Summary

• The DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, offers a more compact, dense map compared to Elden Ring's sprawling world.
• The Land of Shadow is built on top of itself, creating a labyrinthine experience with hidden paths and unexpected areas.
• The DLC feels like a continuous dungeon with higher quality areas, resembling Dark Souls' Lordran on a larger scale.

After more than two years since the base game was released, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree arrives as a truly massive expansion, though it may come as a surprise that the DLC's map design is something of a departure from that of the Lands Between. Elden Ring was highly anticipated in part because it's FromSoftware's first full-fledged open world, contrasting with the often labyrinthine design of its previous RPGs. The Legacy Dungeons have a hint of Dark Souls' level design in them, but Shadow of the Erdtree's Land of Shadow feels like a true successor to the layered world of Lordran.

starts Shadow of the Erdtree by interacting with Miquella's cocoon at the back of Mohg's boss room in Mohgwyn Palace. The Tarnished emerges much like they did in the Lands Between, with practically the entirety of the Land of Shadow open to them.

Shadow Of The Erdtree Is Smaller, But More Compact Than Elden Ring

The Land Of Shadow Is Stacked On Top Of Itself

In of square footage, Shadow of the Erdtree's map appears significantly smaller than Elden Ring's, but the bird's-eye view allowed by the in-game map is deceiving. Shadow of the Erdtree's map size is roughly equivalent to two regions from the base game, like Limgrave (including the Weeping Peninsula) and Altus Plateau, for instance, stacked on top of one another. The scale can be conceptualized through the map's zoom functionality: the second image in the gallery above is a composite of two screenshots (images three and four) from the furthest possible zoom; it is impossible to see Elden Ring's full map all at once. Shadow of the Erdtree's map, in comparison, can be viewed in full (image one).

In the first image above, all Shadow of the Erdtree map fragments have been found, but the map is still missing numerous Sites of Grace, dungeons, and other points of interest not yet discovered.

Shadow Of The Erdtree's Map Is Denser Than Elden Ring's

Less Sprawl, More Verticality

It only takes a few minutes of exploring the Land of Shadow to realize it isn't quite as sprawling as the Lands Between. The first area, Gravesite Plain, is not as wide open as Limgrave, and has significantly fewer points of interest – there are not as many caves, catacombs, nor other minor dungeons. It is, however, buttressed by Belurat, Tower Settlement – Shadow of the Erdtree's first Legacy Dungeon – and Castle Ensis, a dungeon of significant size, not to mention the many paths available for continued exploration of the open field.

After a while, Shadow of the Erdtree begins to feel like one continuous dungeon, interrupted by frequent, more claustrophobic spaces. What the Land of Shadow lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality; the easiest comparison is the game's Imp-filled catacombs, which are lengthy, multi-level delves in Shadow of the Erdtree, rather than the brief jaunts they tend to be in Elden Ring's base game. Shadow of the Erdtree ultimately ends up feeling much like the original Dark Souls, but on a larger scale. Plenty of interesting places can be seen in the distance, or far above and below, but the way there is yet to be uncovered.

The Land of Shadow is labyrinthine on a grand scale, built on top of itself so well that choosing to explore a seemingly innocuous path can result in a winding, hours-long journey to unexpected places. Torrent shines as areas themselves feel like grand dungeons, letting the spectral steed gallop through massive stone corridors while the Tarnished chops down enemies. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's map is ultimately quite small compared to the base game's, but it is often more elaborate, and inherits the game's incredible sense of exploration.