Shadow of the End of Earth Tree is the biggest treasure of the game

FromSoftware titles have never been known for their overt storytelling, and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Strawberry Tree Continue in this way by making players dig through notes and item descriptions to gain the knowledge of the land of shadow. Sometimes, there are little nuggets of more overt storytelling, like cutscenes or pieces of dialogue that are vague and mysterious. These are few and far between, however, since half the fun of alden ringIts world-building comes from hunting down every scrap that Hidetaka Miyazaki and George RR Martin left behind.

Hunting for the scraps can be tireless work, with some players going so far as to export models to get a closer look at the details, such as YouTubers Zullie the Witch and BonfireVN. Still, when it comes to getting a helping hand from the developer through bits of dialogue and cutscenes, It can be frustrating when everything feels underwhelming, especially after trying to defeat some of FromSoftware’s hardest enemies to see them. This is most obviously present with Shadow of the strawberry trees ending cutscene after defeating the final boss.

[Spoilers ahead for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree‘s ending.]

Shadow of the End of Earthtree is disappointing

Makes players fight one of the hardest bosses to see it

It should be noted that nothing in Shadow of the strawberry tree is meant to replace the original endings of Alden ringSince all of this content is meant to be in addition to, rather than instead of, the base game. The end of the expansion was never meant to replace the end of the base game, and Was only meant to add context, but it doesn’t do much of that either. After defeating Miquella and Promised Consort Radahn, there is a short scene of Miquella declaring that he will make the world a gentler place.

There is a little more to it, but not much more, and the shears of divinity, Which is meant to be an important landmark in the Alden ring World where Marika became a godCannot be interacted with. It feels like the other demi-god bosses, viz Rickard, Lord of Blasphemy

Apart from Malenia and Godric, nothing has opened and there is not even a large rune. At most, players get these circle of light

Which doesn’t have much to its item description to add to the lore.

The host arena before the Gate of Divinity is where two Empyreans came to ascend to God, if Mikaella is counted. It feels like it should be interacted with and have a cutscene of its own, perhaps showing how Marika became a god and the sacrifices that had to be made to do so. Instead, players can’t even go up to the Gate of Divinity because the set of stairs is broken, which seems like an arbitrary way to keep the Tanished out.

Shadow Of The Erdtree’s Ending offers less than other Soulsborne DLCs

It is the biggest of the bunch

with Shadow of the strawberry trees size, it is safe to say that it is one of the largest expansions ever made and is greater than both Dark Souls 3s DLC together. When comparing the endings of the two Dark Souls 3 Endings, since they are intertwined, leave a lot to be desired. After defeating slave knight Gael at the end of the world, a place as climactic as the Gate of Divinity, players can give the blood of the Dark soul To the painter to create a new world.

For comparison, beating promised consort Radahn

in Shadow of the strawberry tree Is as if the Ashen One defeated Slave Knight Gael and the DLC just ended there with a cutscene of the boss saying how he would get the Blood of the Dark Soul for his lady’s painting without letting players go back to Ariandel. It feels like there should be more in it Shadow of the strawberry treeIt’s the end. It should be more about Marika, more about Mikvella, or just more about the greater will Through the gate of divinity.

The end of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Strawberry Tree is especially disappointing and teasing because of how big the expansion is and how much it recontextualizes. It changes the perspective of the Great Will with Metyr, Mother of Fingers, gives context to Dragon Communion by Bayle the Dread, and expands on the Frenzied Flame by Midra. The expansion does so much for everything else that when it does next to nothing for the ending, it leaves players wanting more.