June 24th 2024.
Is Shadow Of The Erdtree pushing the limits too far? Recently, PC gamers have been vocal about their concerns regarding the DLC for Elden Ring. While some have pointed out performance issues, others are complaining that it's simply too challenging.
It's no secret that FromSoftware games are known for their difficulty, even for those who have never played them before. Elden Ring may not be their toughest title, but it's definitely no walk in the park. So it's not surprising that the DLC, Shadow Of The Erdtree, is equally as challenging - if not more so - as it's aimed towards players who have already conquered the main game.
Despite receiving rave reviews and being hailed as the best DLC in gaming history, Shadow Of The Erdtree has faced some backlash on Steam. The negative user reviews have caused its overall rating to drop from 'Very Positive' to 'Mixed', which is quite a significant drop.
One of the main issues mentioned in the negative reviews is the poor performance on PC. While console players seem to be enjoying the DLC without any major issues, PC players have reported stuttering and other technical problems that can greatly affect the gameplay experience. However, there are also complaints about the design and level of difficulty, with some players feeling that it's unfair and frustrating.
One angry Steam user, Korovaemae, expresses their frustration by stating, "Shallow and miserable experience with an even emptier open world map than the base game. Every boss is basically Malenia 2.0, designed around players using ashen summons/bleeds/fingerprint/any other BS. Hyper aggression, sticky targeting, endless combos, extremely bloated health and over the top damage are the new hallmarks of balance for Fromsoft." On the other hand, user Erusean praises the design of the legacy dungeons but also shares their disappointment with the overall experience, saying, "Elden Ring's DLC doubles down on many of the things that soured the experience of the base game. The entire design philosophy of 'challenging but fair' has been forgotten in Elden Ring as bosses continuously spam endless combos and AoEs [area of effect] before dashing off across the map and spamming more AoEs. That was already a problem in the base game, and it's even worse here."
One particular user, Karol, goes as far as to say, "The worst DLC ever. There is nothing in the name of balance. Stop the clown Miyazaki from making money, don't throw your money away." While another, The Last Vandal, shares their experience with the poor performance, stating, "The game had smooth 1080 at 60fps before this patch, now it's lagging even outside of the Shadow Lands on low specs, huge input delay due to this lag and some bosses nearly unplayable because of that. I will return and change this review to positive once it will be fixed."
The backlash has even caught the attention of Bandai Namco's US branch, who released a cryptic tweet that seems to be addressing the complaints. The tweet reads, "This is a suggestion to level up your Scadutree Blessing," which many have interpreted as a reference to the new collectibles in the DLC that can boost your character's attack and defense.
FromSoftware, the developer behind Elden Ring, has remained silent about the controversy. It's worth noting that console players seem to be enjoying the DLC without any major issues, and it wasn't something that we, or most other reviewers, had a problem with.
According to user scores on different platforms, Shadow Of The Erdtree has received a 'generally favorable' 8.3 on PlayStation 5 and 8.2 on Xbox Series X/S. The PC version has a slightly lower score of 7.5, but it's still considered 'generally favorable'.
It's no secret that Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of Elden Ring and Dark Souls, values the difficulty and challenge in his games. He has made it clear that he has no intention of making his games easier or adding features like a pause option. While it's unclear what his next project will be, he has hinted at a possible new Soulslike game and has also expressed interest in creating a traditional Japanese style role-playing game.
In the end, whether you love it or hate it, Elden Ring and its DLC, Shadow Of The Erdtree, have definitely sparked a lot of discussions and debates. If you have any thoughts or opinions, feel free to share them with us via email, in the comments section, on Twitter, or by signing up for our newsletter.
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