, and uncover secrets in this alternate 1970s world.
Execute Tactical Mecha Operations: Plan ahead, strategize, and use your tactical prowess to outsmart your enemies.
Chorus Worldwide is a global publisher composed of gaming veterans with experience at world-renowned companies including Microsoft, Supermassive Games, and Electronic Arts. Originally created to guide indie developers into the rapidly growing Asian markets, Chorus now works with talented developers across the world, including Argentina, Indonesia, and Malaysia, finding huge success in titles like the acclaimed Coffee Talk, and the Asian releases of The Room and The Room Two.
About Toge Productions
Developers of critically acclaimed Coffee Talk, Toge Productions is an Indonesian-based indie game development and publishing studio that helped to foster the success of projects like Mojiken’s A Space For The Unbound. Toge supports a Toge Game Fund Initiative (TGFI), a mentoring and funding program that provides up to $10,000 (USD) to help developers and studios in Southeast Asia make their games a reality.
Solo dev announces new platforms in response to fan requests for retro arcade rally racer set in…parking garages?!
Los Angeles, CA – July 10th 2024 – Solo-dev Walaber, otherwise known as Tim, is pleased to announce that in response to fan requests, Parking Garage Rally Circuit will be coming to additional platforms…well, on the condition that the game sells enough copies, that is. While the game has already been announced for PC and Linux (yes, that means Steam Deck too!), Tim has committed to bringing the game to Nintendo Switch if the game sells 50,000 copies and, if the game sells 100,000 copies, he will also make a SEGA Saturn version in tribute to the console that inspired the game.
“Whenever I post about the game on social media, I get a lot of feedback from people that they’d like a Switch version and they’d like me to fully lean into the SEGA Saturn inspirations and release a Saturn version,” said Tim. “Bringing Parking Garage Rally Circuit to Switch would be amazing and I’d love nothing more than to create a SEGA Saturn version – it’s a console that I dearly love! I’m a solo dev, however, so making these kinds of commitments aren’t easy for me, but I’ve decided to announce that if you buy it, I’m going to do it! If the game sells 50,000 copies, I’ll make a Switch version and if the game hits 100,000 copies sold, I’ll make that Saturn version too!”
Parking Garage Rally Circuit is an arcade racer where you drift around parking garages using tight controls and chainable Mario Kart-style boosts. The “Parking Garage Rally Circuit” tour takes you across parking garages all over the US, transformed into race courses (and occasionally beset by the odd falling rock or lighting strike, but don’t worry about that). Designed to look, feel and sound like a lost Sega Saturn game that could have been released in 1998, Parking Garage Rally Circuit delivers delightfully fun time trial racing that’s easy to pick up and play but requires skill to master as you unlock new car classes and compete to top the leaderboards.
Parking Garage Rally Circuit is developed by Tim “Walaber” FitzRandolph, who you can follow developing the game on his live development streams on Twitch. Tim is a solo-dev who designed the acclaimed hit Where’s My Water? and more recently the Jelly Car series.
About Walaber A lifelong and constant creator, Tim found his calling in game development. Tim got his start in the games industry at Disney, creating the company’s biggest early App Store successes “JellyCar” and “Where’s My Water?”. Tim is now a full-time independent creator, releasing solo games under the name “Walaber” (Pro Gymnast Simulator, JellyCar), and is also half of the two-person game company “Toyful Games” (Very Very Valet).
July 10th 2024 – Team17 Digital has today announced that they’re working with German based Spellgarden Games. This partnership will see Team17 Digital publish a new IP by the indie studio, known for their ‘apeeling’ and extremely cute shop management game Sticky Business.
Ann Hurley, General Manager, Team17 Digital, said: “We’re delighted to finally reveal this team up and looking forward to bringing the developers new IP to Gamescom. We believe fans of Spellgarden Games and the genres they excel in will be excited when they find out what this game is all about.”
Kathrin Radtke, Programmer & co-founder “We’re thrilled to partner with Team 17 to bring our next game to life. We can’t wait to tell you all about it soon. Expect magical things to happen!”
To stay up to date with Spellgarden Games and exciting upcoming reveals, you can follow the developers on X and join their Discord.
About Spellgarden Games
Spellgarden Games is an indie game studio based in Ludwigsburg, Germany.
The founding members had worked together on previous indie projects and decided to combine their powers into their own studio in 2022. Their first release Sticky Business was a delightful success, exuding their desire to create cozy games that spark creativity in their players.
