Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Critic Reviews

Elden Ring was a massive endeavor and success, and instead of coasting on that success, they turned Shadow of the Erdtree into a thrilling final adventure with its own identity.

Shadow of the Tree is a real game in its own right, generous, powerful, with almost perfect execution. It manages to completely separate itself from Elden Ring, with an identity of its own and an extremely careful atmosphere. Despite a somewhat "light" ending and a slight imbalance in terms of bosses, we emerge from this adventure with a feeling of exhilaration specific to great journeys. Yet another monument to be added to the long list of From Software masterpieces, a delight of incredible violence, a definitely enchanting journey. Masterful!

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.

Shadow of the Erdtree is a full game that happens to be sold as DLC for Elden Ring. With its incredibly layered and interconnected game world, you'll be engrossed for forty to fifty hours. During that time, you'll repeatedly find yourself pondering what you've just encountered. A bizarre weapon, yet another new area, a secret even more hidden than the last. With this expansion, FromSoftware fulfills the promise of Elden Ring: a free world to explore without losing the brilliant direction of its creators.

When thinking of Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree as a complete package, it's hard not to consider that many of the game's best moments appear within the DLC. It's a staggering achievement that was more than worth the two-year wait, as it reignited the wonders of playing the base game for the first time, while simultaneously building upon and enhancing so much of what I've experienced already.

The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion had a lot to live up to, but gorgeous vistas, superb boss fights, and a range of fun new gear sweep you through a massive expansion that feels half as long as it is. At this point, it's almost getting boring praising FromSoftware every time.

Elden Ring was already one of the best games of all time, and Shadow of the Erdtree takes it even further, with a complex but captivating world that constantly challenges you with its secrets, tough bosses, and beautiful vistas. After over 40 hours of gameplay, I've seen all the areas and defeated all the bosses, but I'm far from done with this perfect expansion to an already perfect game.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is a wonderfully crafted expansion that enriches the original experience that exploring the Lands Between provided.

You’ll find myriad callbacks to past From games I won’t spoil here, but it’s clear that the team looked back at everything that brought them to this point, a Game of the Year winner more successful than any of their past work, eager to celebrate the journey. This is their linking the flame moment, a chance to be reborn and usher in a new age, capped off by what can only be described as their magnum opus.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is one of the best expansion ever made. From Software pushes the open world concept with a new twist full of secrets to discover.

While the start of Shadow of the Erdtree can come off as a regression, really, the DLC as a whole is FromSoftware flexing all of its creative muscles - including some it hasn’t used in a while and others it might be building up for the future. The depth of storytelling in the Lands of Shadow, as well as the new weapons, spells and items (all of which add to the lore themselves, of course), only better your experience of the Lands Between, and make for a worthy upgrade to what is already an unforgettable adventure.

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.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is absolutely worth the cost of its significantly difficult entry point. When exploring the vast reaches of the Shadow Realm, it is impossible to deny how FromSoftware managed to capitalize on Elden Ring‘s immense thrill of discovery and challenge. Shadow of the Erdtree is a full expansion of the masterful vision that represents the culmination of the developer’s work, one that raises the standard even higher, one that feels unimaginable to best. But if there’s studio that can do it, it’s the one who made Elden Ring.

Shadow of the Erdtree perfectly accomplishes everything it sets out to do. It makes the story of Elden Ring more complete and breathes new life into this addictive masterpiece. Shadow of the Erdtree can also remind Tarnished why they embarked on their journey to the Lands Between in the first place. So, even though the guidance has been shattered, please enjoy this final adventure of the Elden Lord.

Like Elden Ring, Shadow of the World Tree is a masterpiece. A DLC, an extremely generous expansion, capable of competing with certain big productions on its own. Not only is there the opportunity to explore a new and gigantic region, but you will also discover an astronomical amount of new spells and equipment. New gameplay surprises are added to the already very long list of possibilities. This new kingdom is also an opportunity to cross swords against even more titanic bosses than in the original game, epic battles and for some downright memorable. Everything is not always rosy, the technique is still not perfect on console, the encounters with the "small" bosses are irregular and there is a bit of redundancy in the construction of certain secondary dungeons or in the bestiary at the beginning. beginning in particular. Nevertheless, there is once again a real feeling of exploration and testing. A feeling of discovery and permanent danger that grips the guts, and the gameplay remains as formidable. Everything is wrapped in velvet for the eyes. Artistically, it’s just sublime, everywhere and all the time. We will be amazed by the fact that the soundtrack is once again incredible as well. A real concentrate of thrills at all levels, a real lesson.

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 more than an expansion; it's robust, solid, and high-quality content. Elden Ring's DLC brings new enchanting exploratory areas, epic and memorable boss battles, new equipment and spells, while expanding the RPG lore with a rich narrative. More than just a masterpiece from FromSoftware, this expansion enters the pantheon of the best additional content in the video game industry.

Shadow of the Erdtree feels like 75 percent the size of “Elden Ring,” a game that’s already bigger than most games. Developer FromSoftware basically made a sequel.

In total, Shadow of the Erdtree is up there with the best add-ons FromSoftware has released (yes, including Bloodborne: The Old Hunters). A must play for hardcore fans and new players who (wisely) waited for the full package, and highly recommended overall.

FromSoftware hasn't reinvented itself with the expansion, but I think they've created their best piece of content yet, both from an aesthetic and, more importantly, a design standpoint.