Over the next few months, Elden Ring fans could start hearing more details about the game's upcoming DLC. Shadow of the Erdtree is expected to mirror the major expansions of past FromSoftware titles such as Artorias of the Abyss and The Old Hunters, providing hours of new content to sift through. Considering how long this particular DLC has been in development and Elden Ring's open world format, fans are expecting a large addition to the already huge game.

With FromSoftware having already earned trust in its combat and level design, speculation has turned toward the DLC's release date and what will be in it. Many suspect it will come after Armored Core 6, and its one teaser image has implied that the outstanding demigod Miquella will finally come into play. Regardless of what Shadow of the Erdtree's contents are, it would be good for FromSoftware to look at what worked the best in Elden Ring and build on that. There are different opinions as to what that means for enemies and equipment, but in terms of areas, there's a clear winner.

Leyndell, Royal Capital Is Elden Ring's Best Dungeon

Heavily defended and complex, Legacy Dungeons represent the pinnacle of Elden Ring's action and exploration. Different players have their favorites, but in terms of the best representation of the Legacy Dungeon format, none can match Leyndell, Royal Capital. Laying at the foot of the Erdtree, this massive city marks the end of Elden Ring's second act. Just entering it is a struggle, as Margit, the Fell Omen appears once again, and the main entrances are blocked by Draconic Tree Sentinels. However, all roads lead to Leyndell, and there's actually several ways into the city that involve completing major side quests.

Once the player has successfully entered the Capital and is done gawking at its enormity, they will quickly find themselves lost among its streets. While not every building can be entered, this is the closest FromSoftware has ever come to implementing a full city into gameplay. From the rooftops, to the surrounding Erdtree roots and dragon corpse, to the sewers that eventually lead to the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, Leyndell feels as big as it looks. Players are motivated to explore shortcuts and side paths as well, considering that the enemy count is high, varied, and peppered with older bosses. Eventually finding Godfrey's golden phantom and being funneled toward the fight with Morgott at the Elden Throne almost feels like a relief.

Shadow of the Erdtree Should Carry On What Made Leyndell Special

Even if most of the sewers and surrounding fields are classified as separate areas, Leyndell still may be the largest and most complex area FromSoftware has ever made. This is in part due to its authentic feel as a city, but mostly involves designing around Elden Ring's movement. Simply being able to jump, even without Torrent's help or the grappling points of Sekiro, allows the level design to become more vertical and open. While the Haligtree may be the most vertical Legacy Dungeon, Leyndell organically combines its vertical and horizontal elements into something that players can wander through for hours on end.

This is the sort of experience that Shadow of the Erdtree should recreate. Whatever its centerpiece Legacy Dungeon is, it should lean into the amount of detail a real-world location would have and let the player explore it freely. Moving in any direction from the central point would take players to a new part of the dungeon, much like it does in Leyndell's own streets. Combined with balconies that emphasize the sheer scale of its locale, Shadow of the Erdtree could add another outstanding region to Elden Ring if it sticks to Leyndell's principles.

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