If last month’s cinematic trailer – with a questionable opening scene – for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree didn’t convince you to pick up the DLC this month, a neat brand-new leveling system, unveiled during the expansion’s preview sessions, should sweeten the deal.

FromSoftware games and the expansive Soulslike genre are notorious for their lengthy, bloody, and grinding boss battles, which isn’t every gamer’s idea of a good time. The punishing kill rate can often deter newcomers and even seasoned trophy hunters from diving into the dark fantasy gameplay, but Shadow of the Erdtree has special buffs to make combat seem less daunting.

Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Scadutree Blessing Is Just That

The preview period for the fiery DLC is well underway, and the three-hour taste of gameplay is giving fans and critics exactly what they’ve been needing: more Elden Ring. Players will follow an original story centered around the antagonist, Messmer the Impaler, and reap the rewards of new weapons, items, enemies, boss encounters, and much more.

A key takeaway from Shadow of the Erdtree’s preview is an all-new leveling system that’s never been featured in a FromSoftware title before. Being compared to the mechanic in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the Shadow Realm Blessing has been added to the Guidance of Grace menu option to keep power play fair and combat slightly easier.

To prevent the maxed-out Elden Ring players from overpowering and annihilating everything in sight within the expansion, the freshly made character-progression system is designed to curb the strength of your character from the parent title. Instead, power can be gained through the items, Scadutree Blessings, and they can be found within the grasp of ‘hornsent’ statues and various dungeons you’ll pass through.

These blessings can be applied as buffs in combat and boss battles within the Realm of Shadow, dealing extra damage to the enemy and also deflecting damage from adversaries on the battlefield. Of course, challenging Erdtree’s enemies with the full force of your Elden Ring character would be a breeze, but since this is a Souls DLC, the heat will still be on. However, these generous buffs will make the loss of maxed-out power a little easier to deal with.

Players will also be able to tap into the Revered Spirit Ash Blessings, which casts summoned spirits and beasts to support you in battle with ability boosts. These additional buffs will also serve more damage to the enemy and negate incoming damage.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will be released on June 20, 2024.

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