Note: Despite putting 40 hours into it and playing since launch, I have not done 100% of the entire DLC. I did most of the content, roughly 75% or more, and the final boss with the main content in mind. With that said, let's begin.

I do not say this lightly, it is a very good DLC but with major problems. But I will give credit when credit is due, the DLC is massive. It could be it's own game even, and I know From Software has placed an incredible amount of work into this DLC, and it shows. Completely impressive with so many new weapons, talismans, bosses, unique areas, hidden secrets, npcs, and more. I'm still thankful for the experience and the DLC is a very incredible experience. With that said, the problems definitely outweighs the good. I so wanted to give this DLC a thumbs up, a 'yes' to recommended but I cannot.

To say some pros real quick, areas are breathtaking. The world is absolutely jaw dropping and the magnitude of detail is an understatement. DLC really feels like a whole new world and I am very impressed with how it all connects, the short cuts, the places that's engaging and very memorable visually. But that's it for pros. Now, for the cons.

One of the major issues is performance. Not all of the map is low FPS, but some areas are almost unplayable even with solid graphic cards. It's hard to complete an area due to performance issues and frame rate stutters. I am sure down the line it'll get patched but for now, I had to stop advancing some areas which is why I haven't completed 100% of the DLC.

Almost as big of a concern as the performance. I'm no stranger to DLC's having harder content then the base game. I have played all the DLC's from Dark Souls 1, 2, 3, Sekiro, Bloodborne, ect. and they all slapped. I have completed them with the upmost satisfactory, Bloodborne's still having the crown of DLC quality. But Elden Ring's? I didn't mind collecting Scadutree Fragments and Reverse Spirit Ashe Fragments to empower myself; it is a unique system so over leveled characters don't breeze through the DLC. However, some of the bosses, especially down the midway to end game, are very unfun to engage with. They have insane combos, little breathing room, attack you immediately upon entering the door, and certain bosses (especially the final one) is incredibly unfair; to the degree it's designed to be straight up punishing then engaging.

Not all the bosses mind you, there are some fun ones. But yes, others, especially some mandatory bosses, really do not sit well with me. They still hit very hard, attack far too fast, their hit boxes are farther than they look, and one boss in mind is so unfair I had not barely seen anyone complete it apart from myself. Even when defeating said bosses, it isn't the satisfaction of overcoming a difficult boss but rather, frustration that the boss was not worth the time engaging with. I feel From Software did not even playtest some of these bosses; and the final boss will forever be considered the worst in the trilogy for this reason.

Another major issue is the amount of enemies reused in areas, and some bosses being reused with more obnoxious abilities (refer to the artificial difficulty problem). I understand From Software were incredibly ambitious in making the biggest DLC ever, but bigger doesn't mean better. While there were plenty of unique enemies and very interesting creatures to deal with, the amount they were often reused became noticeable. Also yes, majority of the dragons here were also mostly the same as base and didn't add anything to the experience besides a little twist thrown in, which was appreciated but didn't make up for the annoyance of dealing with said dragons. Overall wished there was more variety or reasons for said enemies to be reused, many of the lands stick with the same enemies they have.

So ... this is a little spoiler but not to the story or plot. More so, a lot of the items you come across are going to be either useless to you if you've maxed out a character with many upgrades in hand, or do not care for using different weapons. Worse, a lot of the items you otherwise come across are cook books. If you do not use cook books often, it'll be useless and I kept getting so many cook books it became funny in a sad way. I get that not everyone who plays the DLC will have a maxed out character who's completed the base game, but many had and will find no use for a Somber Stone 1 in a hidden area, or a cook book to throw a heavy pot when they don't bother with heavy pots at all. Thankfully there are plenty of cool weapons, spells, augments, ect. that you do find but more often than not it's a little item or cook book.

... So spoilers ahead, skip this if you do not want to be spoiled.

