FromSoftware's Elden Ring Expansion Unveils Challenging 'Shadow of the Erdtree'

Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: A Challenging Reception

Despite critical acclaim and a high Metacritic score, Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has received mixed player reviews on Steam, primarily due to difficulty and performance issues.

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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - Falling Short of Expectations?

A Difficult Reality Check

While praised for its challenging gameplay, many players find the DLC's combat excessively strenuous and unbalanced. Steam reviews highlight concerns about poorly designed enemy placement and inflated boss health pools.

Performance Problems Plague PC and Consoles

Significant performance issues further compound the negative player feedback. PC users report frequent crashes, micro-stuttering, and frame rate limitations, even on high-end systems. Frame rates below 30 FPS in crowded areas render the game unplayable for some. Similar frame rate drops during intense moments have been reported on PlayStation consoles.

Mixed Reception Across Platforms

As of Monday, Steam shows a "Mixed" overall rating for Shadow of the Erdtree, with 36% negative reviews. Metacritic displays a more favorable "Generally Favorable" rating of 8.3/10 based on 570 user reviews. Game8 offers a significantly higher rating of 94/100. This disparity highlights the divergence between critical and player reception.