Summary
The Shadow Realm in theElden Ring:Shadow of the Erdtreeexpansion is precisely what most fans were likely hoping for from the game’s one and only expansion, a massive and intricately designed open-world RPG sandbox brimming with secrets and new locations. Fittingly,Shadow of the Erdtree’s map also houses some of the best environmental design that FromSoftware has ever produced, elevating the already impressive expanses and dilapidated spaces of The Lands Between to new heights. One of the more striking locations in the Shadow Realm, and one that players have no choice but to explore, is Castle Ensis.
Castle Ensis is an imposing structure in and of itself, and simply reaching the main gate requires defeating a giant after crossing a questionably tranquil bridge. But the most surprising thing about Castle Ensis is how it departs fromestablished FromSoftware traditionin terms of how the developer has typically designed its castle dungeons. Rather than guiding players through interior and exterior spaces to reach a final arena for a boss fight, Castle Ensis builds tension by forcing players to stick exclusively to its rooftops and ramparts before finally entering for a climactic showdown with Rellana.
Scaling Castle Ensis' Ramparts is a Far Cry From Other Elden Ring Castles
Like the first Legacy Dungeon before it, Belurat Tower Settlement, Castle Ensis forces players to pass through a gauntlet of combat challenges before they can even begin exploring the grounds. After crossing a bridge with an imposing Troll Knight awaiting the player at its terminus, there’s still a host of Messmer Soldiers and a Lesser Black Knight to contend with before even reaching the main gate of the castle. And, in a move that is counter to what mostcastles inElden Ringand other FromSoftware games entail, exploring Castle Ensis is almost strictly limited to its exterior grounds even after opening the main gate shortcut.
Rather than weave in and out of the castle proper like players do in the sprawlingVolcano Manor legacy dungeon, Castle Ensis features only a small handful of rooms that players enter only to continue scaling the castle’s exterior walls and ramparts as they head toward the throne room. It’s a perilous vertical climb that throws increasingly dangerous threats at the player as they reach its endpoint. Fittingly, the final parts of the castle players explore are the antechambers to the throne room where the boss fight with Rellana awaits, a challenging and adrenaline-pumping encounter befitting of a Legacy Dungeon (even though it doesn’t technically count as one).
Castle Ensis Acts As a Checkpoint Between Two Major Regions in Shadow of the Erdtree’s Map
Though it has many of the hallmarks of a Legacy Dungeon (large area to explore, multiple Sites of Grace, items to collect, and a challenging and necessary boss encounter at its conclusion), Castle Ensis isn’t actually one of Shadow of the Erdtree’s main locations. Instead, it acts as a checkpoint and skill block for players as they exit the DLC’s first region, the Gravesite Plain, and head north into the Scadu Atlus. Like the first fight against Genichiro inSekiro, thefight against Rellanais arguably Shadow of the Erdtree’s first “brick wall” that players will run up against.
ThoughShadow of the Erdtree only has two Legacy Dungeons, Castle Ensis is one of the handful of smaller, quasi-Legacy Dungeons that act as some of the highlights of the expansion. Along with locations like Midra’s Manse and the dread-inducing Stone Coffin Fissure, Castle Ensis and its surrounding area are a fitting proving ground for players to test their mettle before moving on to the increasingly more challenging components of the DLC. Accordingly, its design and tension-building set up of the boss fight within signal to players that something important is in store.
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.
