Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree review: yeah, it’s basically a sequel

… but I’m glad it’s finally over

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

• Developer: FromSoftware
• Publisher: FromSoftware, Bandai Namco
• Release: June 22nd 2024
• On: Windows
• From: Steam
• Price: £35/€40/$40
• Reviewed on: Intel Core i7-12700F, 16GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 3080, Windows 11

I’d been in Paris to see open world action-RPG Shadow Of The Erdtree early and when I got back, Edwin messaged me. He asked whether I thought it was big enough to consider the DLC a pseudo-sequel, and at the time I said something along the lines of, “It’s hefty, but I think that’s probably pushing it”.

I was wrong. The Land Of Shadow may not be as expansive as the base game’s Lands Between, but it’s knottier, denser, more of a twisting mass that burrows into the earth and soars into the skies. For this reason I think it produces some of Elden Ring ’s finest moments, as exploration leads to a truer sense of discovery reminiscent of old Souls. But I also think its sheer density exposes more chinks in its open world format, where its interconnected sprawl leads to even greater recollection paralysis.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Shadow Of The Erdtree isn’t for newcomers, as you can’t enter the DLC without having tackled much of the base game and beaten two of its trickiest encounters: Radahn and Mohg . Once you’ve downed Mohg, touching a nearby withered arm will whisk you to the Lands Of Shadow and all of its new ‘delights’. Erdtree is an endgame addition, so I don’t see any problem with FromSoft forcing its players to reach a certain aptitude before diving in.

Erdtree, you see, is nails . The map may look titchy in comparison to the Lands Between, but it’s home to more fuckery per capita. Where base game dungeons might’ve popped you back to their entrance, or Caelid branched naturally off Limgrave, the average Elden Ring-enjoyer likely won’t find the majority of Erdtree’s most interesting zones without consulting help. The DLC is perhaps the greatest test of my sense of direction ever - moreso than playing passenger princess/navigator on a two week road trip through Albania - as the routes aren’t anywhere near as signposted as the base game’s sites of Grace and their windswept arrows. Honestly, there will be no greater task in this life than trying to describe to someone down the pub where the Hinterland is from start to finish.

You can return to the base game’s Lands Between by opening up your map, switching to it, then fast travelling to a site of Grace. Easy. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

What this density means is that exploration demands from you even greater patience and memory recall than before. The glintiest loot is located in or on structures that’ll make you go “how the fu-” so often, you know FromSoft’s designers placed them there with a cackle. Dungeons are more spiral-y now, many home to levels above and below ground that’ll have you going up elevators or opening doors or climbing ladders and going, “where the fu-”. Some will find unravelling this intertwined architecture an even greater joy than the Land Between’s offerings, but I think some could find it frustrating, or at worst - paralysing. Did you get thrubbed by a boss? Looking to level up elsewhere for a bit? Yeah, clearing some of those fogs of war is an ordeal , to the point where you may never quite figure out how to get to certain spots. Heck, I know I’ve got a place or two unticked that I simply don’t have the energy to revisit.

What’s nice, though, is that in-between many of these dungeons is a bit of a space to breathe in the delightful rotten air on Torrent-back, whether that’s clopping past mummified fly people as you descend towards the pit of a waterfall, or cruising past a skeletal dragon battling numerous knights like you’re passing through Downtown LA on a Monday morning. Riding around on horseback doesn’t feel like it does in the base game, where sometimes it’s as if you’re ping-ponging around a tectonic plate-sized petri dish of ghouls. Instead, Erdtree’s open areas feel a bit more considered, with trimmer paths, closer points of interest, and platforming puzzles that get your steed’s hooves involved just as much as your own legs.

One boss fight brought back memories of the ‘beloved’ Dark Souls 2 gank squad. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

And for all of Erdtree’s knottiness, it’s home to some of my favourite spaces in the game. I’m fond of how places swing from disturbing and grotty, to crumbling ancient civilisations that leak sand from the sky like magnificent hourglasses. Paralysing they might be at times, but there is without a doubt a greater sense of discovery to be had if you’re diligent, too. Drop down a ledge and what you think will be a quick loot grab can turn into a multi-part descent into some catacombs, out the other side, and into a cold woodland where Torrent can’t be summoned because he’s legitimately “too frightened” (while I respect the other stealth gimmick I won’t spoil in this area, it is slightly piss). Perhaps the map’s greatest achievement, though, is how it’ll bolster a sense of community in folks coming together to decipher its nuances and help people reach certain spots.

