Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree – Honest Review
Shadow of the Erdtree is the highly-anticipated expansion (DLC) to Elden Ring, a game that’s already famous for its brutal difficulty, large open world, and punishing but rewarding combat. With this DLC, FromSoftware promised new enemies, tougher fights, expanded lore, and an elevated challenge for fans who thought the base game wasn’t enough.
The art direction remains superb. The DLC adds richly detailed environments in the Lands of Shadow, with memorable legacy dungeons and haunting architecture. Fans often praise the visual fidelity, the design of new zones, and how they expand the lore. According to Metacritic, many critics see Shadow of the Erdtree as a “stunning finale” that surprises.
If you play for the intense confrontations, there’s a lot here to enjoy. Several new bosses are praised as challenging but visually spectacular. These fights offer moments of triumph, especially when overcoming patterns, telegraphed attacks, and phases that force you to adapt. The sense of dread and atmosphere in these battles is strong.
Where It Falls Short
his is where many criticisms are focused. Several Steam users and reviews say the DLC ramps up difficulty even compared to the base game, sometimes in ways that feel unfair rather than challenging. Bosses have long combo chains, higher damage output, sudden ambushes, or attack moves that are difficult to dodge. Even regular enemies can one-shot or near-one-shot higher-vigor builds unless you’re properly geared or aided by Scadutree enhancements.
PC players are reporting stuttering, micro-lags, frame drops, freezes, even on systems that should handle the base game well.
any feel that some bosses are over-tuned: health pools too large, damage too unforgiving, and combos or attack patterns that are hard to react to. This pushes the experience from “challenging but fair” into “wearisome grind / memorisation” territory for some. The complaint is that in a few fights, damage output and mechanics feel more about endurance than skill or tactic.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Slightly Toasty – Casual Warm-Up: 9/10
You’ll sweat a bit, but nothing too punishing.
Heated Challenge – Serious Focus Needed: 8/10
Some encounters will make you pause, rethink builds, and pay attention
Brain Fry – Trial by Fire: 6/10
Expect spikes in difficulty, sudden boss mechanics, and relentless patterns.
The Breaking Point: 6/10
Bosses that feel unfair, enemies that one-shot, and balance issues that push you to the edge.
Total Melt Score: 8/10
This is not a game anymore. It’s a war of attrition. Performance dips, brutal design, and unforgiving fights combine into a soul-crushing experience. If you beat this, you wear the badge of honour.