About Team17 Digital
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio comprised of over 140 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17 Digital’s portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, and Overcooked! franchise. Visit www.team17.com for more information.
Chillhop DLC introduces new tracks and skins alongside VR support for PlayStation 5 and PC
MELBOURNE — July 9, 2024 —Spin Rhythm XD, the action-packed intergalactic rhythm game with the juiciest beats in the universe, launches on PlayStation 5|4, PSVR2, and SteamVR today alongside a jazzy DLC pack also releasing on the previously-released PC and Nintendo Switch versions.
Developer Super Spin Digital partnered with Chillhop Music to unleash 10 memorable tracks and new skins in this latest DLC. Spin and tap to the flow of mellow hits from L’Indecis, Ian Ewing, Eli Way, The Kount, and more. Jazz things up, utilizing precision control and expert timing to unlock new wheel and UI skins exclusive to the DLC.
Feel the beat and groove to the rhythm for the first time in VR! Tune in to the Rhythm Dimension with immersive motion-controlled gameplay, dropping the bass and developing musical mastery in a colorful world of killer tracks. Crank up the volume to hone precise movements and timing while fighting for the top spot on global leaderboards, now with more than 60 songs available.
Maintain perfect control over music and gameplay with an extensive list of controller support for VR and traditional modes, including mouse and keyboard, VR controllers, DualSense, and Xbox. For all the real DJs (or DJs at heart!), Spin Rhythm XD offers controller support for MIDI DJ turntables (available on PC only).
“We set out to blend music with gameplay in a fully immersive experience, and that feeling has multiplied by at least one thousand with the addition of VR,” said Dave Curro, co-founder of Super Spin Digital. “No matter where you come from or what you look for when gaming, listening to music, or just chilling out, Spin Rhythm XD engages all of the senses for an exhilarating time with your favorite tunes.”
Spin Rhythm XD’s base game ($19.99/€17.99) as well as the new Chillhop DLC ($11.99/€10.99) are now available on PlayStation 5|4, PSVR2, Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, and Mac with support for English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish languages.
Super Spin Digital was founded to create the best games possible without the crunch and stress experienced so readily in the games industry. Focusing on rhythm games, Super Spin Digital is dedicated to bringing the golden age of gaming into the future.
For more information on Super Spin Digital, please visit their official website.
Run, jump, and “shift” through over 100 levels in this nostalgic collection
WARWICK, UK – July 9 2024 –Shift Legacy Collection, the definitive edition of the beloved mind-bending Flash game series played more than 25 million times from developer Antony Lavelle and publisher Armor Games Studios, flips the script on PC via Steam on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.
Step into the black-and-white landscapes of all four installments in the Shift series. Solve increasingly complex puzzles with the shift ability to flip each level upside down. Turn floors to ceilings, dodge sharp spikes, and form new pathways to reach the end of more than 100 perplexing levels.
Witness the series’ evolution from solving relatively straightforward puzzles in the original Shift to overcoming Checkered Barriers in Shift 2, Metroidvania-like levels in Shift 3, and mastering multi-character coordination in Shift 4. Flex puzzle platforming skills as a series veteran, or solve each layered level for the first time as a newcomer.
“The Shift series tested not only my skills as a puzzle platformer enthusiast but also as a developer,” said Antony Lavelle, lead developer on Shift Legacy Collection. “I hope the collection sparks a new interest in complex puzzle games and how they challenge us.”
Shift Legacy Collection launches on PC via Steam on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. Follow developer Antony Lavelle on Twitter/X for more updates.
About Antony Lavelle
Antony Lavelle has been a prolific game developer for many years, renowned for creating Flash game classics like the Shift series and IndestructoTank. He spent much of his early career at Armor Games, developing games that influenced the Flash game era. Recently, Lavelle has been a developer at Massive Monster, contributing to the indie hit Cult of the Lamb.
About Armor Games Studios
Armor Games Studios is both a publisher of unique and creative indie games from all over the world, and one of the internet’s longest-running curated free Flash gaming portals. Play thousands of free games online at http://www.armorgames.com, or visit our publishing website at http://www.armorgamesstudios.com.
LOS ANGELES – JULY 9, 2024 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, has announced a new update for its collectible RPG, Tower of God: New World. A new teammate will be available for players to experience, along with several events.
