Elden Ring is one of the largest games FromSoftware has ever conceptualized. In doing so, the studio made sure that there were enough stories and characters that fill up this massive universe.
Unfortunately, not every story gets the closure it deserves, and Elden Ring happens to be one of those games. At least where the DLC is concerned. Naturally, players aren’t too happy about this.
Players Wish There Was More to Shadow of the Erdtree’s Ending
On average, Elden Ring‘s DLC will take you between 25 and 30 hours to complete. This is a big number given how it’s an expansion, but not everything in the Land of Shadow will feel fulfilling.
This feeling isn’t new to FromSoftware fans, as the studio is known for crafting narratives that feel vague, open-ended, and begging for closure. User mayonnaiser_13 aptly puts this sentiment across on Reddit.
Wait, that’s it?
byu/mayonnaiser_13 inEldenring
The detailed post talks about the DLC’s ending, and how it barely answered any questions players may have had about the game’s narrative. To add to that pain, there’s no telling whether fans will ever know what’s truly going on after the story ends.
How the f**k is the crescendo of this insanely crafted journey so unceremonious?
Even though most FromSoftware fans are used to feeling like this, it hits harder when you think of Elden Ring‘s potential to tell more stories and this DLC is likely the only one the game will ever receive.
While players continue to wonder why writers and developers chose to keep the ending so limited, we can’t help but imagine the possible reasons for voluntarily keeping things so vague.
Is Ambiguity a Good Thing for Elden Ring?
One of the biggest reasons why a player would feel this frustrated comes down to emotional investment. From the very beginning, the game is an emotional journey that reflects on the bittersweet tales of The Lands Between.
In Shadow of the Erdtree, it further dives into the history of characters who have grand origins and greater purposes. As the Tarnished, you can feel both small and large in this massive universe.
Unfortunately, this journey feels a bit incomplete when a player invests so much time and mental energy when diving into these pieces of lore. Unlike Elden Ring, the DLC hardly ever tells you how things unfold once the game is concluded.
Many players choose to ignore this by simply focusing on the game’s rich combat mechanics and open-world aspects. But this doesn’t away the fact that FromSoftware needs to take a deeper look at how it tells stories.
What are your thoughts on the DLC’s ending? Do you think players deserved better? What would you have liked to know more about? Let us know in the comments below.
