Shadow of the Erdtree features an astonishing collection of points of interest, dungeons, and hidden secrets scattered throughout the Lands Between. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the Shadow Keep, a large and expansive area with plenty of twists and turns, in our comprehensive walkthrough that will ensure you don’t fall prey to the traps and confusing paths within.

Shadow Keep can be found directly north of Castle Ensis. To reach this spooky castle, you'll need to defeat Twin Moon Blade Rellana (one of the most unfair bosses I've ever fought). There's a small military camp stationed outside of Shadow Keep, so grab Torrent and hop up to the front door and step inside.

For starters, giant swords and slow weapons work well in this boss fight, so don’t be afraid to bring out your favorite Greatsword to ease the pain. I chose the Twin Moon Blades for its high damage and excellent special ability (a giant fire tornado). As is my strategy for most bosses in this expansion, I decided to use the Greatshield Soldier +10 summons to aggro the boss and give him an easier time.

For the first 40% of the fight, the Hippo will be slashing, biting, and generally pestering you by rolling and delivering an attack to your camera. Once you’ve taken some of the Hippo’s health, it will transform into a Hippopine, and you’ll need to deal with its usual biting and slashing with an added dose of stinginess. All joking aside, the Hippo now has access to golden spikes that enhance its basic moves with a bit of extra oomph. Unfortunately, these new abilities do little to change how you approach this fight, so stick to your strategy and the big bad Hippo should be down in no time.