SSR [Mad Dog] Varagarv (Purple Element, Tank, Fisherman) has been added to the roster of playable teammates. As one of the Mad Dogs created by the FUG Slayer Baylord Yama, Varagarv was born through a process called Blood Fusion where powerful blood from two or more bloodlines is injected into a person to grant them extraordinary power. He is the strongest of the E-Rank Regulars who cast a barrier that deal damage to enemies who destroy it.
Several events are now available through July 17 to welcome the new teammate, including:
[Mad Dog] Varagarv Check-in Event: Players can obtain SSR Soulstones (x60) and Suspendiums (x2000) simply by logging into the game for 14 days during the event period.
[Mad Dog] Varagarv Boost Missions: Players who have gained [Mad Dog] Varagarv and cleared all Growth Missions can receive SSR [Mad Dog] Varagarv three times and one SSR Teammate Selection Chest.
The latest update also features a brand-new Event Boss Battle. Players can challenge [Lightning Pill] Khun Ran through July 17 and obtain various rewards such as Suspendiums, Data Shards and more. Additionally, the Tower of Alliances has been updated, opening a competitive field for players to match against another Alliance until July 13.
Tower of God: New World is now inviting players to pre-register for its 1-year anniversary celebration. Players who pre-register for the anniversary will receive SSR+ [Healing Flame] Yihwa Yeon.
In Tower of God: New World, players can take control of fan-favorite characters to ascend the Tower. Join Twenty-Fifth Bam – and more than 100 characters – as he fights his way through the Tower in gorgeous 3D animation that will make players feel like they have stepped into an anime world. Players will experience fast-paced battle mechanics while utilizing a unique Slot System that powers up a particular “slot” instead of a specific character.
Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Solo Leveling: ARISE, Seven Knights Idle Adventure, Tower of God: New World, Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds and The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.
Boulder, Colo. (July 9, 2024) – Serenity Forge (Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, LISA: Definitive Edition) and Lifeless Worlds today reported lift-off on the mysterious adventure Lifeless Moon as it journeys to landing on Xbox, PlayStation and Epic Games Store. Today’s launch was accompanied by a trailer showcasing the adventure ahead:
Lifeless Moon is a stunning 3D platformer that takes you on a captivating journey to the moon during an Apollo-era mission. Explore eerie yet mesmerizing landscapes that blur the line between reality and the unknown, leaving you to deduce your true location in the universe. Mysteries await on the barren surface of the moon, unlocking secrets that will help you find the truth and survive.
As you retrace the steps of the explorers who came before you, understanding the traumas they faced may hold the key to your return home. Solve riddles, decipher clues and master innovative technologies as you begin to perceive your new reality on a grander scale. Players will encounter strange phenomena and channel their extraordinary powers to unravel the mystery and uncover the truth.
Lifeless Moon is the spiritual successor to Lifeless Planet which sprang from cult-hit to almost ten million players over the course of its lifetime.
Keep up with Lifeless Moon by following Lifeless Worlds on Twitter, YouTube and checking out the official website.
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About Serenity Forge
Based in Boulder, Colorado, video game development and publishing studio Serenity Forge prides themselves on the care and dedication they put into their work, creating meaningful games that challenge the way you think. Firm believers in the artistic, cultural, and educational power of video games, Serenity Forge aims to craft unique interactive experiences to broaden players’ horizons and expand their perspectives.
About Lifeless Worlds Studio
With its cold, dark winters, Alaska turned out to be a great place to hunker inside behind a glowing computer screen and develop indie games. Hiking the mountains and glaciers of the “great land” also provided inspiration for alien landscapes in developer David Board’s first title, Lifeless Planet. But really the story of Lifeless Worlds Studio began back in the early 1980s on a Commodore VIC-20. Board took to programming and computer art on that little machine with 5KB of memory and he never looked back. In his day job, Board develops science education apps for museums and science centers, and that passion for sharing science influences the themes and content of his games. In 2014, David moved to the Seattle area with his wife and two husky mix dogs. Lifeless Moon is his second major game.
Deathbound, The First Ever Party-Based Soulslike, Launches for Consoles and PC This Summer – Transform between fallen warriors when one-of-a-kind party-based soulslike Deathbound launches worldwide on August 8th
July 9th, 2024 – Tate Multimedia and Trialforge Studio are excited to announce that Deathbound, the dynamic single-player party-based soulslike, will launch for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on August 8th. Form alliances with fallen warriors using the innovative 4-hero party system and band together to defeat appalling creatures and enemies.
