Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree represents FromSoftware at the height of their powers as a development team. That much is clear, but it's not perfect. (Be warned, mild spoilers ahead.)

The worldspace of Shadow of the Erdtree itself is by far my favorite part of this DLC, and easily the best play area FromSoftware has ever created; the Shadowed Lands are beautiful in ways I can’t even imagine, and find difficult to describe. My first few minutes had my jaw dropping, with the soft yet piercing darkness of the Gravesite Plain and the distant glow of the Scadutree. Then I eventually encountered locations like the Cerulean Coast with its sweeping horizons of sweetest blue, the Jagged Peak with its imposing cliffs and oppressive heat, and the abject horror of the Abyssal Woods. You feel the locations in the DLC as much as you see them, and that is nothing short of a total win for FromSoftware.

And all of that without even discussing the fact that these locations are filled with dungeons, settlements, ruins and secrets just waiting to be discovered. Dungeons manage to set themselves apart from the base game, while still retaining their familiar charm. Whether it’s the cold chill of rather uncomfortable lore revelations in Bonny Gaol, or the almost industrial feel of the Forges, each location manages to have its own unique identity while still keeping in line with the overall theme of the area. And yes, it really is bigger than Limgrave.

Elden Ring was beautiful, but Shadow of the Erdtree is inspired.