Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck: YMMV)
Buy it from: Amazon | Best Buy | Humble Bundle
Current goal: Beat Commander Gaius

There are only so many ways I can sing Shadow of the Erdtree’s praises before I start to sound like a broken record, but let’s give it a go. Elden Ring’s long-awaited DLC dropped last week, and even though I had early access to it in order to write my review, there is still so much to be done in the Shadow Realm. A few optional bosses remain standing (including a bastard sunflower and a knight riding a fucking boar), a few crannies need to be explored, and the main campaign demands completion—even though I am obstinately refusing to do anything other than side quests in a feeble attempt to savor this expansion.

Every time I think I can delay reaching the story’s end no further, I uncover something new: a statue hiding a door to a village covered in wildflowers, labyrinthine ruins leading to a boss door, a dungeon inhabited by evil frog/lizard things. It feels like I’m cheating, almost, milking Erdtree for every last drop like a greedy fiend, but FromSoftware clearly packed this expansion to the gills. If you’ve ever questioned the value of DLC before, please know that Shadow of the Erdtree is worth the $40 price tag, and then some. — Alyssa Mercante