Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Shadow of the Erdtree is definitely an expansion, both outward in area and upward in base difficulty. If you've already purchased it and find yourself bouncing off it, give yourself some time, some grace (in-game and out), and come back when you're ready.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is nothing short of magnificent. It is both an expansion to and a distillation of what makes the original game so special, offering you a chance to try out new weapons and builds while learning far more about the Lands Between than you might have expected. It will delight you in one breath and devastate you the next, forcing you to question your approach, to fortify your spirit.

Everything in the DLC is some form of relentless, and if base Elden Ring was too challenging for you, you’ll only find harder challenges here. But there’s more to experiment with, and so much more to explore in Shadow of the Erdtree, that the challenges can always wait until you’re ready for them. 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. [Polygon Recommends]

If you’ve found yourself missing 2022's best game, craving a return to its bleakly beautiful world, it’ll scratch that itch to near perfection. If that idea wears you the fuck out, it’ll do that, too. If you’re hoping for it to be a revolution, the same way Elden Ring was when it arrived back in 2022, well… That’s the one place where Shadow Of The Erdtree can’t quite escape its predecessor’s penumbra. But Elden Ring is a masterpiece; “More masterpiece” might exhaust you, but it’s never something you can afford to turn your nose up at.