Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree-A Fantastic Yet Flawed Expansion

The release of Elden Ring was a turning point in the RPG genre, thanks to its vast open world, detailed lore, and intense but rewarding combat system. "Shadow of the Erdtree" aims to build on the rich history of the Lands Between. But the reviews of the DLC seem to be mixed. So, let's dig deeper into why that is.

Most players mentioned that the DLC could be its own game because it is a massive add-on to the Elden Ring game. There are numerous new weapons, talismans, exploration areas, and NPCs in the DLC. The areas are breathtaking, the world is jaw-dropping, and the magnitude of detail is amazing. But the pros do not outweigh the cons.

Overpowered and reused bosses

The DLC adds over 40 unique enemies and bosses. Before the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, this looked like a fantastic addition to the game, making the battles more interesting and challenging. But in reality, these tough and intriguing fights turned out to be unbeatable and dull ones.

These so-called 'new' enemies were being reused and labelled as new. Furthermore, some bosses have more annoying abilities than make them unbeatable. Their hitboxes are farther away than they appear, they attack far too quickly and deal too much damage. Also, all the dragons in this DLC were the same as in the base game. That is why the new gameplay was underwhelming and difficult to play.

Performance issues made the DLC unplayable

One of the most common worries is technical problems. Although the base game runs without issues, the DLC experiences frame drops, longer loading times, micro-stuttering, and freezes. Frame drops happen not all across the Realm of Shadow, but in some areas, it's almost impossible to play. It made many players disappointed and upset. The DLC was unplayable, even with powerful graphics cards.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy playing Shadow of the Erdtree because of the technical problems or overpowered bosses. Otherwise, it was a positive experience. The DLC has a ton of content story-wise, and the beautiful visuals partially make up for the negative aspects.