Hannan Mundia 
FromSoftware’s Elden Ring may have won the hearts of fans worldwide, but how does its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC hold up? Extremely well.
FromSoftware has a reputation for delivering consistently excellent games. With a slew of Game of the Year awards to its name, including several won by Elden Ring, the studio understandably has high expectations from fans. Elden Ring reeled in gamers with its beautiful world and freedom, which left fans clamoring for more and kept it popular enough to take over Twitch years after release.
All this makes Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree one of the most anticipated releases of 2024. FromSoftware delivered too, giving fans an entirely new world to explore, new bosses to face, and new weapons to try in a DLC that puts the overwhelming majority of new releases to shame.
The Good:
- A beautiful new world to explore
- Captures what made the base game so great
- Doesn’t shy away from difficult fights
The Bad:
- Some optimization issues
Review Details:
- Reviewed on: PC
- Platforms available: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Official release date: June 20, 2024
Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is an amazing return to the Lands Between
There were doubts about whether Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC could deliver on the excitement. However, the expansion of 2022’s Game of the Year oozes with FromSoftware magic.
Starting the DLC requires players to beat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood. These two already difficult fights set the pace for Shadow of the Erdtree and its difficulty. From there, players can enter the Land of Shadows. The new realm’s towering Scadutree inspires the same kind of awe and wonder that the Erdtree did in the base game.
While most will go into it with high-level characters expecting the journey to be a walk in the park, the DLC actively tries to humble players. A new leveling system, comprised of Scadutree Blessings for the Tarnished and Revered Spirit Ash Blessings for their summons, ensures that fresh characters can level the playing field and over-leveled characters will still face a steep challenge.
Shadow of the Erdtree introduces multiple excellent bosses, fixing one of Elden Ring’s biggest problems. Even the most hardened players can expect a fresh challenge unlike anything they’ve experienced thus far. The DLC holds many memorable enemies, from the visually gorgeous Divine Beast Dancing Lion to the creeping Messmer.
Each of the major bosses offers the same stiff test of players’ skills and the same satisfying feeling when “Legend Felled” appears on-screen.
The Realm of Shadows isn’t as big as the Lands Between, being roughly the size of Limgrave. However, it’s jam-packed with content. Players can expect dungeons, new enemies, items, and side characters in every corner of the land.
Combat is the same as the base game, though players can access an assortment of new build items, weapons, and spells. This ensures that those who want to use existing builds can do so while adding new talismans and armor to strengthen them.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree also has new weapons with new mechanics that need to be practiced like the Backhand Blade and Bloodfiend’s Arm. These function completely differently from anything seen in the base game, and players will need to take the time to familiarize themselves with them.
Those interested in Elden Ring’s lore won’t be disappointed, either. The DLC expands on it while having the Tarnished fight some legends from the Lands Between.
The DLC’s story may initially seem like an afterthought, especially given FromSoftware’s typical approach to narrative, but the NPCs play a much greater role here. Players can choose to interact with and befriend certain characters. Completing questlines, or killing people on sight, has a greater impact on the proceedings than simply dropping their armor sooner.
Everything in the DLC leads up one of the most jaw-dropping, epic sections of any FromSoftware game. Unfortunately, the DLC’s otherwise excellent final fight also showcases its only fault.
A certain explosive move the final boss uses causes devastating FPS drops in even the strongest PC builds. In a game where one hiccup can mean death, this issue could leave many players waiting for a future patch that fixes it.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is an amazing experience that comfortably fits into the base game’s large shoes. The DLC even surpasses the 2022 Game of the Year winner in some aspects, ensuring it’s a must-play for those itching to step into the shoes of the Tarnished again.
The Bottom Line: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree refines an already exceptional game and will likely be regarded as one of the best DLCs in gaming for years to come.
Score: 10/10
