Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree offers the best version of the game's core systems and world building while evolving and improving on almost every other aspect. It is phenomenal. Plain and simple.

Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree is far more out of an expansion than I ever thought it would be, and my expectations were already a little high. While I have personal gripes with what I see to be missed chances, that doesn't stop it from being spectacular on the whole. This expansion feels like it fully completes Elden Ring, a game that already felt like a whole project, in a way I didn't even know it needed to be completed. I can no longer imagine Elden Ring being without Shadow Of The Erdtree, almost like the Realm Of Shadow was there the whole time.

Shadow of the Erdtree is a staggering achievement, and among the best work that FromSoftware has produced. It expands upon Elden Ring with an intricately woven narrative, unrelenting boss challenges, and a world so full of secrets that it's hard to know whether you've truly seen everything the expansion has to offer.

FromSoft proves itself unparalleled once again in creating a world full of captivating battles, gorgeous setpieces, and impeccable storytelling.

Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erdtree is a groundbreaking experience for gamers worldwide, exemplifying what a DLC should be while continuing the legacy of the base game brilliantly. The Land of Shadow is filled with adversity and danger, but you have everything you need to overcome the challenges and emerge as a true Elden Lord.

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.

Shadow of the Erdtree recreates the exact feelings that made me fall in love with the FromSoft formula, but is this success built on the breathing corpse of the studio's identity worth the price?

Shadow of the Erdtree is the perfect swan song to Elden Ring. It gives you all the challenge, the loot, and the lore of the base game in a smaller chunk. Prepare to lose yourself to its siren call yet again.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is one of the best expansions FromSoftware has made, but it does come with a drawback when compared to the main game. It’s apparent the focal point of the expansion is the open world, with the iconic Souls interwoven dungeon design mostly being tossed to the wayside. Still, what the developers have been able to build is an impressive new area filled to the brim with exploratory potential. That’s on top of the new weapon types and magic that will be sure to spice each and every playthrough, forcing many Larval Tears to be used. And this wouldn’t be a FromSoftwa...

If I sound like I’m focusing on these two things I didn’t care for in the game, it’s only because everything else is working at such a high level that these two things really stuck out to me. But make no mistake, I enjoyed my time in Land of Shadow, and I loved being back in the world of Elden Ring. While this isn’t my personal favorite expansion FromSoftware made (that still belongs to The Old Hunters for Bloodborne) I can definitely say it’s their most ambitious and complete. It’s honestly hard to imagine where they go from here, but I can’t wait to find out.

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.

A knotty, dense expansion that's home to some of the best moments in Elden Ring, but also some of its most frustrating.