Deathbound is a party-based soulslike set in a harsh world where Faith clashes with Science. You cannot survive alone; instead, you must refuse Death and embrace Ziêminal by bonding with fallen warriors encountered on your journey. Using a dynamic 4-hero party system, seamlessly transform between characters mid-combat to ensure survival. Success hinges on working together with your comrades, each possessing their own skills, combat techniques, and backstory.
The dynamics between these characters significantly impact gameplay, leading to different outcomes and status effects depending on your actions. For instance, aligning characters from the Church of Death and Cult of Life – two opposing factions within the vessel – will cause conflict and result in consequential combat effects. Alternatively, pairing fallen warriors with similar beliefs can lead to powerful combat buffs, perfect for taking down relentless foes along the way.
Despite their differences, the fallen must unite in combat. By charging a shared sync meter during battles, you can unleash a devastating Morphstrike combining the party’s strength, crucial for overcoming deadly adversaries.
Brazilian-based developer Trialforge Studio is a small, 20-person team working on this ambitious take on the soulslike genre. The studio, making waves in the Brazilian indie scene, aims to deliver a high-quality experience with Deathbound at an approachable price of $29.99 USD / 29.99 EUR.
Key Features:
The Essence – Gain the skills, memories and identities of fallen warriors throughout the world. Combine their unique personalities and combat styles and switch between them seamlessly.
Party System – The essences you absorb form your party. Deathbound features a robust party system that allows you to craft a playstyle through talent trees. Switch between fallen warriors to harness their skills and abilities. Each party member’s affiliation in life will affect their synergy in death.
Dynamic Morphing – Unleash the combined powers of fallen warriors with devastating Morphstrikes. Utilize different attack styles to pull off powerful combinations and finishing blows to defeat all who oppose you.
Brutal World – Ziêminal is a world that mixes a technological past and a medieval present, home to diverse cultures. The city of Akratya is rich in lore and dangers. Explore a city falling into ruin under the shadow of a grand crusade. With its imposing brutalist architecture and melding of technology, it’s a city bound for oblivion.
Unforgiving Monsters and Bosses – Face challenging enemies crafted to push you to your limits. Their very nature is based on the five stages of grief, with each new encounter commanding the attention of any soul who dares face them.
Deathbound launches simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store on August 8th, 2024. Those eager to experience binding may do so right now with a demo available on Steam.
About Trialforge Studio
Trialforge Studio is a Brazilian-based game development studio guided by challenge and quality. Focused on delivering a unique and memorable game experience that moves players, inspiring growth and transformation.
About Tate Multimedia
Tate Multimedia is a Poland-based independent developer and game publisher. Creator of the legendary Kao the Kangaroo, well-known Urban Trial Series, and award-winning Steel Rats.
When it comes to FromSoftware DLC, the team rarely misses as they can take advantage of the already well-established mechanics to make new mini-DLC locations feel interesting while not taking too much away from the base game. The question is, how exactly would the team handle the DLC for Elden Ring, a massive game that is set in an open world that is already brimming with things to discover, areas to explore, optional bosses and dungeons to conquer, and much more. In fact, players could spend over a hundred hours in Elden Ring and still find something new if they are exploring naturally.
So, with such an amazing wealth of content already on offer in an open world of massive size, it would take quite a feat to bring out a piece of DLC that would manage to hit the same heights of the base game, but it is clear that FromSoftware was up to the challenge even if it took them a bit over two years to do it. So now with Shadow of the Erdtree dropping in a massive amount of new content in all shapes and sizes, is this DLC everything fans could hope for both from Fromsoftware and Elden Ring?
Story
Now it is worth noting that we will go into some minor spoilers here at least for the base game as the only way to access the DLC is actually a decent chunk into Elden Ring. That being said, here it goes. Players must first have eliminated the powerful Starscourge Radahn boss as well as made their way to a hidden away area that was previously not used for anything besides a seemingly optional boss fight against Mohg, Lord of Blood. It turns out now however, that Mohg is far from optional when it comes to taking on the DLC, as his defeat is required to access the cocoon he was protecting, a cocoon containing what appeared to be the kidnapped and missing god Miquella. Interacting with this cocoon brings players to the Lands Between where they find themselves quickly drawn into its mysteries as they join a number of other mysterious warriors from across different factions all trying to solve the strange land they have found themselves in, and perhaps gain power as a result.
