I. Visual representation

"Shadows of the Erdtree" undoubtedly takes a significant step forward in visual presentation, with distinctively defined regions, each boasting unique landscapes and biomes. The use of color is daring and forward-thinking, transitioning seamlessly from the golden radiance of the Gravesite Plain to the misty blue-purple hues of the Cerulean Coast. However, this high saturation color bombardment, such as the lightning storms in the Spiked Mountains and the fiery blasts of the Flame Giant, while impressive, can also lead to aesthetic fatigue. Prolonged exposure to such visuals not only strains the eyes but also tires the mind, with certain areas like the Finger Ruins of Dheo becoming mentally taxing.

II. Exploration Design

The DLC's levels are still structured hierarchically, categorized into three tiers: large, medium, and small. "Large" refers to the overall regions, such as the Gravesite Plains. "Medium" encompasses significant box-like architectures, like the shadow keep and the Ancient Ruins of Rauh（Yes, I categorize it as a "box"）. It's worth noting that, despite being in the same tier, these two medium-sized box offer vastly different designs and experiences, both of which innovate upon the base game's box-like levels. For now, we'll refrain from delving deeper into these comparisons. "Small" comprises smaller areas of interest, like ruins and towers, which require focused exploration within a limited space. Anything smaller than these is not part of our current discussion.

1.The rewards do not match the expectation.

The ruins have visibly expanded and appear to offer more potential for exploration, yet many paths that, if found in the base game of the Elden Ring, would certainly lead to something worthwhile to discover, turn out to be empty in the DLC. This has led many players who enjoy meticulous exploration to circle around these vast ruins in disbelief, only to find a single Smithing Stone ( 4 ) . It's undoubtedly bad news for those who take pleasure in exhaustive exploration, as the actual benefits of exploration have become negligible, rendering many exploratory actions meaningless.

2.The distribution density of Grace is uneven across different areas.

In the base game, the distribution of Grace was relatively even,with a consistent spacing between them. However, in the DLC, the density of Grace varies greatly across different regions. Some medium-sized box , like the Shadow Keep, have anastonishing two or three blessings within a very small area, while in other regions, players might ride for half the distance of Limgrave without encountering a single blessing.

Of course, the appearance of Grace is not distributed evenly based on a specific interval but rather determined by whether the area warrants multiple lives of exploration from players, essentially the level of exploration pressure. Therefore, I use the following criteria to judge whether a location should have Grace: the presence of box-like environments, ruins, catacombs, bosses, key NPCs, and whether it serves as a connection point between regions. The distribution of Grace in the DLC has made players who relied on its presence in the base game more acutely aware of this point, leading to some areas being surprisingly devoid of Grace, yet upon closer inspection, appearing reasonable and logical.