Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s Map Boasts a “Better Sense of Verticality” – Miyazaki

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is right around the corner, and in typical FromSoftware fashion, it’s shaping up to be a massive release. The expansion is set to be a sizeable addition to the acclaimed 2022 open world action RPG, with new weapons, summons, dungeons, bosses, and more, all set in a massive new map for players to explore.

That map, in fact, is not only set to be a significant addition to the game’s already huge world, according to director Hidetaka Miyazaki, it also brings a fresh experience to the table courtesy of a new design approach by FromSoftware.

Speaking in a recent interview with PC Gamer, Miyazaki explained that with Shadaow of the Erdtree’s map, the developer has attempted to blend the design style of legacy dungeons and Elden Ring’s more open-ended areas, in the process delivering open field areas with greater variety and more verticality in their design.

“What we tried to achieve this time is something that’s not quite open field and not quite legacy dungeon, but something that kind of blends the two together and creates that better sense of verticality,” he said. “While you do have the large open field area, we wanted to not just capture the sense of scale and granularity, but the sense of variety as well. We tried to add to the variety of how we space out and structure the open field and legacy dungeons.”

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launches for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on June 21. Head on over here for details on when exactly the game will go live in different regions across the world.