Elden Ring Runes has lots of elements that Shadow from the Erdtree can build upon, however, it should concentrate on recapturing the special moment of a particular area.

Over the following few months, Elden Ring fans could start hearing additional information about the game's upcoming DLC. Shadow from the Erdtree is anticipated to mirror the main expansions of past FromSoftware titles for example Artorias from the Abyss and The Old Hunters, providing hours of recent content to dig through. Considering just how long this particular DLC has been around development and Elden Ring's open-world format, fans expect a large addition to the already huge game.

With FromSoftware having already earned trust in its combat and level design, speculation has turned toward the DLC's release date and what's going to be in it. Many suspect it'll come after Armored Core 6, and it is one teaser image that has implied the outstanding demigod Miquella will ultimately come into play. Regardless of what Shadow from the Erdtree's contents are, it might be good for FromSoftware to check out what worked the very best in Elden Ring and build on that. There are different opinions in regards to what that means for enemies and equipment, however, in terms of areas, there is a clear winner.

Leyndell, Royal Capital Is Elden Ring's Best Dungeon

Heavily defended and sophisticated, Legacy Dungeons represent the pinnacle of Elden Ring's action and exploration. Different players get their favorites, however, in terms of the best representation from the Legacy Dungeon format, none can match Leyndell, Royal Capital. Laying in the foot from the Erdtree, this massive city marks the finish of Elden Ring's second act. Just entering it's a struggle, as Margit, the Fell Omen appears once more, and also the main entrances are blocked by Draconic Tree Sentinels. However, all roads result in Leyndell, and there is actually a number of ways into the city that involve completing major side quests.

Once the ball player has successfully entered the Capital and is done gawking at its enormity, they'll quickly find themselves lost among its streets. While not every building could be entered, this is actually the closest FromSoftware has ever arrived at implementing a complete city into gameplay. From the rooftops, towards the surrounding Erdtree roots and dragon corpse, towards the sewers that eventually lead towards the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, Leyndell feels as large as it looks. Players are motivated to understand more about shortcuts and side paths too, considering the enemy count is high, varied, and peppered with older bosses. Eventually finding Godfrey's golden phantom and being funneled toward your dream with Morgott in the Elden Throne almost feels as though a relief.

Shadow from the Erdtree Should Carry On What Made Leyndell Special

Even if most of the sewers and surrounding fields are called separate areas, Leyndell still might be the largest and many complex areas FromSoftware has available. This is partly due to its authentic feel like a city but mostly involves designing around Elden Ring's movement. Simply being in a position to jump, even without Torrent's help or even the grappling points of Sekiro, allows the amount of design to be more vertical and open. While the Haligtree may function as the most vertical Legacy Dungeon, Leyndell organically combines its vertical and horizontal elements into something which players can wander through all night on end.

This may be the sort of experience that Shadow from the Erdtree should recreate. Whatever its centerpiece Legacy Dungeon is, it will lean into the amount of detail a real-world location might have and let the ball player explore it freely. Moving in any direction in the central point would take players to a different part of the dungeon, similar to what it does in Leyndell's own streets. Combined with balconies that emphasize the sheer scale of their locale, Shadow from the Erdtree could add another outstanding region to buy elden ring runes whether it sticks to Leyndell's principles.

Elden Ring can be obtained now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.