Despite the NPCs are interesting and unique with amazing armor, skills, and such, they are predictable in nature. You think one will betray you? Probably correct. Another is going to turn out mad or get crazy? You're right. Also again, no happy endings for anyone, and I don't expect a happy ending but the way things played out ... it's just a repeat and the same thing From Software often does with all their NPCs. Having to deal with them, knowing bonding with them will be pointless, and being proven right is really a dull feeling. I wanted to at least have someone to look forward to seeing in the end, to engage with, to overcome or feeling their journey was worth it. But yea, how it turned out I didn't end up enjoying a single NPC and they were just obstacles in the end.

As for the story, it is ... ruined for me. The way the finale goes down, and the execution was so bad I had to turn the game off and take some time. It was definitely not the way the game should had taken the conclusion to Elden Ring and I really don't understand why they felt it'd be a satisfying outcome to the greatest game to have came out. The final boss as well as the truth(s) make this all feel so much like a fan fic, I cannot fathom how they thought this would make the community so invested in joy. It brings the complete opposite and many, and I mean many I have seen on the forums share this feeling of disappointment.

Elden Ring, the base game is a very good game and will hold up to be GOTY material, and the DLC is also very good. Make no mistake, the DLC still has plenty to offer and those who want to experience going to unique places, seeing the sights, discovering secrets, and experiencing Elden Ring all over again? The DLC does provide that. But the cons, the drawbacks, and the execution, once you play enough you see the fatal flaws and past the mid point to ending, it really reveals itself. I was not only disappointed with the DLC, I felt like they dropped the ball hard. Unless you want certain gear, talismans, and such, there will never be a reason I will ever want to replay this DLC. It was a great one time experience but I will stick to the base game after this. I dread the idea From Software will double down on the artificial difficulty and not learn their lesson in what made their previous games so amazing.

Hopefully in future content, not every boss will feel like fast spamming, tanky machine that can 1-2 shot you. I'm getting tired of that and want skill with good execution than having to play the waiting game to get a hit in and watch the boss be an anime character for 20 seconds before getting the chance to try anything. ESPECIALLY the final boss, that's enough guys.

