In the last days before Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree came out, I was preparing myself for disappointment. I loved the base game. Id invested over 200 hours in it, perfecting my Elden Ring sorcery build, and finding as many secrets, dungeons, and optional bosses as I could. I knew absolutely nothing could match the thrill of beating Margit for the first time, or finishing my first catacomb, or discovering my first illusory wall. I knew concessions would be made to Shadow of the Erdtrees map – I knew it’d be smaller and shorter. I knew it’d never live up to the original.