Bonfireside Chat 290: Shadow of the Erdtree First Impressions
Added 2024-06-28 17:50:30 +0000 UTCIt's been a week since Elden Ring's expasion, Shadow of the Erdtree, released to everyone. We've been hard at work finishing the game and planning out the next season of Bonfireside Chat, and we wanted to take this opportunity to give you our impressions after we both finished our first playthrough. It's good! We have a lot to talk about.
This episode doesn't contain story spoilers, but please take caution if you're extremely sensitive to knowing anything about these games before you play them. We can't talk about the game without talking about the game.
Additionally, this episode is free for everyone! Please consider backing our Patreon so you can get not only the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree episodes, but a huge backlog of our other work. If you already back us, please spread this around to anyone you know who might be interested!
We will have news about when the season will debut soon. Thank you so much for your support!
Comments
As for the difficulty, I’m just such an obsessive person that I understand I’m just usually better than most. Like my first playthrough of Elden Ring is probably 500 hours lol. Sekiro is my favorite. And Nameless is my favorite boss. But some of my best friends never get to experience these games due to difficulty which is such a shame. So I understand the frustration with the difficulty even if I do not share it and am willing to listen. And tbh usually when I hear you guys complain about it, it just makes me feel like I’m very good!! Not sure why people be mad at it. A tip imo that goes for all from games is aggression. Always be agressive. Not just in bloodborne
Jessie joy
2025-05-02 05:46:25 +0000 UTCYeah this is my second playthrough of Elden Ring. As I did with the first, went to Mogh as soon as I could. Bounced around much more than the first time. I’m hitting the dlc way earlier than I think I’m supposed to 🤷
Jessie joy
2025-05-02 05:40:06 +0000 UTCInstead releasing the next episodes on the date you planned on, how about you release them right now instead. Seriously.
DigitalDusto
2024-07-30 19:51:24 +0000 UTCWhen’s the next episode out? I’m hanging out for it 😂🙌🏻
Mitchell Turner
2024-07-21 02:28:44 +0000 UTCWhen is the next episode coming?
James
2024-07-20 20:57:30 +0000 UTCI need this to start soon so I can make sense of where I'm at and why. So lost. Don't know what I'm doing and for whom. Im just free roaming erasing questline after questline unknowingly.
DigitalDusto
2024-07-20 16:04:16 +0000 UTCReally looking forward to this season of Bonfireside Chat and your thoughts on the DLC and the path forward for Fromsoft. As much as I like it, SotE contains some of the highest high and lowest lows of Elden Ring and the FromSoft's "soulsborne" formula.
Mateusz Swietoslawski
2024-07-18 09:31:46 +0000 UTCI would agree about the bosses. I personally believe them to be the worst part of the dlc and find little enjoyment fighting most of them. I however love exploring the new area and how vertical it is. The new weapons armor and talismans are also more than enough to keep me motivated to explore.
Dewayne Kinnard
2024-07-16 03:49:38 +0000 UTCIs this the Billy Corgan or just a Billy Corgan?
Lucas Johnson
2024-07-14 21:22:30 +0000 UTCSo glad to be back, can’t wait to hear the walkthroughs of these areas and discussion of bosses, lore, and items. What a treasure
Justin Zode
2024-07-12 02:28:25 +0000 UTCWorried is a bit strong lol. I've just been a little over-sensitive to the difficulty discourse on the dlc. I'll invariably enjoy every episode. Looking forward to sharing my thoughts
Chris Blanchette
2024-07-11 16:31:56 +0000 UTCWe love the dlc! What are you worried about,? lol -GB
Duckfeed.tv
2024-07-11 16:14:36 +0000 UTCI'm really looking forward to more episodes. I'm a little worried because I'm much more positive on the DLC than most. There are bosses I found as difficult as some mid bosses in the main that my friends are still struggling with. But, nonetheless, this will be the first season I'll be able to send responses on since all other seasons of the show I've played the games years after the episodes were released. Just not looking forward to hearing the boys some things I'll inevitably think are just wrong. All in good fun, though lol
Chris Blanchette
2024-07-11 13:40:12 +0000 UTCWhen you talk about it not making sense for beast bosses to do delayed attacks because they aren’t “thinking” opponents, who exactly are you talking about? Because a lot of beasts in this game are thinking opponents according to the lore.
