Elden Ring: Shadows of the Erdtree - Review Thread
Game Information
Game Title: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Platforms:
- PC (Jun 21, 2024)
- PlayStation 5 (Jun 21, 2024)
- PlayStation 4 (Jun 21, 2024)
- Xbox One (Jun 21, 2024)
- Xbox Series X/S (Jun 21, 2024)
Trailer:
Developer: FromSoftware
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 92 average - 97% recommended - 34 reviews
Critic Reviews
COGconnected - COGconnected - 97 / 100
It’s a continuation of what made the Elden Ring fantastic in the first place. An epic adventure!
Cerealkillerz - Gabriel Bogdan - German - 9.3 / 10
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree exceeds all expectations and overshadows every other expansion out there. With around 20-30 hours of new challenging content and areas, designed for veteran players, is the label “expansion” a bit of an understatement. Considering the sheer amount of new elements, including some of the most spectular boss fights of the series, smaller shortcomings such as reused enemy types that could’ve used a bigger facelift, or that upgrades only give you a generic boost for two values, carry no weight in the full picture.
Checkpoint Gaming - Omi Koulas - 10 / 10
Shadow of the Erdtree not only expands upon Elden Ring’s lore and gameplay mechanics but also enriches the experience with its atmospheric storytelling and intricate world design. It beckons players to embrace the daunting journey through the Shadow Realm, promising a gripping adventure that resonates with the hallmark blend of challenge and discovery. What’s on offer is one of the best FromSoftware experiences to date, capturing everything that made Elden Ring special and more.
Destructoid - Chris Carter, Steven Mills - 9.5 / 10
I think that’s the biggest point here, is that even though my expectations were high, Shadow of the Erdtree still managed to exceed them. From Software probably could have just added more Elden Ring and that would have been solid enough, but instead, Shadow of the Erdtree is yet another innovative iteration of the genre.
Shadow of the Erdtree is a fitting tribute to Elden Ring and a stunning finale that manages to surprise and shock us all over again. Those who enjoyed the base game will find much more to get their teeth into. This signs off the Elden Ring chapter of FromSoftware’s journey so conclusively and impressively, that it invokes questions about how they will ever top it again.
Digital Trends - George Yang - 4.5 / 5
Shadow of the Erdtree is so packed with new content that it almost feels like a sequel to Elden Ring.
Eurogamer - Alexis Ong - 3 / 5
Much of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is more of the same gruelling beauty - but a shift to explict storytelling and signposting means its essence as a living, evolving shared text is lost.
GamingTrend - Henry Viola - 85 / 100
I’m both happy and sad that Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and last expansion for Elden Ring. On one hand, it’s a masterfully woven experience that expands on the contents of the base game, whereas on the other it leaves much more to be desired with its disappointing final boss. That being said, it’s still very much worth your time if you’re craving some more Elden Ring.
IGN - Mitchell Saltzman - 10 / 10
Like the base game did before it, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree raises the bar for single-player DLC expansions. It takes everything that made the base game such a landmark RPG, condenses it into a relatively compact 20-25 hour campaign, and provides fantastic new challenges for heavily invested fans to chew on.
An already near-perfect game gets a 30-hour expansion with this DLC. Adding a wealth of new stories within its mysterious world, ‘Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’ will also challenge you with its formidable difficulty. The newly added equipment further enhances the enjoyment of the base game.
Kakuchopurei - Jonathan Leo - 70 / 100
Elden Ring’s big expansion just adds more beautiful brutality and action RPGing carnage to its already-tough base. Shadow of the Erdtree is meant to test the mettle of the game’s hardcore audience and isn’t going to let up soon. This isn’t going to change your mind about From Software’s approach to its dungeon crawlers: it’s either “get good” or go home and it intends to keep the messaging that way with its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.
The expansion’s new offerings and updates, as well as epic boss fights, are still as grand and challenging as ever to the point that you may see optional boss Malenia (both versions) from the base game as a “walk in the park”.
