Elden Ring's first major expansion in Shadow of the Erdtree is just weeks away at this point, and ahead of launch, multiple outlets have gone hands-on with the add-on - delivering a fresh slate of previews for us all to take a look at.
You won't be surprised to read that, well, the general consensus is that this DLC is going to be everything and more that Elden Ring fans are after. Another FromSoftware banger could be on the cards here!
Anyway, here's what folks are saying about Shadow of the Erdtree prior to launch:
Push Square
"They [3 hours of gameplay] were enough at least to prove that Shadow of the Erdtree is mostly more of a very good thing with a few new ideas sprinkled in. The expansion is almost certainly holding its biggest secrets close to its chest, but in terms of how you play and interact with it, this is more Elden Ring.
Leaning into all the greatest aspects of the base game, The Land of Shadow invites another brutally gripping experience with industry-leading art direction, tense combat, and the greatest sense of exploration. In its opening hours, Shadow of the Erdtree emulates the base Elden Ring undertaking — that's no bad thing when, to this day, it remains genre-defining."
IGN
"I felt like I accomplished a lot in my three hours of playtime with Shadow of the Erdtree, but even then, it still felt like there was so much left on the table. Right when my time ended, I was just about to explore a path marked by another one of Miquella’s crosses that led down into what seemed like one of FromSoftware’s famous poison swamps, and just by listening in on other players at the event, it was clear that I missed at least one other dungeon with a seemingly exciting boss fight that I’m very much looking forward to attempting myself."
Eurogamer
"One thing that's certain, however, is Shadow of the Erdtree already has the look and feel of an absolute epic. With its sombre atmosphere, intricate worldbuilding and cheeky level design, it has all the ingredients required for an additional chapter of Elden Ring's sprawling narrative. Since putting down my controller at the end of the preview session, my mind keeps wandering back to the Land of Shadow to consider what could be hidden within its craggy cliffs and hills. There are few games that can conjure up a feeling of such vast mystery and potential."
VGC
"We’re afraid to say we had to leave the session with our tail between our legs, but also with the dread that, whereas Limgrave had many smaller mini-bosses you could take on to work your way up to the legacy dungeon headliners, progress in the Land of Shadow might be more impervious.
Given that the open world structure benefitted Elden Ring by giving you the freedom to approach or avoid encounters at your own pace, we’d like to think that FromSoftware won’t abandon that completely in this expansion. But even if it’s too early to say whether or not Shadow of the Erdtree is a leaner package, from the first three hours, it’s definitely meaner."
Game Informer
"My biggest takeaway from Shadow of the Erdtree is that – surprise – it’s more Elden Ring. It’s the most unexciting take imaginable, but outside of the intriguing yet not immediately noticeable wrinkle added by the Scadutree upgrades, it’s a new excuse to revisit a world I love. It’s tough to get a sense of the expansion’s narrative implications and to be honest, that’s the last thing I care about in this game, as interesting as its lore is on the surface. All I want is to experience a new gauntlet of trials and surprises, and Shadow of the Erdtree seems poised to deliver that and then some."
Windows Central
"Since it launched over two years ago, Elden Ring has been praised to no end, and rightfully so, with my former colleague Miles Dompier giving it a perfect score in our review. It's an open world game that built on FromSoftware's established design and elevated it to new heights. Everything I've played indicates that Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is purely more of that, and that's more than enough to make it one of my most anticipated gaming experiences of the year. I cannot wait to dive back in."
If you've been more than convinced by these early previews and can't wait to dive in, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree comes to Xbox platforms on June 21st.