Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: A Difficult 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.
A Challenging Experience
While lauded for its challenging gameplay, many players find the DLC's combat excessively difficult and unbalanced compared to the base game. Criticisms include poorly designed enemy placement and bosses with excessively high health pools.
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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - Unmet Expectations
Performance Problems Plague PC and Consoles
Performance issues further compound the negative reception. PC players report frequent crashes, micro-stuttering, and frame rate limitations, even on high-end systems. Frame rates below 30 FPS in crowded areas significantly impact gameplay. Similar frame rate drops during intense moments have been reported on PlayStation consoles.
The intensity of the battles is a major point of contention, with many feeling the difficulty is disproportionate to the base game. Some reviews on Steam describe enemy placement as "rushed" and lacking in thoughtful design.
Mixed Reviews Across Platforms
As of Monday, Steam shows a "Mixed" overall rating for Shadow of the Erdtree, with 36% negative reviews. Metacritic currently gives it a "Generally Favorable" rating of 8.3/10 based on 570 user reviews, while Game8 provides a more positive score of 94/100.
The disparity between critical acclaim and player feedback highlights a significant disconnect in expectations and experience with the Elden Ring DLC.
