We are mere days away from the Elden Ring DLC, and all hell has broken loose on the internet as the embargo has lifted for many Shadow of the Erdtree reviews. There’s also a brand-new interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki, President of FromSoftware, who shares pivotal insight into the upcoming expansion.
During the interview, he talks about how he approached one important aspect of the game differently. But, he might not have done it successfully, as he apologizes for the same.
Elden Ring DLC Has a Different Approach to Boss Encounters
In an interview with David Lumb, Miyazaki spilled the beans on a lot of behind-the-scenes aspects of Shadow of the Erdtree. One of his most significant answers is regarding his change in approach to boss design for the DLC.
When asked about the new bosses, he stayed tight-lipped about the specifics but said boss encounters will be part of the new challenges for players.
There are more than 10 new bosses, and he relays they’re of different difficulties. Some of the bosses are a “challenge target” for those players who’ve finished most of the base game:
…we’ve kind of really pushed the envelope in terms of what we think can be withstood by the player.
When designing the new bosses, Miyazaki mentioned that the studio analyzed what players typically find fun, versus what they considered stressful in terms of boss encounter mechanics in the base game.
We tried to make that the foundation of the boss encounters of the DLC, so hopefully players will find it much more engaging and fun. But if that is not the case, then I’m sorry!
The FandomWire review for Shadow of the Erdtree briefly touches upon some bosses you’ll encounter in the DLC. Judging from how our reviewer felt, no doubt Miyazaki excelled in his mission.
Miyazaki Is Excited for Fans to Experience the DLC
Continuing discussions regarding the new bosses, Miyazaki mentions there are bosses of all flavors in the DLC; some are important for the story, and others are there simply for the challenge. Not to worry, each of them will prove to be a challenge for players.
At one point, he hints toward one particular boss fight that he hypes by saying that visual-design-wise, he’s sure many fans will react by exclaiming, “Oh wow, this is a FromSoftware boss.” The teasing is borderline torturous, as we’re so close and so far to the release of this DLC.
The lore for the expansion always existed, but was too big to put into the base game. Needless to say, this won’t be a DLC hastily released purely to cash in on the sizeable fanbase. There is still much to learn about the cryptic world depicted in Elden Ring.
Are you excited for the DLC? What are your expectations for the expansion’s boss fights? Let us know in the comments below!