Mitch Bragg
2024-07-09 13:46:28 +0000 UTCJust finished the DLC and cannot wait to hear you both discuss! Great to have some BSC again!
WoodJammin
2024-07-09 03:14:12 +0000 UTCI would thoroughly disagree about the last statement. I think there's a lot hidden in the sprawled spaces for sure, but it's way denser than Old Hunters in terms of equipment and weapons and spells and such. I love it so much personally.
Mateus Silva
2024-07-06 22:26:45 +0000 UTCI preface this saying I love Elden Ring. However, I hope From does not continue to do open worlds. Empty space and filler is getting tiresome, and this DLC feels very empty in much of it. Still really enjoying the DLC! But just a trend I hope doesn’t continue.
Tyler
2024-07-03 13:29:25 +0000 UTCThe bosses, as described in the podcast. But it's also the cobbled-together-from-spare-parts nature of the story and lore, as well as how empty the map is. Like there's not especially more content here than, say, Bloodborne's dlc - it's just spread out over a larger area.
Fringleton
2024-07-03 11:42:29 +0000 UTCBeen loving the DLC so far--can't wait to hear more of both of your experiences!
Manny Pérez
2024-07-03 06:18:02 +0000 UTCI did end up beating it as a full INT caster with no weapon, but for the fast bosses I was pretty much relegated to Carian Slicer as my main spell (that thing is a godsend). I would definitely love less nonstop aggressive combos and a little bit more downtime. There are other ways to make things difficult. I still loved the DLC though and even ended up enjoying most of the bosses by the end, although I definitely agree that Fromsoft’s insistence on constantly one-upping themselves by raising the difficulty bar is not sustainable.
Eldon Hill
2024-07-02 22:51:08 +0000 UTCWe are now prepared to meet the inevitable counterattack
Thunk
2024-07-02 19:43:36 +0000 UTCMan I’ve missed hearing y’all’s voice in connection with Elden ring 💜
Sage Beatty
2024-07-02 17:19:32 +0000 UTCSo happy to be a patrn for the DLC! Long time lurker first time patron. I said I was only gonna be here a month… But with the back catalog I may be here quite a bit longer! Thanks guys, love the podcast. First heard of you guys via Retronauts many years ago. Umbasa!
SuddenFacsimile
2024-07-02 14:14:55 +0000 UTCFELLED THAT MOFO
Austin Mathis
2024-07-02 00:07:09 +0000 UTCLet me just say I hope that commander g. gets patched to NOT open with this move because I am just now finally starting to get their number but it truly has taken me this long due to 1. Work to make money 2. Having to survive the first 4 seconds of the fight to learn any of it
Austin Mathis
2024-07-01 21:12:01 +0000 UTCJust beat the dlc! Man what a blast but that last boss was a fair bit too much for me. Felt like a got lucky to beat it more than actually learning anything. I’m missing more than ever the sad thematic final bosses that make you feel bad about beating. The hyper agro super wombo combo bosses are getting a bit old for me as well
Kyle Clements
2024-07-01 13:25:39 +0000 UTCI do wanna try a faith/int caster through the dlc. Maybe if they’re specialized it’s easier than a blended build but that hasn’t been my vibe in the main game on other characters tbh
wesley
2024-07-01 07:53:48 +0000 UTCI still have a ways to go yet but my faith caster build has been making it through fine so far as well.
