I was warned that Shadow of the Erdtree’s final boss was challenging, but I didn’t expect this battle to make Melania look like a leisurely walk in the park. Promised Consort Radahn doesn’t give you a chance to prepare, rushing in the second you enter his arena with attacks that can kill you in seconds. Trying to summon a spirit? Good luck. Want to apply some grease to your weapon? Fat chance. Calling upon a friend? Awesome, now he has double the health.
The fact that thousands are struggling to best Radahn is no surprise, since to defeat them is to master everything Elden Ring has to offer, and I’m just not good enough yet. After dozens of hours in the expansion, I
finally reached Radahn and beat my head against him for hours, hoping that learning his moves and gradually adjusting my strategy would eventually result in victory. But no matter what I did, it was impossible, and soon after discovering his second phase I met my end. It was frustrating, but I knew from friends and colleagues it could be done.
I Could Beat Promised Consort Radahn, So I Decided To Start All Over Again
Yet I also wanted to keep playing Elden Ring, to keep experimenting with new builds and try to enhance my character in ways that went beyond levelling up my base stats. So I decided to finally conquer the base game and hit credits, knowing that New Game Plus awaited me. It’s something I’ve explored in Dark Souls and Bloodborne in the past, but never with Elden Ring before, and after taking the plunge, I’m already being met with a number of cool surprises.
Resorting to New Game Plus because I couldn’t beat Radahn might seem drastic, but to be honest, I’ve been thinking about it ever since I started Shadow of the Erdtree. I spent weeks before its release slowly playing through an old save file and seeing parts of the base game I’d missed in previous playthroughs.
The journey was exhilarating, but also one I knew that I had to hit the brakes on before I reached the end. At a certain point, I set the Erdtree aflame and retreated to the expansion, meaning every time I returned to The Lands Between it sat in a state of cataclysmic limbo that only I could move forward. But I couldn’t, and secretly it had driven me mad. I wanted to try new weapons, upgrade existing ones, and do it throughout a playthrough where I wasn’t beating against the same wall over and over again.
So I gave in, and now I’m happily steamrolling through the early hours with a character that is definitely too overpowered, though I know that feeling won’t last long. But I’m also doing it in ways I previously ignored. I’m pretty basic, and went through Elden Ring with a reliable set of heavy gear and a curved greatsword I knew dealt incredible damage, so I never tried using anything else. That has all changed with New Game Plus, since currently I’ve cast aside the usual combo for a thinner garb and melee combat that has me punching, kicking, and diving about each combat arena like a UFC fighter.
New Game Plus Changes Everything About Elden Ring
New Game Plus switches up the pace of Elden Ring dramatically, and has shown me how much variety and possibility the game has to offer when I’m not sticking stubbornly to old habits. Now I want to try using new perfume bottles, or even upgrading Intelligence and Faith so I can finally wield new weapons that previously were entirely locked off.
Smithing Stones and other upgrade materials being restocked is an additional boon, so I can apply different upgrades this time around. Elden Ring doesn’t want you to upgrade every single piece of gear you own in a single playthrough, it wants you to experiment and pick your battles. So I used this as a means to wipe the slate clean while keeping my existing arsenal intact.
One thing I didn’t expect from New Game Plus is how the entire map is already revealed when you start alongside the locations of major landmarks. You’ll still need to visit existing Sites of Grace to fast travel, but it makes a massive difference.
Shadow of the Erdtree will definitely be more challenging on this second journey, but I will be more prepared too, coming in at a higher level with more equipment and strategies that I can use to my advantage. I won’t have the pressure of the base game holding me down like I am missing out on something incredible or haven’t stretched my mechanical wings far enough. I didn’t want to miss out on the expansion’s honeymoon period, but now I’ve reached Radahn and failed to beat him, it feels almost sobering to press the reset button.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
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