Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree on PlayStation 5 offers the same extensive expansion of the action RPG Elden Ring from FromSoftware as the version for the previous console generation, this time however benefiting from the new platform's power for smoother performance and faster loading of the sprawling new region called the Land of Shadow, tied to the main story through the character Miquella, whose mysterious fate the player has been following since the base game.

The core gameplay remains true to the soulslike style that FromSoftware has built its reputation on – demanding combat built on precise timing of dodges and parries, complex boss fights, and nonlinear exploration of an open world full of side characters, hidden paths, and fragmentary storytelling through items and dialogue. The expansion adds a new character-strengthening system valid only within the Land of Shadow, a wide range of new weapons, spells, and combat styles, and several sprawling sub-areas with a distinct visual identity, from golden ruins to dark, corrupted lands reminiscent of a warped reflection of the game's main world. The PlayStation 5 version benefits above all from higher and more stable frame rates and shorter loading times, which makes returning to the game's expansive world noticeably more pleasant, both for exploration and for repeated attempts at defeating demanding bosses.

Critical reception was extremely positive across all platforms, with reviewers praising the amount of new content, the quality of the boss fights, and the audiovisual design of the Land of Shadow, calling it one of the most ambitious expansions in the genre in recent years. Even on the new generation of consoles, Shadow of the Erdtree confirms Elden Ring's position as one of the key titles of its era, even though its difficulty remains a topic that provokes conflicting reactions among players. For players who came to the series only with the arrival of the PlayStation 5, the expansion also meant they could enjoy the game from the start in the form closest to FromSoftware's original vision, without the compromises tied to older hardware on which the game ran noticeably less smoothly at its original release.