MeltyHam
2024-07-01 07:52:06 +0000 UTCSuch a big fan of this expansion, and am so excited to hear your opinions on it overall. I do have to say I don't think *most* bosses require you abandoning whatever build you started with, as I can say my starting build (faith/arcane) was totally fine until the final boss. But that's just a personal opinion and a willingness to fight bosses for a while and learn them. HOWEVER, the final boss is a nasty bit of business and I respecced to cheese it. I do not feel bad about it lol.
Josh S
2024-07-01 06:02:21 +0000 UTCJust out of curiosity what makes you say that?
Dewayne Kinnard
2024-06-30 23:43:34 +0000 UTCI’m loving how vertical the map is. I just stumbled upon a new area and it may be my favorite area ever in a video game from an aesthetic standpoint.
Dewayne Kinnard
2024-06-30 23:42:31 +0000 UTCThis is probably the single worst dlc for a From game that I've ever played.
Fringleton
2024-06-30 05:20:36 +0000 UTCTo add to your point about the bosses, my character that I’ve taken through the dlc is a caster and I’m up to (though haven’t beaten) the final boss. I do think that I probably have had a disproportionately more difficult time with the bosses than if I had a melee build, but it’s offset but engaging with all of the other systems from has made available in the dlc and main game (thank u mister scadutree blessing), and exploration is actually surprisingly easy (comet and a buttload of distance). But, as an edge case oddity, it’s 100% (or 99% so far) possible to make it through the dlc as a (at least int) caster!
wesley
2024-06-30 02:30:32 +0000 UTCPulling up to the coffee shop w/ headphones only to see this episode is now going to be what I listen to 😮💨
Juli Reed
2024-06-29 21:58:22 +0000 UTCThis is a bit off topic, but I appreciate the balance you guys walk when it comes to spoilers. I listen to so many podcasts and get so frustrated when the hosts want to talk about a game but won't go into details on anything because they don't want to spoil things. It turns the episodes/discussions into a big pile of vague descriptions and praise/criticisms with no substance and it infuriates me. Having a cut off for the spoiler wall is a sensible decision. I get that it might frustrate some people who want to listen and play along with the show but if you didn't have that point of no return the podcast wouldn't be nearly as interesting and entertaining. I obviously don't speak for everyone, and I'm a bit of a weirdo who doesn't mind spoilers, but I listen to a lot of podcasts at work and this has become a personal bugbear for me over the years.
greyrain
2024-06-29 16:14:00 +0000 UTCThe difficulty's about what I expected on my NG++ heretical faiths build. Gotta keep on my toes, but no walls so far. I thought it was very funny that Miyazaki said in a recent GamesRadar article that he uses "everything I have at my disposal, all the assistance, every scrap of aid that the game offers" when he plays. It's as if, y'know, the game was designed with that balance in mind.
Joseph
2024-06-29 14:48:23 +0000 UTCWas worried about the difficulty when I saw all the discourse online during this first week. But having gotten in my first 5 hours tonight, I feel like I'm just at the right level for it! Excited for this new season!
Randall
2024-06-29 07:38:14 +0000 UTCI agree that variety in bosses is also a good thing with more gimmicky fights having there place. Rykard wasn't my favorite mechanically but it was a fantastic spectacle. Radahn is probably the gold standard for me as it was challenging, fun in the hands, and had a really fun gimmick. It also seems to be an Elden standout for lots of your guests.
MeltyHam
2024-06-29 07:08:44 +0000 UTCWorked 16 hours today and it was all worth it for this update we are BACK
Jayveethree
2024-06-29 05:46:25 +0000 UTCWe'll definitely talk about them in the first eppo. I think our builds were pretty similar though. We both turned into Tanks. -GB
Duckfeed.tv
2024-06-29 00:00:35 +0000 UTCThat area and the boss is so good. Even the haunted house dungeon is top notch.
