Summary
In the modern age of gaming, there are certain expectations placed on DLC, especially those that use the term ‘expansion’ in their marketing. Any DLC that costs above the $20 mark is expected to offer a sizable addition to the base game, including new enemy types, new areas, and a handful of new mechanics or new ways to play. When aDLC is above the $40 mark, those expectations are turned up significantly, which put a lot of pressure onElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreebefore launch.
The long-awaited expansion to the 2022 Game Awards' Game of the Year,Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeoffers even more content than fans were expecting. For $40,Elden Ringfans get to experience an entirely new area, which itself splits off into a plethora of different locations. These locations are packed to the brim with new weapons, new enemies, new armor sets, and, of course, new bosses, all of which combine to give the DLC a runtime that comes surprisingly close to FromSoftware’s previous, fully-fledged titles.
Breaking Down Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s Length
Before comparingElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s length to the FromSoftware games that came before it, it’s important to break down exactly what this expansion offers. BeforeShadow of the Erdtree’s launch,Elden Ring’s director Hidetaka Miyazakimade numerous statements about the DLC’s size, claiming its map to roughly be equal to the base game’s Limgrave area. While that sounded too good to be true, it turns out Miyazaki was actually being a little modest.
According to recent analysts, like Reddit user GilliamYaeger whooverlaidShadow of the Erdtree’s map on top of The Lands Between’s, the DLC’s Land of Shadow is roughly the size of Limgrave and Caelid combined, with a little extra added for good measure. And withShadow of the Erdtreehaving a great deal of verticality in its level design, even more content is packed into that space. While it’s still a little early to make concrete statements on the DLC’s length, it seems as thoughElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeis taking players around 15-20 hours to finish its main content, and around 30-40 hours to see everything the DLC has to offer.
20 Hours
38 Hours
BeforeElden Ring, FromSoftware was relatively consistent when it came to the size of its games. WhileDemon’s Souls' average main story completion time dips below the 30-hour mark, the rest of FromSoft’s catalog takes somewhere between 30 and 40 hours to finish. Interestingly, allDark Soulsentries take over 100 hours to complete fully, whileDemon’s Souls,Bloodborne, andSekirotake between 70 and 80 hours. Of course,Elden Ringtakes the cake for the largest FromSoftware game ever made, taking players around 60 hours just to finish its core content, and over 130 to complete everything.
Considering it’s only a DLC, albeit a pricey one, it’s impressive to see just how wellElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s runtimestacks up compared to the rest of FromSoftware’s library, offering just 10 hours less of main story content than most of its predecessors. And when all of its optional content is considered,Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeoffers a full-length FromSoftware action-RPG experience.
All average completion times have been taken from HowLongToBeat.com
Practically the length of an entire fully-fledgedFromSoftware action-RPG,Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeblows the studio’s past DLCs out of the water, at least when it comes to runtime. Before this DLC,Bloodborne: The Old Huntersoffered the longest FromSoftware DLC experience alongsideDark Souls 3: The Ringed City, both of which took 11 hours to complete fully. But that still doesn’t hold a candle toShadow of the Erdtree’s whopping 38 hours.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
