Summary
Fans ofElden Ringgot one more taste of its world through the recentShadow of the Erdtreeexpansion, and it should last them until the next FromSoftware project is ready. Moreso than any Soulslike DLC to date,Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeis large enough to be an action RPG in its own right, and has broughtElden Ringinto its final form. Complete with even more of the characters, combat, equipment, and open environments that madeElden Ringfeel so special, Shadow of the Erdtree has ended the Tarnished’s adventures on a high note.
One particular point of interest inShadow of the Erdtreehas been seeing which ofElden Ring’s strengths and weaknesses were brought forward into its DLC. As FromSoftware itself has noted thatElden Ringrepresents the largest scale its design can be feasibly realized in,Shadow of the Erdtreewas used to test if parts ofElden Ring’s design would work in smaller projects for the future. SynthesizingElden Ring’s normally distinct open world and legacy dungeonswas likely the main experiment, but one other recurring piece of the base game was nearly absent in the DLC, andShadow of the Erdtreewas all the better for it.
Elden Ring’s Stonesword Keys Explained
Right from character creation,Elden Ringplayers are introduced to the concept of Stonesword Keys. These items are spent on imp statues scattered across the Lands Between, and will unlock various seals, Waygates, and elevators leading to secret areas and treasures.Stonesword Keys are found everywhere inElden Ring’s map, and, combined with their limited availability from merchants, thorough players should always have a spare several regions into the game. That’s a good thing, because places to use Stonesword Keys are found in nearly every region and legacy dungeon, several of which hide dungeons of their own.
Imbued Sword Keys Are More Interesting, But Also More Limited
Imbued Sword Keys can also be found in the bottom half ofElden Ring’s map, though there are only three in the base game. Corresponding to special Waygates found at the Four Belfries in Liurnia of the Lakes, the Imbued Keys offer short, restricted strips of either late-game locations or the prologue area, complete with a miniboss and some rewards in each. Besides the latter’s relevance to Nepheli Loux’s quest, the main purpose of these special keys seems to be giving previews in a manner reminiscent ofSuper Mario Odyssey’s painting portals. It’s a small,optional part ofElden Ring’s open world, but feels more “special” than the regular Stonesword Keys nonetheless.
Shadow of the Erdtree Clamped Down On Elden Ring’s Stone Keys
FromSoftware itself seems to have reached that conclusion in Shadow of the Erdtree, as there is a single Imbued Sword Key present in the early Castle Ensis, which works on an area-previewing Waygate found shortly after the dungeon’s exit. The DLC is devoid of further keys and imp statues, with players expected to solve environmental or navigational puzzles to reach areas off the beaten path.Foraging for Scadutree Fragments isSotE’s new focus, and coupling that with a map-wide key hunt would have tried players’ patience even more than the Stonesword Keys once did.
Stonesword Keys Would Have Held Shadow of the Erdtree Back
Unfortunately,Elden Ringthoroughly proved that there was nowhere else for its Stonesword Key system to go. Players always seemed to find new imp statues without enough keys, or with a massive stockpile of useless keys on hand. Imbued Sword Keys, their placement relative to their statues, and the special areas they lead to, are all worth keeping, but only because they serve a distinct purpose instead of being tollgates that require a unique currency. Whileleaving an entire mechanic fromElden Ringbehindsounds melancholic, dropping Stonesword Keys helpedShadow of the Erdtreeset a good example for future games.
