Environment spoilers ahead for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
The Land of Shadow is without a doubt one of the biggest selling points ofElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Much like The Lands between, it is filled with secrets to uncover, complex geography to grapple with, and new threats around every corner.Shadow of the Erdtree’s stellar environment design is exemplified by Dragon’s Pit, a minor dungeon on the east side of Gravesite Plains.
After spending some time exploringShadow of the Erdtree’s starting region, players may come across Dragon’s Pit, an unassuming cavern tunneled into the side of a small mountain. The cave is so unassuming, in fact, that it’s remarkably easy to miss, though an invading Ancient Dragon-Man helps draw attention to its entrance. Of course, this is nothing new for fans ofElden Ring’s base game, which is characterized by subtle landmarks and down-played locations hiding great mysteries. But Dragon’s Pit is special in this regard, doubling down onElden Ring’s singularly subversive open-world design philosophy.
How Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s Dragon’s Pit Subverts Expectations
Dragon’s Pit Is Hiding a Big Secret
Shadow of the Erdtree’s world design is impressive, but it’s likely that a lot of players are going into the DLC feeling a bit burned out on overworld dungeons. The base game contains over fifty of these minor dungeons, many of which feel strikingly similar to each other. So, when first entering Dragon’s Pit, it feels like just any other small, simple cave.
Dragon’s Pit isn’t too big, with just a handful of different rooms and corridors, populated by undead enemies. There’s an optional magma wyrm here as well, but this can be easily avoided. The ostensible end of the dungeon is where things start to get interesting, though. Players have to jump down a gaping hole in the floor, which is surprising, butElden Ring’s best cavesare characterized by these sorts of small twists, so it’s not a huge deal. This will lead players to the final boss of the dungeon, the true Ancient Dragon-Man. Upon defeating him, the predictable teleporter will appear, promising to take players back to the entrance of the cave, like usual. But next to it is a door, which guards the true purpose of Dragon’s Pit.
Dragon’s Pit Is a Fantastic Introduction to Shadow of the Erdtree’s Jagged Peak
When players walk through the door after defeating the Ancient Dragon-Man, they will emerge from the cave and onto the base of the Jagged Peak, where they will almost immediately be beset upon by a new boss,the Jagged Peak Drake. Facing this formidable opponent is surprising enough after what was presented as a bog-standard dungeon, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg, as this dragon is guarding a Dragon Communion Altar, which is the beginning of the Bayle questline—one of the most challenging and unique bits of side content in the DLC.
The fact that this major questline and region are tucked away behind a small, seemingly unimportant cave serves as a good reminder of whyElden Ring’s open-world design is so effective. Most other open-world games make such things painfully obvious in an effort to ensure that players don’t miss big pieces of content. ButElden Ringis able to keep its open-world surprisingand engaging by hiding significant, essential parts of itself behind unassuming or familiar landmarks.
Players can certainly miss Jagged Peak, as they may not take notice or interest in a cave as seemingly unimportant as Dragon’s Pit. ButElden Ring’s consistently strong and subversive open-world design makes this less likely, as most players know that around every corner could be a meaningful surprise.Dragon’s Pit and Jagged Peak contribute toShadow of the Erdtree’srewarding exploration, typifying its greatest strengths.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
WHERE TO PLAY
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
