Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion introduces an engaging new storyline that significantly enhances the base game. While every side quest in this DLC offers fascinating depth, one particular quest stands out as being almost essential for fully grasping the main storyline. This quest, although challenging and involving formidable foes, provides invaluable insights and should arguably have been part of the main narrative.
What is Elden Ring?
The game combines elements of previous FromSoftware titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne with an expansive open world, offering players rich lore, challenging gameplay, and intricate environmental storytelling. With collaboration from famous fantasy author George R.R. Martin, Elden Ring provides a unique blend of intense combat and deep narrative.
Players take on the role of the Tarnished, a being summoned to the Lands Between with the goal of restoring the shattered Elden Ring and becoming the new Elden Lord. The game offers a variety of classes and character builds, along with a diverse array of weapons, spells, and abilities, ensuring a highly customizable and replayable experience.
Recommendation for Elden Ring
If you are a fan of action RPGs and enjoy challenging, skill-based combat, Elden Ring is a must-play. The game excels in creating an immersive world filled with intricate lore, making it a rewarding experience for players who enjoy exploring and uncovering secrets. The addition of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree only enhances the base game further, offering more depth and story for players to dive into.
The game's high difficulty level may be daunting for some, but it is also one of its biggest strengths. The sense of accomplishment from overcoming tough enemies and discovering hidden content is unparalleled. With its rich narrative, compelling gameplay mechanics, and expansive world, Elden Ring delivers an unforgettable experience that stands out in the action RPG genre.
How Elden Ring Differs from Other Games
Elden Ring sets itself apart from other action RPGs through its combination of an open-world design with the challenging combat mechanics that FromSoftware is known for. Unlike many open-world games that can sometimes feel cluttered with meaningless tasks, Elden Ring's world is carefully crafted, ensuring that almost every location has a purpose and contributes to the overarching narrative or lore.
Another distinguishing feature is the game's storytelling approach. Elden Ring relies heavily on environmental storytelling and item descriptions to convey its rich lore, encouraging players to piece together the narrative themselves. This method of storytelling creates a deeper sense of immersion as players feel more connected to the world and its history.
Thollier's Important Quest
In the Gravesite Plain, close to the Pillar Path Cross Site of Grace, players will encounter an NPC named Thollier. Thollier reveals that he has been guided to the Land of Shadow by Miquella, an important figure in the game's lore. To properly initiate Thollier's quest, players need to deactivate Miquella's Great Rune. This event is triggered upon approaching the ominous Shadow Keep.
Once Miquella's rune is neutralized, players must journey to the Stone Coffin Fissure to locate St. Trina. This part of the quest involves defeating the guardian, the Putrescent Knight, in the Garden of Deep Purple. After overcoming this challenge and discovering St. Trina, players can return to Thollier and progress with his questline, which offers significant lore implications for the main storyline.
Miquella’s Crosses and Their Hidden Meanings
Throughout the Land of Shadow, players encounter numerous crosses associated with Miquella. These locations mark where Miquella shed parts of himself on his journey toward divinity. Renowned Soulsborne YouTuber, VaatiVidya, highlights the significance of these crosses, especially the two encountered on the path to finding St. Trina.
At one cross, it is noted that Miquella abandoned his "doubt and vacillation," suggesting a shift towards decisiveness. While shedding doubt might appear beneficial, it could also lead to recklessness. Another cross indicates that Miquella has forsaken his love. This abandonment of compassion and empathy raises concerns about Miquella's suitability as a deity, painting a complex picture of his character.
Understanding St. Trina's Importance
The connection between Miquella and St. Trina becomes clearer during Thollier's quest. St. Trina is found at the location where Miquella relinquished his love. Thollier, like many other inhabitants of the Lands Between, reveres St. Trina for her gift of eternal rest, which stands as an alternative to their seemingly endless existence.
St. Trina appears to embody Miquella's discarded love, making her a trustworthy figure. Therefore, when she advises the player to stop Miquella from achieving godhood, it is a plea made out of genuine concern. She warns that such a path would be a figurative imprisonment for Miquella, leading him to a fate beyond redemption. Hence, her guidance offers critical context for the player's mission.
The Motivation Behind Defeating Miquella
From a gameplay perspective, players naturally seek to confront Miquella as he is a pivotal antagonist in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. However, understanding the narrative reasons behind this confrontation is crucial. Initially, players might be hesitant, considering Miquella's past image as a benevolent figure.
Through Thollier's quest and conversations with St. Trina, players gain insights into Miquella's transformation and understand the gravity of his ambitions. Recognizing that Miquella has abandoned compassion and aims to exert mass control, players are given a compelling reason to challenge his ascent. This narrative depth ensures that the final confrontation is not just a gameplay objective but a story-driven necessity.
Impact of Thollier’s Quest on Elden Ring's Storyline
Thollier's quest in Shadow of the Erdtree is pivotal for understanding the broader narrative of Elden Ring. It provides essential context about Miquella and St. Trina, shedding light on their motivations and the implications of Miquella's path to godhood. Without this quest, players may find the main storyline lacking in clarity, making it harder to grasp the full scope of the events unfolding in the DLC.
The quest also enriches the player's understanding of the game's universe, revealing the complexities and moral ambiguities of its characters. Through Thollier's journey, players come to appreciate the sacrifices and internal conflicts faced by key figures like Miquella. This additional layer of narrative depth enhances the overall experience, making the world of the Elden Ring even more captivating.
The Legacy of Elden Ring in the Gaming World
Elden Ring has already carved out a significant legacy in the gaming world, earning widespread acclaim for its innovative design and challenging gameplay. It has set a new benchmark for what open-world action RPGs can achieve, proving that a carefully crafted world and intricate lore can coexist with robust, rewarding combat mechanics. The game's success is a testament to FromSoftware's expertise and vision, reinforcing their reputation as masters of the genre.