!!! Shadow of the Erdtree spoilery thoughts below !!!
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As I mentioned above, I had fun playing through the DLC but was left with mixed feelings. I liked a lot of the DLC characters and had fun fighting most of the bosses. The atmosphere in Fromsoft's games remains unparalleled. However, Shadow of the Erdtree feels rushed and incomplete. Additionally, I thought that the final fight and ending were disappointing. I disliked some of the narrative choices made, and, for the first time, I'm actually unhappy with the story of a Soulsborne game. (Yes, yes. I know. It's a little silly to be mad at the story of a Fromsoft game of all things, but still, I'm annoyed. )

What I Liked

Starting with the positives, I really liked some of the characters introduced in the DLC. Ansbach was a total bro, and Thiollier was very cute. I can't not like someone who describes himself as being 'weak as a kitten and thick as two planks'. Igon was such a pleasant surprise, and his VA was amazing. The Bayle boss fight was already a cool spectacle, but I feel like Igon stole the show with his yelling haha. I love the trope of a character being too angry to die. I also loved that we finally got to meet St. Trina, although I do think she was very, very underutilized. But look at her! She's so cute! My adorable flower daughter! I liked the reveals about Marika. I was always a Marika apologist, and the DLC has made me even more so. As for bosses, I loved Messmer. He's difficult, but fun and fair (imo). Definitely one of my favorite boss fights. I also loved his lore and his VA. I have a soft spot for characters that seem to be genuinely kind but commit atrocities because it's their duty. It's so tragic to think about the life they might have lived if circumstances were different. I also liked the Midra fight and how eerie his theme was. The lighting and visuals of his arena were well done, especially during his final phase. Fromsoft did a great job in encapsulating how frightening and alien the Frenzied Flame is with Midra's fight. I feel like visually, the DLC was stunning. Fromsoft's art direction is top tier. Upon entering a new area, I often would stop just to look around and absorb the sights.

I've seen plenty of people complain about the DLC's difficulty. Personally, I didn't bother with the skibidi tree fragments. So, I can't really comment since I purposefully made my experience more difficult. Yes, I got one-shot many times. Yes, I still had a good time. I think, in theory, the Scadutree Fragments are a nice idea. They essentially let you choose your difficulty based on how many you collect. However, I think they were clumsily executed, and there were too many of them. 50 is way too much to collect. Maybe 20 tops.

What I Disliked

Now for the negatives.

As I said, Shadow of the Erdtree feels rushed and incomplete. Most of the DLC map is basically empty. Sure, there are enemies littered about to fight, but you aren't really rewarded for exploration. There were soooooo many nooks and crannies that seemed like they would have a cool secret or item but ended up being empty. This is an issue I have with a lot of open-world games, where they have a whole lot of nothing. Additionally, parts of the DLC felt oddly disconnected. For instance, you have Messmer, Miquella, Romina, and Metyr. Messmer didn't even mention meeting Miquella and Romina just existed. As for Metyr, you'd think that the Mother of Fingers would be more connected to the rest of the plot, considering how important the Two Fingers and the Greater Will are, but no. I think the disjointed feeling also arises from the fact that most bosses are missing cutscenes. We don't need a cutscene for every boss, but why didn't Rellana have one, or Romina? Why didn't Metyr, who is one of the most important bosses lore-wise, have a cutscene? A lot of these bosses felt like they were just kinda there. It was as if Fromsoft ran out of time and wasn't able to coherently tie them to the rest of the DLC in a way that felt satisfying. Elden Ring in general has an issue with scope. It has so much stuff, to the point that replaying it is kind of tedious. But because it has such a wide scope, I feel like the detail is lacking in some areas. “A mile wide but an inch deep,” so to speak. Combining this with Fromsoft cutting content during development (that would have arguably fleshed things out), and you're left with an uneven experience.

I'm really curious how the development of Shadow of the Erdtree went. They had two years to make this DLC, and yet it came out feeling half-baked. It makes me think that they had issues and had to cut content/chop up ideas to form something passable. For instance, the announcement trailer appears to have cut content in it. I know that Fromsoft trailers often show things that aren't in the game, but I wouldn't be surprised if this scene with Miquella was from a scrapped concept. In it, he appears to be tearing down the veil in the Land of Shadow, with the Scadutree being healed(?). Or at the very least, it's no longer leaking sap. If I recall correctly, in the base game it was discovered that there might have been an ending where the Tarnished would assist Miquella and become his Elden Lord. There is datamined text that supports this. Maybe this scene with Miquella may have been from an alternate ending, where you didn't have to kill him? Or maybe Miyazaki was just trolling and put that in to build hype, idk.

This is a minor complaint, but I wish we got more lore. I want to know more about the Scadutree, the Land of Shadow, and the Gate of Divinity. I also feel like Melina was shafted. We get confirmation that she's a demigod and Messmer's sister, but that's it.

