DO NOT BUY Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree - VERY Disappointing

Daniel played over 110 hours of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree via early access, rating it 6.2 out of 10 after finding it disappointing, frustratingly difficult, and largely an uninspired rehash of previous mechanics, aesthetics, and story elements rather than a necessary continuation two years after the base game.

Despite having over 444 hours in the base game across multiple New Game Plus runs with a level 242 character expected to easily handle the expansion, Daniel encountered boss fights and difficulty deemed annoyingly frustrating and overly dependent on memorizing attack patterns rather than skill.

Daniel evaluated the DLC's new weapons, armor, spells, bosses, combat mechanics, pacing, and graphics as cosmetic or mechanical rehashes of base game content, while criticizing repeated 15-second death delays, loading screens, a dark and dreary Shadow Realm map, repetitive demigod lore, and expansion pricing.

Overall reception and review score for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

Daniel's prior Elden Ring playtime, character level, and initial expectations for the DLC.

Expansion difficulty, boss design, and reliance on pattern memorization.

Reused mechanics and cosmetic similarities in weapons, armor, spells, and bosses.

Visual design, atmosphere, and exploration of the Shadow Realm map.

Combat mechanics, technical performance, pacing, and death delays.

DLC storytelling, pricing considerations, and moving on to other games.

Daniel played over 110 hours of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree through early access.

Daniel played the base Elden Ring game for over 444 hours across multiple New Game Plus playthroughs.