Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Reviews
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is From Software's finest work yet with best-in-class combat, world design and exploration. Add stunning bosses that eclipse those of the base game and a whole slate of fantastic dungeons, weapons and armour and you have one of the greatest if not the greatest expansion ever made.
The base game still holds up wonderfully and the expansion offers what is essentially much more of the same sort of experience with a few caveats. Performance woes and overly difficult boss encounters aside, Shadow of the Erdtree should be a must-buy for anybody that enjoyed the base game experience who craves more.
Shadow of Erdtree is the largest DLC the gaming world has received to date. Shadow Realm turns out to be a very valuable addition to Lands Between, with beautiful new areas, amazing new boss fights, and a fulfilling new level-up system that gives the feeling of being in the Elden Ring Endgame.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shadow of the Erdtree brings a brand new story, a highly explorable and mysterious new land brimming with new weaponry and some of the toughest bosses around to make it a must have expansion.
The adventure is satisfying and full of combat and exploration - in a larger size and scale than many "full" titles and the lore offers new information and surprises to those who pay enough attention to it.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Shadow of the Edrtree expansion transported me back to Elden Ring in a surprising and nostalgic way. Two years later the game is still fresh as it's ever been - with unique pacing, artistic style and sense of progression. And if you ever stumble upon some annoying sections, you can always count on your fellow Mimic Tear friend.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is an excellent DLC expansion that manages to freshen up the brilliance of the base game with its dazzling locales, gripping enemy encounters, and focus on collecting Scudatree Fragments. Don’t get me wrong, it’s tough as nails and can be a little frustrating early on, but it brings with it a difficulty curve that’s as rewarding as that found in the base game, with those who take the time to explore their surrounding the most likely to survive its dastardly challenges. Add to that the thrilling boss encounters, the abundance of new gear to find, and the fact that it just so happens to be massive in design, and it’ll be hard not to find yourself in awe of what’s on offer in Shadow of the Erdtree.
Instead of challenging players' reflexes and muscle memory, the expansion tests their spirit, will, and humility. And with this approach, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree turned out to be almost the best Souls game in general!
Review in Russian | Read full review
In short, it's no surprise that Shadow of the Erdtree has received mixed reviews and I've had mixed experiences with it. Shadow of the Erd Tree is a double dose of everything that's good about Elden Ring, plus a dose of FromSoftware isn't-so-great stuff. And 25 hours of play is clearly not enough for me to form an impression of such a contrasting gaming experience. The game is interesting, exciting, but I think that we already need something new.
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?
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expands a masterpiece while ramping up the difficulty and spectacle - almost a full-fledged sequel worth of content cleverly disguised as DLC.
Renowned for its ruthlessness, Shadow of the Erdtree might not be for every Elden Ring player, but it offers a fantastic adventure with its diverse content and epic boss battles.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Whether you’re a seasoned Elden Lord or a newcomer, Shadow of the Erdtree promises an unforgettable experience.
Whether you’re a seasoned Soulsborne veteran or a newcomer to FromSoftware’s brand of challenging yet rewarding gameplay, Shadow of the Erdtree is an expansion that should not be missed. It really expands upon Lands Between established while preserving the sense of wonder and discovery that feels so important in Elden Ring. Shadow of the Erdtree sets a new standard for what a DLC can achieve and I believe this is FromSoftware’s greatest work yet.
Shadow of the Erdtree is more of everything you love about Elden Ring, expanding on the award-winning game with a bigger arsenal, tougher enemies, a brand-new story, and even more beautiful landscapes.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is my favorite expansion ever. Supplanting the twins of The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine, and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, there is more to do here than most games twice over. Outside of an over-tuned final boss, I have zero major gripes and dozens of things I adore. It’s not easy, it’s not meant to be, but it is amazing.
I find myself wishing Shadow of the Erdtree had a continuation from one of the endings of Elden Ring, or ventured back to explore the Shattering itself. Instead, it feels like a filler episode in Naruto. Sure, the fights are cool, and there's a new progression system to work through, but what is the point if nobody is going to acknowledge it again for the rest of the series. But hey, at least the Convergence Mod team will have a field day with all of this new stuff to play with.
Shadow of the Erdtree is a well-executed and thoughtful expansion of Elden Ring. There is nothing quite like Shadow of the Erdtree, and it's way more fantastic than any DLC can be. Just like Elden Ring did, Shadow of the Erdtree re-created the sensation of a first playtime and will remain in my mind for quite some time. The fighting possibilities are endless, the bosses are mind-blowing spectacles that are a blast to master, and the legacy dungeons are fabulous, and the new upgrading system allows you to relive the base game's progression. I can't help but recommend Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree high enough to anyone who is still unsure of their tastes; it's incredible.
Shadow of the Erdtree is another perfect culmination of everything that has come before it, which at this point seems to just be the norm for From Software. Some of the greatest moments in all of Souls are found within Shadow of the Erdtree, but it will make you work harder for them than ever before. Exploration and curiosity are the key, and you will be rewarded in ways that you cannot imagine as you delve into the Shadow Realm introduced here. I adored Shadow of the Erdtree, and cannot wait for more people to experience what has so thoroughly blown me away in my time with it.
Shadow of the Erdtree maintains the high standards set by the base game. It introduces the challenging Realm of Shadow, offering new boss fights, weapons, and progression without excessive grinding. The expansion revitalizes the sense of discovery with secrets, mini-bosses, and unique NPCs.