Moving on to my primary complaint of the DLC: the ending. I found the final fight and ultimate ending of the DLC to be disappointing. Radahn/Miquella was like a Twin Princes redux, but super fucking annoying. I felt like I was having a stroke while fighting them because of Radahn's weird blink attacks. Radahn is already such a non-character compared to the other demigods, but why doesn't he at least have some dialogue?? They brought him back only for him to say nothing! If you're going to randomly resurrect Radahn so that we can fight him in his prime, at least give him some character! Also, I wished Radahn looked a little more fucked up. I mean, come on. Miquella sculpting his body from Mohg's corpse is pretty gross, so make him look horrific! I would say that Radahn coming back feels like Reddit-tier fan service, but even Redditors are mixed about him being the final boss. So, what was the point? It was like Fromsoft saw how many people were soyfacing over Radahn after the release of Elden Ring, and so they stuck him into the DLC. There was nothing that connected him to Miquella in the base game. It felt like Fromsoft just pulled this out of their ass for pure fan service. I've seen people make the argument that the cinematic where Malenia fights Radahn proves that they had planned this, but I call bullshit. “B-but you can see that Malenia whispers something into his ear!!” So? That means nothing. Malenia could have easily been telling him that he sucked before she nuked him with Scarlet Aeonia. Artists put mystery boxes they don't have an answer for into things all the time. They could have done it because it looks cool or for pacing reasons. Drawing out the fight builds tension that culminates in Malenia's final attack. It does not make sense, narratively speaking, and stinks of retcon. If they had indeed planned it, why didn't they include anything that foreshadowed Miquella's vow with Radahn in the base game? There is plenty of lore about Miquella in Elden Ring, and none of it has to do with Radahn. I think it's more likely that they retroactively made the interaction mean what it does, instead of planning it from the start.

I've seen many people say that it should have been Godwyn instead. I don't really agree with this. I feel like his storyline is mostly complete, and I don't understand the fan fixation on Godwyn. However, I would have preferred Godwyn over Radahn, since at least in the base game, Miquella has a connection to Godwyn with the Golden Epitaph sword and him trying to resurrect Godwyn via the eclipse ritual.

I complained earlier about bosses not having cutscenes, but I also have a complaint about Miquella's cutscenes. They were so lame and repetitive. All he did was constantly reiterate that Radahn was his promised consort. That's it. Yaaaawn.

Writing Rant

Narratively speaking, I don't have an issue with Miquella being an antagonist. Admittedly, I would have preferred if he was actually 'good', but I'm not surprised that he isn't, considering that the base game lore establishes that he is able to charm others. I just find the twist of Miquella's character to be kind of boring. People call it subversive, but it really isn't in the context of him being a character from a Fromsoft Soulsborne game. Miquella secretly being 'bad' is to be expected, given the grimdark setting. If anything, Miquella genuinely being good would have been subversive. What I do take issue with is that I feel like they did a disservice to his character. I think the DLC flattened Miquella's character (as well as Malenia and Mohg), because Miquella is presented as being a master schemer. Miquella enacting a ridiculously convoluted plan that accounted for everything is not only silly, but I feel like it lessens the impact the Shattering War had on him as a character. It also dilutes the emotional underpinning of his narrative with his curse, Malenia, Godwyn, and him creating the Haligtree as a sanctuary for both the graceful and the maligned.

Miquella playing 5D chess is just dumb. So, you're telling me that Miquella was there during the battle between Malenia and Radahn (or at least shortly after, because he healed Freyja while Malenia was presumably being lugged back to the Haligtree), he charmed Mohg and had Mohg abduct him from the tree, he knew that Radahn would be killed at the festival, and that Mohg would somehow also be killed, so he had someone on standby to yoink Mohg's corpse? Girl, what? That doesn't make any sense. His plan relies on so many outside factors working perfectly in his favor. Also, he addresses the player as 'champion of the festival'. Why or how would he know that? It's bad writing!