From thereon the player’s journey through the Realm of Shadow is one of intrigue waiting to be unraveled. Most of what players learn of Miquella’s goals and intentions for the world comes from talking to those loyal to the man, speaking to them as they progress down the path Miquella has walked as he discarded parts of himself in search of godhood and discovering extra bits of lore hidden away in item descriptions or around the areas themselves. Similarly, a lot of the little side elements involving brand new monsters hidden away in unique looking dungeons or storylines involving characters that players can come across and either fight alongside, or in some cases betray, are handled the same way. This is true to form for Elden Ring and makes each newly discovered area or item something players will be eager to explore and read about, especially in regards to the true nature of Miquella and what players may have learned about him, the lengths he is willing to go to to truly achieve his goal, and of course, his twisted family that players have dealt with throughout most of Elden Ring’s core story.
It does mean however that it is entirely possible to flounder about a bit when it comes to actually approaching certain story elements, especially if players happen to “break” a questline for a character by unintentionally going too far or defeating a boss or mid-boss before discovering the character themselves thanks to the game’s open world nature and how hidden away some characters and side-stories can be. This makes exploration paramount, especially in the Realm of Shadow as this is perhaps the most intricately designed land in the entire game and easily half of the map can be treated as optional. Of course, since Elden Ring offers numerous options to New Game+ and Shadow of the Erdtree remains readily available as long as players still defeat Mohg, they can always revisit should they manage to miss something the first time through, even if it means enemies get stronger every time.
Gameplay
FromSoftware really knows how to set the tone when it comes to entering into a brand new location. As players arrive into the brand new area they find themselves within a haunted looking graveyard with a vast landmass spanning before them and multiple paths to take. Taking the path towards the obvious map location like they’ve done countless times before only to see a brand new enemy type come whirling down from atop a grave-site, dishing out tons of damage with an aggressive attack pattern that mounts up bleeding status with every strike until it kills you. And it most likely will. This can be either due to someone just returning to the game after two years of being away, or most likely because Shadow of the Erdtree is ready for nearly any type of higher level build players may be bringing into it, maxed out weaponry and favorite set of armor included.
Players will quickly find that nearly everything in this DLC is ready to dish out tons of damage and, if players don’t explore and take advantage of a brand new mechanic, they’ll likely suffer as a result. This new mechanic comes in the form of “Scaduetree Fragments” and “Revered Spirit Ashes.” These both work similar to the Golden Seeds that players need to upgrade their Flask as in players will need to have more of each every time they want to apply an upgrade. The Scaduetree Fragments provide a permanent blessing to the player’s character and boost how much damage they can dish out and take with every blessing while the Ashes increase the health of Torrent as well as the stats of any summon ashes the players wish to use, be it the reliable Mimic Tear or even the unconventional ones. This is a rather genius way to still ensure a steep difficulty curve while giving players the opportunity to strengthen themselves enough through exploration should they truly find themselves up against a brick wall. The reason for this is that while some of these blessing items are locked behind certain progression blockers, many are laying just scattered around the open world or even being carried by a zombified peasant carrying a pot on its head. Thus, exploration is once again a key factor here to being able to remain in the fight.
This is especially true when it comes to actually exploring in this game. See that village down there with something mysterious looking in it? You’ll end up down there somehow, just need to find the right path or even make a leap of faith. Delve even deeper than that and there’s far more to be found below the ground itself, as well as above it as even the sky isn’t the limit when it comes to the Realm of Shadow and what players will find as they travel through it. Yes, some of this can be incredibly confusing, especially since more than ever some locations are hidden away and paths to optional locations are less obvious than before but the rewards for doing so are often quite worth it. Even Spiritsprings return and can shoot Torrent skyward to hidden paths or locations or help players land safely but now some are also sealed, with players needing to track down their sealing stones to uncover them.
