Movies News Talk
Forget Rellana's unstoppable combos, or Messmer's searing fire: the biggest problem with Shadow of the Erdtree is the Fog that constantly blankets the map. Throughout the majority of the DLC, it's impossible to see more than a few feet in front of the Tarnished's face, which complicates the gameplay in frustratingly repetitive ways. Exploration feels more like a chore than a joy, since the player can't see the glimmer of a distant item or the entrance to a forgotten catacomb until they're standing right on top of it. They have to comb every inch of the map to find things to do. Enemies pop out of the mist like monsters in Silent Hill, jumpscaring the player and preventing any attempt at strategizing conflict against large groups.
Fog has always been an important part of the atmosphere in Soulsborne games - it's no coincidence that players have to step through a wall of fog almost any time they challenge a major boss. It's ominous, even frightening, not to know what one is walking into. It evokes images of abandoned graveyards, of ghostly figures. At times, the fog can even be representative of story concepts, like fell curses that have spread throughout a land, or the material conditions of an area, like poison clouds hovering stagnant over foul swamps. It's great set dressing and, when paired with Elden Ring's barebones, droning musical score, establishes a pitch-perfect tone.
Honestly, the idea of low visibility as an occasional weather condition for the player to contend with is pretty interesting. There are areas where it's used well. For example, west of Castle Ensis, there's a narrow valley blanketed by greenish fog. As the player wanders the mist, they see one small, humanoid form, then five; before long, they're beset on all sides by Vulgar Militiamen, pelting them with poison damage. It's a memorable little moment, the kind of which Elden Ring is packed full of. Encounters like these even occur spontaneously with fog as a random (if less frequent) weather effect.
But one can have too much of a good thing, and that seems to be Shadow of the Erdtree's approach to fog. It's just everywhere, turning what should've been carefully planned battles into random encounters. It muddies the beauty of the Land of Shadow. Stunning views and interesting details are nigh impossible to spot from afar. Instead of soaking up the scenery and indulging in meditative exploration, the player is constantly straining to see.
Uniquely among Soulsborne games, Elden Ring has an advanced weather system, with distinct weather events like golden light that increases runes gained, or rain that changes enemy weakness to certain elements.
But it's overused in Shadow of the Erdtree. More so than Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or Sekiro, Elden Ring is an exploration-based game: if the player just makes a beeline for the bosses, they're missing out on hundreds of hours' worth of optional content, challenging dungeons, unique armaments, cool skills, et cetera. Fog impedes exploration in the DLC, so much so that it might take twice as long to explore an area in low-Visibility conditions versus when the air is clear.
Fog shouldn't be removed from Shadow of the Erdtree entirely. It's central to the atmosphere, and actually has great potential if used sparingly. It just rolls in too frequently as-is in Elden Ring's DLC, and could stand to undergo a little tweaking in future patches.