[b]Note: Despite putting 40 hours into it and playing since launch, I have not done 100% of the entire DLC. I did most of the content, roughly 75% or more, and the final boss with the main content in mind. With that said, let's begin.[/b] [h1]Flawed Masterpiece[/h1] I do not say this lightly, it is a very good DLC but with major problems. But I will give credit when credit is due, the DLC is massive. It could be it's own game even, and I know From Software has placed an incredible amount of work into this DLC, and it shows. Completely impressive with so many new weapons, talismans, bosses, unique areas, hidden secrets, npcs, and more. I'm still thankful for the experience and the DLC is a very incredible experience. With that said, the problems definitely outweighs the good. I so wanted to give this DLC a thumbs up, a 'yes' to recommended but I cannot. To say some pros real quick, areas are breathtaking. The world is absolutely jaw dropping and the magnitude of detail is an understatement. DLC really feels like a whole new world and I am very impressed with how it all connects, the short cuts, the places that's engaging and very memorable visually. But that's it for pros. Now, for the cons. [h1]Performance[/h1] One of the major issues is performance. Not all of the map is low FPS, but some areas are almost unplayable even with solid graphic cards. It's hard to complete an area due to performance issues and frame rate stutters. I am sure down the line it'll get patched but for now, I had to stop advancing some areas which is why I haven't completed 100% of the DLC. [h1]Artificial Difficulty[/h1] Almost as big of a concern as the performance. I'm no stranger to DLC's having harder content then the base game. I have played all the DLC's from Dark Souls 1, 2, 3, Sekiro, Bloodborne, ect. and they all slapped. I have completed them with the upmost satisfactory, Bloodborne's still having the crown of DLC quality. But Elden Ring's? I didn't mind collecting Scadutree Fragments and Reverse Spirit Ashe Fragments to empower myself; it is a unique system so over leveled characters don't breeze through the DLC. However, some of the bosses, especially down the midway to end game, are very unfun to engage with. They have insane combos, little breathing room, attack you immediately upon entering the door, and certain bosses (especially the final one) is incredibly unfair; to the degree it's designed to be straight up punishing then engaging. Not all the bosses mind you, there are some fun ones. But yes, others, especially some mandatory bosses, really do not sit well with me. They still hit very hard, attack far too fast, their hit boxes are farther than they look, and one boss in mind is so unfair I had not barely seen anyone complete it apart from myself. Even when defeating said bosses, it isn't the satisfaction of overcoming a difficult boss but rather, frustration that the boss was not worth the time engaging with. I feel From Software did not even playtest some of these bosses; and the final boss will forever be considered the worst in the trilogy for this reason. [h1]Reused Enemies / Bosses[/h1] Another major issue is the amount of enemies reused in areas, and some bosses being reused with more obnoxious abilities (refer to the artificial difficulty problem). I understand From Software were incredibly ambitious in making the biggest DLC ever, but bigger doesn't mean better. While there were plenty of unique enemies and very interesting creatures to deal with, the amount they were often reused became noticeable. Also yes, majority of the dragons here were also mostly the same as base and didn't add anything to the experience besides a little twist thrown in, which was appreciated but didn't make up for the annoyance of dealing with said dragons. Overall wished there was more variety or reasons for said enemies to be reused, many of the lands stick with the same enemies they have. [h1]Special Items?[/h1] So ... this is a little spoiler but not to the story or plot. More so, a lot of the items you come across are going to be either useless to you if you've maxed out a character with many upgrades in hand, or do not care for using different weapons. Worse, a lot of the items you otherwise come across are cook books. If you do not use cook books often, it'll be useless and I kept getting so many cook books it became funny in a sad way. I get that not everyone who plays the DLC will have a maxed out character who's completed the base game, but many had and will find no use for a Somber Stone 1 in a hidden area, or a cook book to throw a heavy pot when they don't bother with heavy pots at all. Thankfully there are plenty of cool weapons, spells, augments, ect. that you do find but more often than not it's a little item or cook book. [h1]Story / NPCs[/h1] ... So spoilers ahead, skip this if you do not want to be spoiled. Despite the NPCs are interesting and unique with amazing armor, skills, and such, they are predictable in nature. You think one will betray you? Probably correct. Another is going to turn out mad or get crazy? You're right. Also again, no happy endings for anyone, and I don't expect a happy ending but the way things played out ... it's just a repeat and the same thing From Software often does with all their NPCs. Having to deal with them, knowing bonding with them will be pointless, and being proven right is really a dull feeling. I wanted to at least have someone to look forward to seeing in the end, to engage with, to overcome or feeling their journey was worth it. But yea, how it turned out I didn't end up enjoying a single NPC and they were just obstacles in the end. As for the story, it is ... [spoiler]ruined for me.[/spoiler] The way the finale goes down, and the execution was so bad I had to turn the game off and take some time. It was definitely not the way the game should had taken the conclusion to Elden Ring and I really don't understand why they felt it'd be a satisfying outcome to the greatest game to have came out. The final boss as well as the truth(s) make this all feel so much like a fan fic, I cannot fathom how they thought this would make the community so invested in joy. It brings the complete opposite and many, and I mean many I have seen on the forums share this feeling of disappointment. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] Elden Ring, the base game is a very good game and will hold up to be GOTY material, and the DLC is also very good. Make no mistake, the DLC still has plenty to offer and those who want to experience going to unique places, seeing the sights, discovering secrets, and experiencing Elden Ring all over again? The DLC does provide that. But the cons, the drawbacks, and the execution, once you play enough you see the fatal flaws and past the mid point to ending, it really reveals itself. I was not only disappointed with the DLC, I felt like they dropped the ball hard. Unless you want certain gear, talismans, and such, there will never be a reason I will ever want to replay this DLC. It was a great one time experience but I will stick to the base game after this. I dread the idea From Software will double down on the artificial difficulty and not learn their lesson in what made their previous games so amazing. Hopefully in future content, not every boss will feel like fast spamming, tanky machine that can 1-2 shot you. I'm getting tired of that and want skill with good execution than having to play the waiting game to get a hit in and watch the boss be an anime character for 20 seconds before getting the chance to try anything. ESPECIALLY the final boss, that's enough guys.