All of this exploration and battling for survival around the Realm of Shadow will reward players with quite a large amount of new gear to make use of and FromSoftware has done their best to make some of these weapons as appealing as possible, including offering entirely new types of weaponry as well as finally making some fighting styles completely viable options now compared to what was previous on offer. This even includes larger and better versions of some of the base game’s weaponry, though the real surprises come from some of the new types of weapons as mentioned before. These come in the form of throwable long-range weapons that return to the user’s hand or even potion bottles that dish out damage without actually having a limited use. Many of these weapons allow for players to use a fighting style that can now be used at a bit of a distance, something that may be appealing now for some given how aggressive enemies are in this DLC, and always players can attune their gear to certain elements to best fit what stat it’s damage can scale off of. Along these weapons are also some massive weapons that put even some of the bigger weapons to shame, new faster blades that have unique stances, and of course even new Ashes of War to equip to some of the weapons to spice things up even further.
Having all of these new tools at the player’s fingertips may seem like a daunting endeavor, especially if they have a favorite weapon already maxed out or pushing their weight limit, but the DLC offers plenty of ways to fix that. Not only does it offer plenty of wonderful looking new armor and useful talismans for those looking to really change their look or fix a possible limitation they have or (especially in regards to a certain boss) elemental weakness, it also provides a wealth of upgrade materials. Players that take their time to explore the many side-dungeons, hidden away locations, and even the nooks and crannies of the legacy dungeons will find that there is plenty of upgrade material available to take one or two new favorite weapons to max, especially if they were careful to start with. Of course, speaking of materials, there are also plenty of new consumables that players can craft, including incredibly powerful but very limited explosives that require taking down specific and challenging foes we won’t spoil here to create.
Now, earlier we mentioned that all enemies really like to hit hard and new enemies especially tend to take a more aggressive fighting style compared to older enemy types that appear in the DLC, and that is especially true for the bosses in Shadow of the Erdtreee. While we won’t go into specifics of any of these bosses, even the mini-bosses and side ones since they can be just as shocking and unpredictable, it must be said that every encounter here is as memorable as fans can hope for and many are as frustratingly challenging too. Most bosses are incredibly aggressive to the point that players may often feel like they are being pushed back by sheer attack number alone, let alone trying to dodge or block to the best of their ability.
Of course, summons, co-op, and spirit ashes help alleviate some of this pressure but players will always need to be in for a dynamic fight, especially against some bosses that throw out entirely new move-sets past a certain health point. It’s quite clear that the boss encounters have been dialed up past the maximum here to try and bring players to their knees and even when players manage to eke out a victory, it might just feel like pure luck. In fact, one boss saw me never truly figure out how to dodge one of its attack patterns fully, instead having to rely on magic damage resistance and being at full health to survive the incoming barrage and this was only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how players may need to change up their style or gear to take down a boss but thankfully, as mentioned before, there are even more ways to do so, now more than ever before as this DLC takes everything that Elden Ring did so well and builds upon it to deliver something truly impressive.
Audio & Visuals
As mentioned before, the Realm of Shadow is a fairly packed land and while there may be areas that still stretch fairly wide without much going on, there are also locations with layers upon more layers, seeing players needing to traverse some extremely unpredictable routes to see everything that the DLC has to offer. The design of the locations is highly varied, especially in regards to some areas that we won’t spoil here but take a wild twist on what players have come to expect from Elden Ring‘s land design. Some foes do appear to be simply recycled or re-skinned but there are a large number of new foes as well that really stand out and boss design is stellar throughout. Oddly enough, the same cannot be said about the game’s performance. While we never did experience any slowdown throughout the DLC, the amount of pop-in in the environment is shockingly high to the point that there were times that some details never loaded until the next run through. It is also worth noting that the game did crash to Home multiple times throughout the DLC, though this primarily happened in late-game locations.
It must be said that while Elden Ring‘s OST was already top notch, once again Shadow of the Erdtree takes things to the next level. Whenever players pass through a fog gate or enter an area where they know a boss fight is about to kick off, they will be treated to some absolutely wonderful background music that is as exceptional as it is chilling to know how hard of a battle players have ahead of them. The voice work throughout the game from the NPCs is also handled quite well, especially with regards to the more plot relevant characters that players meet multiple times along the critical path.
Overall
How does a developer manage to create DLC to an open world game that has already received some of the highest levels of praise around? By sticking true to that base formula and building upon it by offering a wealth of new locations for players to explore, new foes to struggle against, and plenty of new weaponry and other tools to use in that struggle for survival, especially against some of the most aggressive bosses FromSoft has ever developed. That being said, there is something to be said about the level of familiarity that the Shadow of the Erdtree has to the core game as well as its performance issues but these do little to take away from what is easily a must have expansion to an already great game and something any fan of Elden Ring should pick up.
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