While Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has earned critical acclaim, its Steam reception is more nuanced. Players are voicing concerns about difficulty and performance.
Related Video
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - A Surprise for Players?
Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: A Challenging New Reality ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Shadow of the Erdtree: A Mixed Bag on Steam
Steam Screenshot Despite pre-release Metacritic praise and high expectations, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's Steam launch has drawn negative feedback. While the challenging gameplay is acknowledged, many players find the combat excessively difficult, with concerns about enemy placement, boss health pools, and overall balance.
Performance and Difficulty: Player Complaints
Reddit Screenshot The intense battles are a major point of contention, with many feeling they are significantly harder than the base game. Reports describe enemy placement as rushed and bosses as having excessively high health.
Performance issues are also widespread. PC users report crashes, stuttering, and frame rate limitations. Even high-end systems struggle to maintain 30 FPS in crowded areas. Similar frame rate drops during intense moments have been reported on PlayStation consoles.
Metacritic Screenshot As of Monday, Steam shows a "Mixed" rating for Shadow of the Erdtree, with 36% negative reviews. Metacritic, however, gives it a "Generally Favorable" rating of 8.3/10 (based on 570 user reviews). Game8 offers a more positive assessment, scoring it 94/100.