Recent reviews by J8sin

Before we begin, I would like to note that I am a recent FromSoftware fan; Elden Ring was my first Fromsoft game, with my second being Sekiro, then Dark Souls 1 and 3.

At first, I found "Shadow of the Erdtree" to be very challenging—challenging to the point of being slightly off-putting. However, being a massive fan of Elden Ring, I persevered. I managed to defeat all but one of the story bosses on the first day, getting stopped by the final boss (Name in list below (spoilers)).

Realising I needed to upgrade my Scadutree Blessings, I scoured the entire map for Scadutree Fragments. Initially, I thought my level 140 character was underlevelled, but it turned out that upgrading the blessings was the key. On the third day, armed with upgraded blessings, I returned to the final boss and defeated it with ease.

This DLC feels like a standalone game rather than just an add-on to Elden Ring. Its progression, bosses, level design, enemies, and overall feel reminded me a lot of Dark Souls 3—to the point where I jokingly called it Dark Souls 3 2. The bosses hit hard but have less health compared to those in the base game. After playing Dark Souls 3 post-Elden Ring, I found the bosses significantly easier because of how quickly they could be defeated. The lower health of these bosses made the fights exhilarating; knowing that victory was within reach after a single hit made me want to keep trying, no matter how many times I failed.



Most of these are based on moveset,
I also included Scadutree Blessings I had at the time:

Story Bosses:

Boss

Difficulty

Strategy

Blessing

Divine Beast Dancing Lion

5/10

Rotten Breath, Nagakiba Double Slash

Blessing 2

Rellana, Twin Moon Knight

4/10

Godslayer's Greatsword Jumping R2

Blessing 3

Messmer the Impaler

8/10

Mimic Tear, Rotten Breath, Nagakiba Double Slash

Blessing 6

Romina, Saint of the Bud

2/10

Fire Knight's Greatsword Jumping R2 & Flame Skewer

Blessing 7

Promised Consort Radahn

9/10

Mimic Tear, Reduvia. I also stopped summoning Sir Ansbach because he did more harm than good.

Blessing 16

Optional Bosses:

Boss

Difficulty

Strategy

Blessing

Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame

6/10

Nagakiba Double Slash w/ Rot Grease

Blessing 10

Commander Gaius

7/10

Mimic Tear, Fire Knight's Greatsword Flame Skewer

Blessing 10

Putrescent Knight

4/10

Fire Knight's Greatsword Flame Skewer

Blessing 12

Scadutree Avatar

3/10

Fire Knight's Greatsword Flame Skewer

Blessing 12

Metyr, Mother of Fingers

1/10

Nagakiba Double Slash

Blessing 14

Bayle the Dread

1/10

Dragon-Hunter's Great Katana (trivialised the fight)

Blessing 15

Metyr and Bayle were the only two bosses I killed on the first try.

This DLC is a massive fanservice: The Final Boss, Optional Bosses, Incantations, Sorceries, Ashes of War, and even many of the weapons are tailored for fans of Elden Ring and FromSoftware; most particularly Prime Radahn and Midra . These additions and references will be greatly appreciated by long-time fans, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the already rich experience.

Great game; wish I'd tried it sooner. As an Elden Ring player new to fromsoft games, it's really nice to see where all the mechanics developed from. Overall much easier than Elden Ring, but offers less variety in playstyle. The DLC spells/weapons are very nice; they make me expect a lot from the upcoming Elden Ring DLC.

Try finger but hole

go play umvc3

Good game. Not as challenging as 4U/XX, but still good fun.

Boring for those who enjoy rich combat system.
Amazing for those who want an alternate life.

Awesome story, but the BSAA storyline could use some improvements.
Mercenaries mode requires lots of skills to actually "win", but the Mercenaries No Mercy mode proves to be enjoyable and not as difficult, compared to the Mercenaries. Highly recommended.

Buy it. It'll be worth it even if it's a hundred bucks.
Highly recommended for people who love to free-roam.