Shadow of the Erdtree’s Spookiest Area Also Happens to Be the Most Boring in All of Elden Ring

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree offers players an expansive new addition to the already huge game. However, not all of the new areas are made equal. The Abyssal Woods, a new horror-themed area, offers players a departure from what they may typically expect from the developer FromSoftware and, in doing so, confronts the biggest issue all horror games face.

Although there are plenty of daunting moments within The Abyssal Woods, there are not enough to create the atmosphere that FromSoftware might have been aiming for.

This Stopped Being Scary A Long Time Ago

The Abyssal Wood is the haunting preamble to Shadow of the Erdtree’s minor legacy dungeon, Midra’s Manse. The enormous maze-like forest brings with it a tonal departure from what we’ve come to expect of the series, focusing on delivering to players a horror-focused experience.

However, to make this experience work, several quality-of-life features are restricted to the player. Torrent, the player’s mount, cannot be used: too ‘frightened’ to make an appearance. The forest is meandering and easy to get lost in. The map offers no clear direction for progress, and there is very little to find within, outside of the dungeon at its end. 

And what’s all the worse are the new enemies: the Ageing Untouchable. 

“Gift your madness to our Lord. Bless our brethren with grapes. Take care that they fully ripen.” – Aged One’s Exultation

These enemies are a familiar sight for Soulsborne players, as a similar enemy makes its appearance within Bloodborne by the name of the Winter Lanterns and already led to players suffering in said title.

Are These the Worst Enemies in Elden Ring?

The Ageing Untouchable reinforces the horror elements of the Abyssal Woods, with notes on the ground warning all who enter of these horrifying creatures. The forest layout forces players into encounters with them, using bushes and the game’s hiding mechanic, to have players move unseen past the patrolling creatures. This leaves you terrified your first time seeing them, but players found it became frustrating quickly.

No matter how good your build is, and unless you know the trick, you’ll be caught out against the Ageless Untouchable. They are a stone wall through heavily bottlenecked areas, and unless you happen upon the very few out-of-the-way sites of grace, you’ll be forced to navigate past them every time you explore. Adding to the confusing layout, players are forced to progress on foot, and with a general lack of rewards for exploration, it is easy to see why players are left frustrated.

While players may enter the woods terrified of what lies around the corner, by the time they approach the end, all horror is replaced with frustration. A combination of restricted quality of life features and a lack of rewards, players may be forgiven for not finding Midra’s Manse alone.

Did you encounter the Ageing Untouchable during your playthrough? Did you find them as daunting as the Winter Lanterns in Bloodborne? Let us know in the comments what you think!