Elden Ring players are no strangers to weird and challenging achievements. But the Shadow of The Erdtree has gone to new lengths as one player shares their experience. In a recent Reddit post, one user shared that their friend completed the Elden Ring DLC without ever picking up a single map fragment.
Comments on the post were full of disbelief as fans wondered how something like that could be possible. The Shadow of The Erdtree DLC has been known for its difficulty since it came out.
This Is a Crazy Way to Do the Elden Ring DLC
In Elden Ring, map fragments are items the player can pick up to reveal parts of the in-game map. Without them, players are left to wander blindly, making it nearly impossible to plan routes or locate important items and enemies.
My friend told me he beat the DLC and I asked him how much he explored. He then sent me a picture of his map..
byu/Tokennn inEldenring
The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has been known for its increased difficulty compared to the base game. Basic enemies hit harder, and the new map design makes it hard to explore without a map. But it seems like this player managed to complete it without ever seeing what the map looked like.
The Reddit thread quickly filled with comments expressing disbelief and humor, with one user jokingly dubbing it “truly psychopathic behavior.” Another comment referred to the feat as “Maidenless Behavior,” a nod to the game’s terminology.
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According to the original poster, this friend had previously sped through the base game and approached the DLC with the same hurried mentality. While some players might find satisfaction in quick completion, others argue that the true joy of Elden Ring lies in thorough exploration and the gradual mastery of its challenges.
The Shadow of The Erdtree Makes The Experience Even Better
This unconventional approach got the community talking about the importance of exploration and taking time to appreciate the game. Many players find joy in finding every secret and collecting every item. For them, blasting through the content feels like missing out on the essence of the game.
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Yet, this challenging environment is precisely what many players love about FromSoftware‘s titles. Elden Ring and its DLC require not just skill but patience and planning. The satisfaction of finally completing a challenge is a core aspect of the experience.
Some players believe that a slower, more deliberate approach allows for a deeper connection with the game’s world and a better understanding of the story it tells.
This also shows the different ways players approach the game. While some go through every challenge with thorough planning and exploration, others prefer to push through as quickly as possible.
How has your experience in the Land of Shadow been? Let us know in the comments!
