Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is so punishing, it may have resolved the age-old dispute about Mimic Tear usage.
Elden Ring’sShadow of the Erdtree DLCis finally in hand after what felt like an eternity of waiting. It’s an immaculate expansion to what was already a stellar game and we couldn’t give it anything less thana perfect score.
Of course, being a FromSoftware expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree is insanely difficult but to a degree that hasshocked some of the playerbase. The level of challenge is so significant thatthe DLC has dropped to a ‘mixed’ rating on Steamandmajor streamers like Asmongold have given up on completing it.
Despite the difficulty putting a dampener on things, we may have gotten some good out of it. Shadow of the Erdtree’s soul-crushing grind has softened some players towards the use of Spirit Summons. Yes, eventhe Mimic Tear.
If you’ve been around the Elden Ring block, you’ll know about the Spirit Summon discourse. There are a few in the game’s community who think using them cheapens the experience and that using them to overcome a boss isn’t a ‘real’ victory.
The Mimic Tear gets its fair share of heat because it summons a fairly competent AI version of your character complete with Talisman buffs. Not anymore though. Many players on the Elden Ring Subreddit who have faced the suped-up enemies and bosses of Shadow of the Erdtree are giving summons a pass.
“Maybe you want an easier fight. Maybe you want to progress faster. Maybe you find spirit summons fun,” one Tarnishedoffered. “Nobody cares, play the game however you want!”
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“They definitely make things easier, which is a great mechanic for people who don’t want to be stuck trying a boss over and over again for too long,” another playerexplained. “If I ever come across a boss who I just hate, I’m glad to know my second Me is there to speed things up.”
Hopefully, this puts the Spirit Summoning debates around Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree to bed. It’s certainly a more welcoming attitude than was present around the base game’s launch.
Ethan Dean is a Games Writer on Dexerto’s Australia team. He is a journalism graduate and specializes in Baldur’s Gate, Diablo, Elden Ring, Pokemon, Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, third-person games, and regularly plays newly release games. You can contact Ethan at: ethan.dean@dexerto.com