While the Lands Between certainly had its magic moments, it was a bit guilty of recycling the same enemy types and bosses. But no, Erdtree’s carbon footprint is high and is all the better for it. Half-naked feral guys who stroll around forests flexing their claws (someone tell your dad dinner’s ready). Curled Hornsent warriors who carve you up using the forbidden Beyblade technique. Bloated trolls who take after Mohg, with their big bellies bursting with blood. And the surprises are great (awful), too, when remixes of familiar foes rear their heads: the gargoyles in the catacombs have developed explosive tastes and the crucible knights a frightening affinity for nature.

The bosses! The bosses are cruel, cruel beasts. The savage lion dancer I fought in the preview being just one of the DLC’s earliest examples. All of them are of an endgame variety, meaning they’re all tuned to make your dodge reflexes twitch a little too early, with staggered attacks that’ll somehow lead into more attacks. Lots of bosses love a big swing, a crash into the earth, then a delayed area-of-effect rupture that’ll send you sailing into the air. I wouldn’t say any had me think all too differently about how I’d fight them, besides learning their attack patterns better or beefing myself up statwise. That’s probably a good thing, though, as none of them are reliant on dumb gimmicks.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

A minor gripe lies in the final boss of the main story path, who I won’t spoil here of course. Loads of the story bosses in general have elaborate cutscenes or moments of pure cinema, where you wander into a hall and an NPC’s stood there, their voice echoing across a large chamber and making you think “…wait, no”. It’s just, that final boss fight didn’t feel all that final to me? Yes, they were outrageously difficult but I was surprised to learn that they were indeed the final fight having consulted our Treehouse guides team.

While these enemies and bosses feel difficult, I’d say everything seems fair and balanced as someone who rocked up in NG+1 with a shoddy Big Lad With Big Sword build. That’s with help from Erdtree’s bespoke levelling system, where Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes you collect can be redeemed at Graces for buffs to your stats and your summonable pals respectively. A level does make a noticeable difference to your power and I like how it’s fairly simple: more fragments more gooder. Much like FromSoft and Elden Ring character stat pages, though, don’t expect the true extent of those stat boosts to ever be understandable unless you watch some graph sicko break it down over the course of 27 minutes on YouTube. They are numbers, they go up if you so choose.

As for powering up with iron, there are plenty of interesting weapons that have entered Elden Ring’s arsenal, many of which sate folks like me who want to swing a giant slab of something. There’s this one greatsword that coats enemies in dark licks of flame that I adore, as well as an enormous hammer that lets you twirl it like you’re Qui-Gon Jinn, before you unleash its full force once it’s slipped back into your waiting hands. Greater, wackier variety is on offer, too, if you’re someone who actually plays with finesse. Bear claws let you rage with mad swipes, handwraps let you go full flying monk, while the Rakshasa Blade performs an interesting sweeping motion like you’re sickling grass, but instead of grass, it’s likely some goblin’s kneecaps.

There’s too much to talk about in this review, but just know that there’s plenty of armour sets. Plenty of new charms and crafting recipes and whatever else. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Depending on how you take to FromSoft’s veiled storytelling, you’ll either relish the tale of the Erdtree and its golden goblin kneecaps, or you’ll just go along with whatever the NPCs bang on about and assume it’s about golden goblin kneecaps (it isn’t). Again then, Erdtree doesn’t exactly make things any easier for the average story-enjoyer as it’s very easy to 1) not understand what anyone is saying and 2) miss important conversations with people who’ve tucked themselves into corners, then subsequently miss out on quests. Same old, same old: I’ll just watch a video.

Whether you do or don’t care about the story, it’s an undeniable fact that Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree is a brilliant expansion. It swung around at just the right time for me personally, as someone who reached the Elden Ring exhaustion point thanks to its vastness. Erdtree is closer to Souls of old, with a more focused interlocking map and locales that seem more adventurous, bleaker, weirder. I do think its sheer density makes it frustrating at times, as seeking out optional areas to level up means seeking out routes you never would’ve fathomed. Then again, this is what most Souls fan will want! More! Tougher! Denser!

Me? I loved this expansion, I really did. But I’m happy Elden Ring is done and it’s a reminder that I’d like FromSoftware to move Souls in a different direction. An even trimmer direction, perhaps. I can recall Bloodborne and Dark Souls as neat packages of horror, but Elden Ring and Erdtree? I’m unsure whether they’ll stick with me quite the same.

This review is based on a review build of the game provided by the developer.

Find out how we conduct our reviews by reading our review policy .

Elden Ring

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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