Why did Malenia and Radahn even have to fight if Miquella made a vow with Radahn? Why did they have to go to war with each other? It seems so pointlessly destructive, especially considering Malenia essentially nuked part of the map with Scarlet Rot. Why did Radahn fight so hard? Why did Malenia bloom to kill him if she rejected the Rot? If they didn't have a deal and Miquella was forcing the vow onto Radahn, the plan still doesn't make any sense. How was Miquella certain that someone would (fully) kill Radahn later? Did he predict the existence of the festival? Who would have killed Mohg? Why didn't Miquella simply charm Mohg into committing seppuku after he was abducted? Why leave Mohg's death up to chance if his body was needed to resurrect Radahn? And why Mohg specifically? Was his body just on hand? Could Miquella have used someone else for his weird necromancy? What was the point of the whole Mohg thing, anyway? Why was Mohg necessary for him to reach the Land of Shadow? Was Malenia supposed to kill Mohg? If Miquella healed Freyja, then he presumably would be aware that his sister was barely alive and in no fighting condition. So why did he let himself get abducted? Malenia clearly didn't know about his plan because she just sat around for an indefinite amount of time, waiting for him. She already knew of the vow, so why didn't he tell her? It just makes it seem like he didn't expect Mohg to steal him (like the base game implies), but according to the DLC, he actually did. Like, what??? It just doesn't make any sense. You cannot convince me they planned this from the start. The events presented in the base game don't make sense in the context of the DLC. In order to make it even somewhat work, you have to close your eyes to obvious plot holes and ignore how awkwardly everything fits together. It just feels so ham-fisted.

Going back to how there once was a planned ending with Miquella, I wished we had the option to become Miquella's Elden Lord after killing Radahn. I'm aware that Fromsoft doesn't do alternate endings with their DLCs, but this feels like a missed opportunity. Miquella and Ranni are foils to each other, and I feel like an ending with Miquella would further reflect this and showcase their contrasting ideals. I know that Miquella is supposed to mirror Marika, and we're supposed to 'punish' him for falling into the corruption of godhood (or whatever), but it just seems like a waste from a narrative standpoint. It's also odd that his remembrance is called “The Remembrance of a God and Lord," but when you read the description, it only describes it as being Radahn's remembrance. This just further cements my theory that they had planned an ending with Miquella at some point. (No, I will NOT be taking off my tinfoil hat, thank you very much! )

Miquella Autism

I talked about Miquella being 'bad' as opposed to 'good' earlier, but I use those terms in a general sense. I don't actually think he's a bad person. Like most characters, he's morally gray. There are very few characters in Elden Ring that are genuinely bad or genuinely good. The Dung Eater is an example of someone who is reprehensibly bad, and as for good... uhhh... maybe Boc? He's a nice lad. Rya is also a sweetheart. Anyway, going back to Miquella, I don't think he's necessarily a bad person because he's the antagonist. Although I didn't like the twist of him being a giga master schemer, I think it could have been interesting IF it was done well.

Miquella wants to change the world in order to make it a gentler place. He has seen firsthand the inequality under his mother's Golden Order. He probably empathizes with those that are maligned by the order because he too is cursed, despite being a demigod and an Empyrean. His beloved little sister also suffers from a curse. But in order to change the world, he has to face so many obstacles. He has to turn his back on the Golden Order and his family. His body has failed him, leaving him permanently as a weak, half-formed thing whose only defense is his sister and his ability to charm others. His attempts to revive his older brother failed, and whatever he had planned with the Haligtree was also a failure because he couldn't cure Malenia's curse. And so, in order to change the world, Miquella himself would have to change. He would have to ascend to godhood, like his mother had, while figuring out a way to bypass the influence of the Outer Gods, similar to Ranni*. It's a really interesting idea, just poorly executed.
*Sidenote, but I thought the reason why Ranni killed Godwyn and disposed of her body was to prevent herself from falling under the influence of the Greater Will. But according to the DLC, the Greater Will abandoned the Lands Between ages ago, so now I'm a little confused. I guess she didn't know about that? But also then, what was the point?

A major issue is that we never really got to know about Miquella's plan. We're just supposed to stop him because he manipulated some NPCs and abandoned his humanity. According to Trina, godhood would be a prison for him. But it's clearly something Miquella thinks is worth the sacrifice. If he can better the world and cure Malenia at the cost of his body, his fate, his lineage, and his love, then it's worth it. So what were his plans for the world? Any info we get about his plans is from the Light of Miquella Incantation. For reference, here's the description:

The strength of Miquella upon his deific return, wielded as an incantation.
Annihilates foes with a pillar of light.
Miquella sought to accept all that was and would be, but found one that refused to be embraced.
No wonder, as one god, and one king consort, is all the world needs.

It's pretty vague, but if you squint, you can see that it's implied that Miquella plans on charming everyone. From previous lore of the Haligtree and his Unalloyed Gold, he also presumably envisions a world where everyone would be accepted and where the Outer Gods would have no influence. But everything I've said is just conjecture. We never hear from Miquella himself what he wanted for the world.

Going back to Miquella being a foil for Ranni, I think that the questions presented by both of their characters are really interesting. Assume that Miquella did plan on charming everyone. I don't think that this makes him a morally bad character. Like I said, I think he's morally gray. The world he envisions is a world free of suffering, where everyone is accepted and can live in peace. Such a world is, unfortunately, unrealistic. People have biases and prejudices. Under the Golden Order, those not blessed by grace and those who are 'maligned' (such as the Albinaurics, the Misbegotten, and the Omen), are spurned. A new order wouldn't change these prejudices overnight. And just the nature of human desire leads to suffering. In order to make sure everyone is happy, Miquella needs to hold the hearts of everyone. Would you give up your independence if it meant that you and your loved ones would be saved? Would you pledge yourself to a god who would free you from all suffering, in exchange for your unconditional love and loyalty? Would you do it, especially when considering that being charmed by Miquella is painless and while charmed, you don't seem to be concerned or aware of it?