FromSoftware’s highly anticipated DLC could be a standalone game, it’s just that good
Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 9 / 10
Exactly as engrossing and meticulously designed as you’d expect of FromSoftware but even by their standards this is an enthralling slice of DLC that underlines and enhances the achievements of the original.
PC Gamer - Tyler Colp - 95 / 100
A masterfully designed expansion to one of the best action RPGs of the last decade that not only complements the base game but expands its thematic and systemic scope even further.
PSX Brasil - Portuguese - 90 / 100
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is the biggest and most ambitious expansion ever developed by FromSoftware. However, it could have been flawless if it weren’t for the over-the-top recycling of enemies. Even so, the challenging boss fights and the great sense of exploration with the addition of new layouts on the maps make Shadow of the Erdtree an excellent conclusion to the Elden Ring journey.
Polygon - Michael McWhertor - Unscored
Even 40-plus hours in, I’m still figuring out how to tackle a particularly nasty dragon. And despite cursing all the bosses I’ve felled so far, as they’ve beaten me into submission dozens of times, I’m looking forward to going back and starting it all over at some point, ready to take on the challenge again.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Ed Thorn - Unscored
A knotty, dense expansion that’s home to some of the best moments in Elden Ring, but also some of its most frustrating.
SECTOR.sk - Oto Schultz - Slovak - 9.5 / 10
Expansion as complex as Shadow of the Erdtree has no real right to be labeled as a traditional DLC. Two-year long development cycle has spawned another story rich soulslike adventure across the Lands Between, or rather its shadowy counterpart. It is a world truly deprived of grace that alas suffers from a few technical issues too, but it never fails to just simply awe. Prepare to face the hardest From Software bosses to date, explore the most vertically varied biodiverse world and get ready to feel through the sounds and designs of the Shadow Realm.
Slant Magazine - Justin Clark - 4.5 / 5
It’s an extended encore and a haunting final bow for Miyazaki Hidetaka’s magnum opus.
TechRaptor - William Worrall - 9 / 10
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is the lore and gameplay continuation that we all needed. The new challenges and a feeling of nostalgia help propel this DLC into the stratosphere.
The Outerhaven Productions - 4.5 / 5
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree was worth the wait and then some. While I said this was FromSoftware’s most ambitious DLC yet, and that’s not hyperbole. If you enjoyed Elden Ring, you’ll love everything about this DLC. Savor it since Hidetaka Miyazaki has said there won’t be more content after this.
TrueGaming - خالد العيسى - Arabic - 9 / 10
Shadow of the Erdtree represents what we liked with the original content but with more meticulous designs to the map and a great variety of new weapons. A befitting comeback to this masterpiece.
Video Chums - A.J. Maciejewski - 9.1 / 10
Even with its slight shortcomings, ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree is the best expansion that I’ve ever played thanks to its unique-feeling world that behaves more like a 1.5 sequel than a mere extension of what players have come to expect. 💍
VideoGamer - Tom Bardwell - 10 / 10
Shadow of the Erdtree is a sensational companion to the base game that feels remarkably fresh and a subtly progressive evolution of the Elden Ring formula.
Worth Playing - Chris “Atom” DeAngelus - 9.5 / 10
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is everything one could want from an Elden Ring DLC: a huge new area to explore, new bosses to fight, new weapons to try, and new lore to unravel. It is a genuine joy to play and easily one of my favorite DLCs of all time. Its quality is high enough to even justify the $40 price tag. If you like Elden Ring, then Shadow of the Erdtree will give you everything you could want. If you’re a newcomer, it’s probably best to play through the game first before taking on the DLC. After all, Mohg, Lord of Blood is only the beginning.
XGN.nl - Ralph Beentjes - Dutch - 9.5 / 10
Beware a big bump in difficulty, but Shadow of the Erdtree is a must-play for Elden Ring-fans. It improves on the base game in every way. The new Lands of Shadow are beautiful and a joy to explore, there are a lot of exciting new weapons and spells to find, and the new boss fights are absolutely epic.
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