Shadow of Erdtree: Is this the end of the Alden Ring? Its creator explains how the DLC fits into the story

Game news Shadow of Erdtree: Is this the end of the Alden Ring? Its creator explains how the DLC fits into the story

FromSoftware Studios, developer of the best game of 2022 with Alden Ring, released Shadow of the Erdtree in February 2023. The latter is introduced as DLC (downloadable content, or downloadable content) of the former. On February 21, almost a year later, the Japanese studio released a more than three-minute (first) gameplay trailer for this additional content. As evidenced by numerous videos released since then, it has raised many questions. In it, we find the impermanence of Erdtree’s shadow.

How does SotE fit into the Alden Ring universe? Does it happen before or after? Does it depend on one of the original game’s six endings? And finally, does that conclude the Alden Ring story arc for FromSoftware?

We were able to ask the great Hidetaka Miyazaki all these questions. He is the boss of FromSoftware but also the director of Alden Ring and its DLC. Some of his responses, like the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer, have kept more of a mystery than he shed any light on us.

Check out Alden Ring on PS5

Shadow of the Erdtree: A standalone story for everyone

Like its older sibling Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Alden Ring has six different endings. Among them, three show different axes. There is one connected to Ranni’s quest (Age of Stars), connected to the Three Fingers and Melania (Lord of the Great Flame) as well as an Eldon Lord (Fia’s Quest, Quest of Eldon). Coprophagus, classical end and of the Golden Order). If all of these epilogues end the story in their own way (although that Exalted Flame is quite open), then it is certain that the shadow of Erdtree will not depend on any of these endings.. Hidetaka Miyazaki justifies it by explaining that, in this way, it neither excludes nor undervalues ​​academic players.

In relation to the ending of the first game, progressive events in the main game will not affect the DLC area and vice versa. This is a deliberate choice, as we want the DLC to be a game in its own right. We want the experience to be fresh for new and returning players.

Hence a new experience in itself that suggests, in a certain way, something completely different from Alden Ring. It doesn’t seem so. In addition to the similarities between Inter-Earth (the base game world) and the Shadow Realm, the director clarifies that the DLC can change players’ perspectives:

Your interpretation of the main game may change after completing Shadow of the Erdtree. You’ll be able to see new elements and angles that you hadn’t considered before.

We are now entering the realm of speculation. Personally, Miyazaki’s statement suggests to me that Shadow of the Erdtree could bring a new ending to the Alden Ring building through Michaela’s discovery.… an ending that could be the conclusion of FromSoftware’s Alden Ring arc.

Alden Ring: After Shadow of Erdtree, what’s next?

Like most of my colleagues in other media, I personally couldn’t help but wonder “After Alden Ring” As we have seen, Erdtree’s shadow exists because FromSoftware still had ideas that were impossible for Alden Ring to process. So this DLC allowed the studio to process additional ideas. A surplus which, for the moment, has dried up. This is evidenced by Hidetaka Miyazaki’s statement.

For the moment, there is no DLC planned for Alden’s Ring. We consider Shadow of the Erdtree to be a major milestone. The purpose of this DLC was to depict something that could not be said in the base game. We can’t rule out the possibility of telling other stories, but we don’t have any projects planned at the moment.

We’ve known for a while that FromSoftware is working on a number of projects. This is evidenced by an interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki in 2022 During which he disclosed it exists”Some titles directed by people other than me“That allowed us to show”Another color from FromSoftware” After June 21, at the very least, Transfer of Power: This is the release date of Shadow of the Erdtree on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and the Xbox Series X. A DLC that probably marks the end of Alden Ring. A DLC that probably marks the studio’s Marks the end of Hidetaka Miyazaki as director of the games. But a DLC that doesn’t sign, and this is certain, is not the end of FromSoftware.