There is an early power up in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree that basically turns the game into Sekiro, but the description is so vague I didn't realize how good it was until 40 hours later

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree gameplay showing off the stats and location of Rakshasa's Great Katana, the best Great Katana in the DLC.

Shadow of the Erdtree guides

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Erdtree map fragments: Uncover the Land of Shadow
Scadutree fragments: How to level up in Erdtree
Erdtree bosses: A full hit list for the DLC
Leda quest: Track the Erdtree main quest
Ansbach quest: Help the former servant of Mohg
Hornsent quest: Complete the quest for vengeance

I found the Deflecting Hard Tear super early in my Shadow of the Erdtree playthrough, went "well, that's neat," and promptly forgot about it for a good 40 hours or so. It turns out, though, that this confusingly-described Physick mix-in is an utter game-changer worth basing an entire build around. "Enhances spontaneous guard" basically means "Turn Elden Ring into Sekiro."