Elden Ring was a bit of a phenomenon when it arrived on Xbox back in early 2022, so it's safe to say we're extremely excited about the game's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. This huge Elden Ring add-on lands this week, and ahead of launch, the review embargo has now lifted.
Here at Pure Xbox we'll be a little longer working on our review, but for now, here's what folks think of Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree:
IGN (10/10)
"Like the base game did before it, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree raises the bar for single-player DLC expansions. It takes everything that made the base game such a landmark RPG, condenses it into a relatively compact 20-25 hour campaign, and provides fantastic new challenges for heavily invested fans to chew on."
GamesRadar (5/5)
"The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion had a lot to live up to, but gorgeous vistas, superb boss fights, and a range of fun new gear sweep you through a massive expansion that feels half as long as it is. At this point, it's almost getting boring praising FromSoftware every time."
VG247 (5/5)
"While the start of Shadow of the Erdtree can come off as a regression, really, the DLC as a whole is FromSoftware flexing all of its creative muscles - including some it hasn’t used in a while and others it might be building up for the future. The depth of storytelling in the Lands of Shadow, as well as the new weapons, spells and items (all of which add to the lore themselves, of course), only better your experience of the Lands Between, and make for a worthy upgrade to what is already an unforgettable adventure."
Game Informer (9.8/10)
"The boring but ultimately correct shorthand to summarize Shadow of the Erdtree is that it’s more Elden Ring. The incredible sense of discovery, fantastic dungeon design, entertainingly deep combat, and intriguing lore and characters that defined From Software’s 2022 masterpiece all apply to this expansion."
Dot Esports (9/10)
"Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is impressively expansive, packed to the brim with secrets, and hauntingly beautiful. From the moment I set foot in the Land of Shadow, I was stunned by its gorgeous scenery and captivated by its world, but the most impressive thing of all is the sheer scale of what’s on offer."
Push Square (8/10)
"Shadow of the Erdtree delivers more of the same style of content you loved two years ago rather than introducing new ways to engage. That's enough to consider it a fantastic expansion, though it's hard not to feel like you're just going through the motions again. With a new land to explore, a fresh set of bosses to fight, and extra lore to consume, it's so much more Elden Ring."
Eurogamer (3/5)
"Much of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is more of the same gruelling beauty - but a shift to explict storytelling and signposting means its essence as a living, evolving shared text is lost."
There you have it, then - Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is more of the same epic FromSoftware action so many players fell in love with back in 2022. We're looking at Metacritic and OpenCritic scores of 94 right now, so yeah, it's safe to say this is another critical darling so far.
Be on the lookout for our own thoughts on the expansion soon!