Shadow of the Erdtree

Will it win Game of the Year?

Shadow of the Erdtree is easily the best expansion ever made, offering far more gameplay than most standalone games, and adding so much to an already brilliant base game.

It has my vote for Game of the Year, but the people making the decision aren’t going to give the award to a DLC. They’ll likely go with Astro Bot, a fine game, and worthy winner, despite only being available on PS5.

I rarely play games twice, but I completed Elden Ring three times in a row earlier this year, achieving Platinum status on my final playthrough.

Elden Ring changed me. It feels like an epic fantasy novel brought to life, where an unlikely hero on a long, lonely journey must forge a path through a fragmented realm haunted by enigmatic characters with hidden agendas.

They don’t want to hand you the story.
You gotta piece it together.

— Brandon Sanderson

It awakened my dormant love of reading, and writing, and kept me up late pondering the complex connections between the characters, and their likely motivations.

I wonder what FromSoftware will do next. Many would like to see a Bloodborne sequel, but I want another Elden Ring game where we learn more about the Gloam-Eyed Queen and her links to both Melina and Ranni. What exactly happened on the Night of the Black Knives, and how do the Godskin Apostles fit into the story?

It doesn’t matter to me if Shadow of the Erdtree wins Game Of The Year or not, Elden Ring was a triumph, and FromSoftware has raised the bar.

What a time to be a gamer.