Victor
2024-06-28 23:53:38 +0000 UTCSweet! Can't wait. Incidentally, will you guys spend some time talking about your builds? I missed that in the base game season, and it's always one of my favorite parts of any souls discussion. I don't think I learned a single moveset in this DLC. The Berserk sword saved me (and all my many spirit ashes, of course). Scaduthingies are a miss for me, hope they don't bring those back in the future.
Victor
2024-06-28 23:49:22 +0000 UTCCan’t wait to hear your thoughts on the big forest area and the boss at the end of it! Easily my favorite boss in the dlc from a moveset standpoint. Also really curious to hear what your builds turned into throughout the course of the dlc!
Ethan Hoffman
2024-06-28 22:43:57 +0000 UTCI've been playing the DLC parallel to a friend who doesn't explore. When we played our second OG runs together with me guiding him, he was like "Wow, I feel like I skipped half the game." Needless to say, the DLC has been tough for him. And since I'm not playing a magic build like him, it's all about the game being easier for physical builds. Sigh...
Andrew O.
2024-06-28 22:41:15 +0000 UTCSuper excited! I'm loving SOTE- it's been very striking. My coworker & I were quoting a certain dragon hunter back and forth to each other today. The dlc came out as I was in the middle of watching Venture Brothers (on season 7 rn) for the first time and it's been very fun to go from a show that deals in part with family issues to a game that deals in part with family issues, to put it lightly, lol. Again, super excited, can't wait for more coverage!
Goldie
2024-06-28 22:30:11 +0000 UTCI recommend going and exploring! Scoop those scados, they make a big difference. -GB
Duckfeed.tv
2024-06-28 22:00:29 +0000 UTCImo, this is doing more interesting story stuff than either of those games. -GB
Duckfeed.tv
2024-06-28 21:59:44 +0000 UTCNot really what we meant! We meant Malenia complexity and similar moveset/rhythms.
Duckfeed.tv
2024-06-28 21:59:22 +0000 UTCI’m so glad you guys enjoyed the expansion. I’m very much enjoying it however I’ve hit a substantial wall and keep throwing myself at a particular boss and can’t seem to make much progress on him. I’m hoping to beat him this weekend so I can listen to the episodes as they come out.
Dewayne Kinnard
2024-06-28 21:20:27 +0000 UTCAs somebody who beat this as a caster, I have thoughts! I got through it but beating bosses was more relief than excitement
Fromaginator
2024-06-28 20:39:07 +0000 UTCI know you guys once said you wanted to be frank about you political affiliations but not turn the show into chapo, but have you ever considered Felix as a guest? Chapo, go on BSC!
flerb blerb
2024-06-28 20:08:52 +0000 UTCWe are back.
Matt in E. Dallas
2024-06-28 20:07:39 +0000 UTCSo glad for this show to be back!
Taylor Osbourne
2024-06-28 19:57:55 +0000 UTCI fully expected to fight the Godrick Knight from Fort Haight as the final boss of the series. Glad to hear that they learned from the madness that was DS3 DLC.
Conner Reid
2024-06-28 19:47:10 +0000 UTCCan’t wait for these, still working on getting my character to the DLC but ready to listen to your thoughts
MrPuddle
2024-06-28 19:45:08 +0000 UTCngl with all of the discourse surrounding the difficulty of the DLC I saw over the last week I was a bit worried this was going to be another DS3/Sekiro for you two so I'm super happy to hear that this isn't the case.
King of Sushi
2024-06-28 19:44:35 +0000 UTCHell yeah guys.
