Elden Ring delivers a sprawling open world, which, ironically, contributes to one of its major flaws. With a total of 238 bosses, some encounters suffer from questionable design choices, like placing an Ulcerated Tree Spirit in a cramped catacomb. Many of these bosses are scattered across the open world or hidden in mini-dungeons, and it quickly becomes clear that you’ll face certain bosses multiple times—sometimes two, three, or even four times. The same goes for the mini-dungeons, which come in various forms (mines, catacombs, hero graves, caves, etc.). Once you've seen one mine, they all start to feel similar, with the hero graves offering a slight exception in variety.

The upside is that you’re not required to explore everything to complete the game; in fact, you might even find surprises in a New Game+ that you missed initially. The open world can also serve as a fallback for level farming if you're stuck on a difficult boss. That said, it often feels empty, as most of the meaningful action takes place in “Legacy Dungeons”—large, intricate areas featuring major story bosses. These dungeons are well-designed, challenging, and genuinely fun.

While many fans regard Elden Ring as a 10/10 masterpiece, I think it has too many minor flaws to reach that level of perfection. It’s a fantastic game, but an 8.5/10 feels like a fairer assessment.

The DLC Shadow of the Erdtree improves upon the base game in nearly every way.

This expansion features a more engaging open world filled with areas to explore and dungeons to conquer. Among these is a new type: "Forge" which reward you with special weapons at the end but no boss encounter. At first, this feels anti-climactic, but ultimately, it’s refreshing not to have to face yet another recycled boss.

Speaking of bosses, the overall quality here is leagues above the base game. Nearly every major boss (with one exception) is expertly crafted, delivering tough yet rewarding encounters. With "Messmer," FromSoftware might have crafted their finest boss yet, although I was expecting him to be the final boss.

The one exception is unsurprisingly Promised Consort Radahn. While visually impressive, something feels off in this battle. Perhaps it’s his odd hitboxes, the absurd range (is he on his toes just for extra reach? looks definietly weird af), or Miquella’s hair obscuring Radahn’s moves, making it almost impossible to read attacks. The fight demands near-flawless execution, which, while satisfying when done, is likely frustrating for 98% of players. With Malenia, FromSoftware struck a delicate balance between difficulty and enjoyment. With Radahn, they seem to have crossed the line, creating a fight that feels more tedious than fun.


**Final score pretends "Promised Consort Radahn" does not exist and excludes George R. R. Martins bad writting skills**
Like other Souls installments, Shadow of the Erdtree goes above and beyond the base game, delivering the refined experience Elden Ring was always meant to offer—a true 10/10. Although the lore could have been more compelling and the DLC's ending falls short in depth, the overall experience still shines as an exceptional addition to the Elden Ring universe.

[h1] Elden Ring [/h1] [h2] Basegame [/h2] Elden Ring delivers a sprawling open world, which, ironically, contributes to one of its major flaws. With a total of 238 bosses, some encounters suffer from questionable design choices, like placing an Ulcerated Tree Spirit in a cramped catacomb. Many of these bosses are scattered across the open world or hidden in mini-dungeons, and it quickly becomes clear that you’ll face certain bosses multiple times—sometimes two, three, or even four times. The same goes for the mini-dungeons, which come in various forms (mines, catacombs, hero graves, caves, etc.). Once you've seen one mine, they all start to feel similar, with the hero graves offering a slight exception in variety. The upside is that you’re not required to explore everything to complete the game; in fact, you might even find surprises in a New Game+ that you missed initially. The open world can also serve as a fallback for level farming if you're stuck on a difficult boss. That said, it often feels empty, as most of the meaningful action takes place in “Legacy Dungeons”—large, intricate areas featuring major story bosses. These dungeons are well-designed, challenging, and genuinely fun. While many fans regard Elden Ring as a 10/10 masterpiece, I think it has too many minor flaws to reach that level of perfection. It’s a fantastic game, but an 8.5/10 feels like a fairer assessment. [h2]Shadow of the Erdtree[/h2] The DLC Shadow of the Erdtree improves upon the base game in nearly every way. This expansion features a more engaging open world filled with areas to explore and dungeons to conquer. Among these is a new type: "Forge" which reward you with special weapons at the end but no boss encounter. At first, this feels anti-climactic, but ultimately, it’s refreshing not to have to face yet another recycled boss. Speaking of bosses, the overall quality here is leagues above the base game. Nearly every major boss (with one exception) is expertly crafted, delivering tough yet rewarding encounters. With "Messmer," FromSoftware might have crafted their finest boss yet, although I was expecting him to be the final boss. The one exception is unsurprisingly Promised Consort Radahn. While visually impressive, something feels off in this battle. Perhaps it’s his odd hitboxes, the absurd range (is he on his toes just for extra reach? looks definietly weird af), or Miquella’s hair obscuring Radahn’s moves, making it almost impossible to read attacks. The fight demands near-flawless execution, which, while satisfying when done, is likely frustrating for 98% of players. With Malenia, FromSoftware struck a delicate balance between difficulty and enjoyment. With Radahn, they seem to have crossed the line, creating a fight that feels more tedious than fun. **Final score pretends "Promised Consort Radahn" does not exist and excludes George R. R. Martins bad writting skills** Like other Souls installments, Shadow of the Erdtree goes above and beyond the base game, delivering the refined experience Elden Ring was always meant to offer—a true 10/10. Although the lore could have been more compelling and the DLC's ending falls short in depth, the overall experience still shines as an exceptional addition to the Elden Ring universe.