Who this is for
Shadow of the Erdtree is not a game for Elden Ring newcomers. It's designed for players who have already reached the late game, and it expects you to have built your character with some competence. If you're going in underpowered, the first boss will make that clear.
For players who have put the time in, it's a remarkable piece of expansion content. The map is genuinely large — FromSoftware wasn't exaggerating when they said it was comparable to Limgrave. There are entirely new weapon categories, new Spirit Ashes, new spells, and a new progression system built around Scadutree Fragments that effectively rebalances your character for the expansion's difficulty.
The bosses
The boss fights are, in our opinion, the best FromSoftware has made. Messmer in particular is a fight built around momentum and pattern recognition that felt punishing for about three hours and then clicked completely. The final boss is genuinely difficult and will take most players multiple sessions. We're not going to spoil it.
There are also several optional bosses that are harder than anything in the base game. One of them, hidden in a late-game area, is a fight that will divide players. We found it fair but unforgiving. Your tolerance for that will vary.
What works
- Largest and most ambitious FromSoftware expansion
- Boss design is the best in the series
- Scadutree Fragment system handles difficulty well
- New weapon categories add significant build variety
What doesn't
- Requires substantial late-game preparation to enjoy
- One optional boss is divisive in its design
- Some areas are less interesting than others
Verdict
Shadow of the Erdtree is one of the best pieces of DLC FromSoftware has released. If you're deep into Elden Ring, this is an easy recommendation. Is it worth buying? Yes, if you've finished or are near the end of the base game. No if you haven't started.
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