Billy Corgan
2024-06-28 19:10:11 +0000 UTCAgreed -GB
Duckfeed.tv
2024-06-28 18:56:58 +0000 UTCVery very excited about the new season - there is a lot to talk about with this DLC! I’m hoping that either the spoiler wall is held in place until I can manage to finish my first playthrough of the DLC. Thanks for everything you guys do!
waterproofjesus
2024-06-28 18:48:06 +0000 UTCI feel like "every boss is Malenia or Malenia plus" was really not accurate to my playthrough. During my time with this, there was really only 1, maybe 2 that play in that realm of difficulty here (the final one being harder than her, so I get the point on that one). 8/10 remembrances bosses were no harder than the mid to late game remembrances in the base game for me. But I suspect that's gonna be an agree to disagree, which is fine! I don't want an echo chamber. I am not particularly good at these games, I did use summons for some but not all bosses, and I stuck to a non-meta build and was able to get through it all without reaching a point of frustration. I thought it was some of their highest quality boss design to date. Hope my posting this isn't annoying or trying to seem like a "git gud" weirdo, I assure you I'm not that way. Just wanted to get my experience out there.
Daniel Runfola
2024-06-28 18:44:59 +0000 UTCHail brothers, long time listening, first time responding. As always you guys perfectly sumize my thoughts. I just wanted to leave a few words to say I had 50 days invested into play time with Eldenring before going into the expansion & I must say a certain someone's sister made me break a remote due to my sheer stubbornness of wanting to 'finish' an area before adventuring more. That being said Fromsoft really did want exploring to be a part of the struggle and focus and it really shows once you start finding some scadurtree fragments. Thaaat being said, I personally feel that the reasons in which challenges presented themselves overall throughout the expansion were very unique ideas with flavor vs really hard hitting moves and I absolutely adore that from these guys as a studio. I feel if Fromsoft would bring back boss stamina bars maybe that would allow the artful-puzzle-characterization that happens on some of the older entries bosses to shine through during the combat encounter a little but more. It always hurts my heart a little bit when I struggle on a 'settle-down-beavus-boss' and I don't learn any new thing about who they were or any lore surrounding their position in the lore other than a couple sentences of flavor text. (Funny to me to see Eldenring garnish the type of popularity it did just to have the fickle people say it's too hard while not engaging with the new systems in place to make everyone feel like they are playing a new game no matter their personal level.) Keep up the good work boys, oombasa. \\[-.-]//
Velkas consort 93
2024-06-28 18:27:55 +0000 UTCTrue but I don’t find Orphan as annoying as Manus. There’s fun to be had fighting the Orphan.
Cody
2024-06-28 18:24:59 +0000 UTCWE’RE BACK BABY
JD Silva
2024-06-28 18:23:13 +0000 UTCAnd Lady Maria tbh
Ty
2024-06-28 18:22:58 +0000 UTCBosses aside, I think the open world and dungeon design is some of the best FromSoft has ever done, the way it all interconnects is really cool.
Crestfallen Warrior
2024-06-28 18:13:38 +0000 UTCAs much as I love the ambiance, mood, area and enemy design, what I’m loving most about this DLC is how much cool new stuff we can bring back into the main game. It makes Elden Ring like a 12 out of 10 experience.
Shane
2024-06-28 18:10:37 +0000 UTCI’m holding off until I’m a bit deeper into it (I only just got through what I assume the first legacy dungeon) but I am very excited the DLC episodes are happening.
MIKEISTKRIEG
2024-06-28 18:06:46 +0000 UTCNow this is epic
Soulful Bison
2024-06-28 17:57:42 +0000 UTCAnother Fromsoftware dlc where the boss character in all of the prerelease material was a way more enjoyable fight than the actual final boss of the DLC. Looking at you Astorias of the Abyss!
Cody
2024-06-28 17:56:47 +0000 UTCJust finished last night, great timing! I know my issues with the DLC are going to be similar to Gary and Kole’s (hate fuck boss design) so I’m looking forward to an entire season of validation. And what a season it’ll be…
Sam O'Brien
2024-06-28 17:54:39 +0000 UTCLiterally got chills hearing the BSC intro again!
Rad Adam
2024-06-28 17:53:24 +0000 UTC🤤🤤🤤
Austin Mathis
2024-06-28 17:52:32 +0000 UTC
