92 percent of Steam users recommend “Elden Ring,” only 64 percent recommend new DLC “Shadow of the Aardtree”: The expansion released last weekend has been mediocrely received by PC gamers so far.
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One of the most common points of criticism is the high level of difficulty: unlike the main game, developer FromSoftware has further increased the abilities of opponents. Lead developer Hidetaka Miyazaki said, “We’ve really pushed the limits of what we think the player can handle.” Conversation with The Verge. Steam reviews show that even “Elden Ring” veterans sometimes find the new difficulty level “unfair” or “unbalanced.”
Performance complaints
The steep difficulty level is a trademark of the Japanese development studio. Second: stuttering performance on PC and consoles. While FromSoftware has largely brought the main game’s performance under control after several patches, stuttering and frame rate drops in the DLC remain one of the biggest points of criticism. Some Steam users also criticizeThe game world feels too empty. According to FromSoftware, “Shadows of the Aardtree” is the most extensive DLC in the cult developer’s history.
It can be assumed that user scores on Steam will grow over time, as was the case with the main game. With patches, FromSoftware can not only improve performance, but also improve balance.
95 percent on Metacritic
Professional critics view “Shadow of the Aardtree” more positively: on Metacritic, the “Elden Ring” DLC has an excellent rating of 93 to 95 points, depending on the platform. Users also give it an 8.3 out of a possible 10 on Metacritic. Heise Online was not sampled by publisher Bandai Namco prior to release.
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“Elden Ring” launched in February 2022 and has taken the gaming world by storm. With its constant combat and intricate dungeons, “Elden Ring” retains at its core the elements that made FromSoftware’s previous “Dark Souls” games successful. The open game world with myriad opportunities for exploration and alternate progression paths has made the title more accessible than previous “Souls” games.
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