FromSoftware acclaimed action-RPG Elden Ring has captivated players around the world with its expansive open world, intriguing lore, and challenging combat. The recently released “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC expands on this rich experience, providing players with new content to explore and conquer, earning valuable Elden Ring Runes in the process.

Pros: Enhanced Gameplay and Balanced Challenge

The “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC introduces two new items – Revered Soul Embers and Scadutree Fragments – that significantly enhance the player’s abilities. Revered Soul Embers enhance the damage reduction and attack power of summoned spirits, while Scadutree Fragments enhance the player’s own damage output. However, these powerful bonuses are only active within the new Shadow of the Realm area, encouraging players to engage deeply with the DLC’s content and explore new strategic possibilities.

Importantly, the DLC maintains a careful balance between the benefits of these new items and the challenges presented by Shadow of the Realm. This ensures players experience a fair and arduous adventure while retaining the core essence of Elden Ring's famous difficulty curve. In addition, there are a plethora of buy Elden Ring Items available for purchase to help tackle some of the game's more challenging areas outside of the DLC.

Compact and Compelling World Design

While the base game of Elden Ring features a vast and sprawling open world, the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC opts for a more compact and dense environment. This new area, roughly the size of the Atlus Plateau and Liurnia regions combined, is filled with rich content, secrets, and challenging encounters. The increased density keeps players constantly engaged, with fewer pauses in the action and more opportunities for exploration and combat.

Familiar, yet novel progression system

The progression system in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is similar to the Sacred Tears/Golden Seed system in the base game. As players progress through the new content, they gain increasingly powerful upgrades, similar to how consumables in the main campaign become stronger. This sense of continuity and growth helps players feel at home, while the novel items and mechanics provide new challenges and strategies to master.

Cons: Minor Technical Glitches and Limited Rewards

Like many expansion packs, the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has its share of technical issues. Occasional framerate drops and glitches can be frustrating, though they don't usually reach game-breaking levels. Additionally, the rewards offered by Revered Soul Embers and Scadutree Fragments are limited to Shadow of the Realm, which some players may find restrictive.

Compressed Exploration Experience

While the compact and dense world design of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is a significant advantage in many ways, it can also be seen as a limitation for players who enjoy the expansive open-world exploration of the base game. The more crowded environments may dampen the sense of endless exploration that many Elden Ring fans love.

Learning Curve for New Mechanics

The introduction of Revered Soul Embers and Scadutree Fragments adds a layer of complexity to the Elden Ring experience. Mastering the effective use of these new items and mechanics requires time and experimentation, which may be daunting for some players who prefer to rely on familiar strategies.

Overall, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC represents a substantial and engaging expansion that builds upon the base game. While it introduces some technical quirks and may not fully satisfy the craving for endless exploration, its enhanced gameplay mechanics, balanced difficulty, and compelling new content make it a must-play for any dedicated Elden Ring fan.