Shadow of the Erdtree will introduce around one hundred new weapons for players to discover. From the start, I chose a Greatsword-sized katana, which caused fire damage when it made contact, and a battle shield featuring large metal spikes on the edge, turning this protective item into an offensive tool.
Players can also discover eight brand-new weapon types. The details on many of these types were being kept under wraps for now, but I was given access to one: Martial Arts.
This new category allowed me to go into combat bare-handed, swinging heavy punches and slamming kicks into my opponents. Just like other weapon types, Martial Arts can be assigned a Skill to suit your playstyle, and mine saw me taking a leaf from some of the bosses’ books by leaping through the air and landing a flurry of kicks on my enemies.
Fighting barehanded might seem like madness in this kind of world, but I found it remarkably effective. The blunt impact of the blows made it easier to break enemies’ stance, leaving them open to a quick and deadly finisher. Martial Arts was a joy to use, and if the other new categories are even half as fun to play with, Tarnished are in for a treat with the new weapon types.