What Miquella asks and represents is like the opposite of Ranni. They both do terrible things for their own gain, but Ranni promises autonomy. She desires a world free from the Golden Order, where her order won't influence the Lands Between. Everyone will have the opportunity to decide for themselves how they want to live. Is your autonomy worth it if it means that you and your loved ones will suffer? Remember, the Lands Between seems like an awful, violent place to live. Ranni's order promises freedom but provides no security.

But all of this doesn't really matter because, in the end, we are forced to kill Miquella without being given an alternative choice. The status quo remains, and there is no impact on the world of Elden Ring. Again, I know that Fromsoft doesn't do alternate endings with their DLC. But ahhhhhhh. It just feels so dissatisfying from a narrative standpoint. Presenting all of these questions but not going all the way and committing to the story is cowardice.

Sighhhhhhhh.........

Miquella's character just feels like a waste. Fromsoft has essentially been writing about the same themes/tropes centered around cycles of abuse and authority for over a decade now. Their narrative choices are getting very repetitive at this point. I think that's partially why I got so annoyed. I wanted something new, not a retread of themes explored in previous games. I heard that Miyazaki may be stepping down from directing future Soulsborne games. While I think it's sad to say goodbye, I wouldn't mind trying a game that isn't directed by Miyazaki (and that isn't Dark Souls II). He definitely has his personal preferences in terms of the themes he likes to explore and tropes he likes to use, but at this point, it's getting stale.

Lol Why Do You Care?

I've seen people criticize others for caring about the story. Admittedly, caring about the story in a Fromsoft game, which are infamous for being vague messes, may seem silly. But I also think it's silly to make fun of others for caring about something you don't. The story is clearly a weakness in Elden Ring, and someone wanting something more doesn't mean that they're a normie tourist trying to ruin Fromsoft's vision. I like Fromsoft, but there's no need to be a bootlicker. It would be one thing if Fromsoft was just phoning in the story, but they clearly were trying something different with Elden Ring. Yes, the story is still pretty vague, but Fromsoft tried to tell more complex storylines.

The general structure is some NPC saying vague shit before randomly dying later, allowing you to loot them. But in Elden Ring, some questlines deviate from this format. The quest with Leda and the companions in Shadow of the Erdtree is a prime example. In it, we also get the first instance of NPCs having conversations with each other during gameplay. Additionally, the characters in Elden Ring are more developed than in previous games. There's more explicit characterization that gives us insight into their personalities and motives. (Admittedly, this might partially be due to GRRM's influence. From what I understand, he wrote the original draft for the demigods and why they went to war during the Shattering. Fromsoft took his writing and modified it while constructing the setting.) For instance, even though Miquella didn't appear in the base game, you really get a sense of the emotional torment he must have felt because he couldn't save Malenia or put Godwyn to rest. Morgott is also really well done and is a fan favorite for a reason. But there are also characters who lack this development, like Radahn.

Fromsoft made an effort to do something different. It's just that they weren't really successful. They took a lot of steps forward, but for every character with depth, there's another that gets shafted or is written like a Dark Souls character (more vague, less explicit characterization), and I feel like this undermines the narrative. Their general questline structure also really limits what they can do. I've seen a lot of people say they're tired of getting invested in characters, only for them to croak randomly later. I hope they try to tell a character-driven story like Elden Ring again, but I also hope they limit their scope and focus on quality, not quantity, in terms of writing.

Conclusion

Anyway, that's my review of Shadow of the Erdtree. I didn't intend for it to be so long (almost 4,000 words). I also didn't intend on it veering into a character essay about Miquella, whoops! I just really liked his character, and I feel like the DLC messed things up for no reason other than fan service. While I enjoyed playing Shadow of the Erdtree, it's definitely a flawed experience. I think I'd give it like... a 7/10? (I gave Elden Ring a 9/10 when it was released.)

TLDR:

• Good gameplay
• Most fights were fun- standouts for me: Midra and Messmer
• Music was pretty good, my favs are:
• Divine Beast Dancing Lion
• The Saint of the Bud (particularly, the trailer part @ 1:10)
• The Lord of Frenzied Flame
• Messmer, The Impaler
• St. Trina
• Visually stunning, very atmospheric
• Some interesting side characters
• Map was empty—unrewarding exploration
• Felt unpolished/incomplete
• Lacking in lore/attention to detail
• Dumb final fight & ending