Black Myth: Wukong vs Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
A boss-rush action RPG versus a sprawling expansion — which punishing adventure fits your patience?
Updated 10d ago
Killer boss combat with Journey-to-the-West mythology — Wukong's lategame fights rival Orphan of Kos, but Chapter 2 onward demands real Sekiro-level patience.
Best-in-class single-player DLC if you finished base Elden Ring — Land of Shadow rivals a full game, and patch 1.14 tamed Consort Radahn's combos.
By the numbers
Prices checked Aug 7; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Aug 7.
| Measure | Black Myth: Wukong | Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree |
|---|---|---|
| Value Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree wins on value | ||
| Price now | $59.99 Steam | $35.17 −12% · GameBillet |
| All-time low | $41.99 | $31.49 |
| Cost / hour | $1.59/hr $59.99 · 38 h main story | $1.37/hr $35.17 · 26 h main story |
| Off its low | +43% vs $41.99 low | +12% vs $31.49 low |
| Main story | 38 h | 26 h |
| Health Black Myth: Wukong wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 97% 1.2M reviews | 70% 104k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 91% 2k votes · vs 97% lifetime · souring | 58% 186 votes · vs 70% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 18,815 Jul 2026 · ↑ 4% MoM | — Not yet charted |
| Launch peak | 1% of Aug 2024 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 | — |
| All-time peak | 2,406,967 Aug 2024 | — |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 7 months ago | — |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | — |
| Steam Deck | Gold | — |
Black Myth: Wukong
Aug 2024 – Jul 2026
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Steam Charts hasn't recorded a calendar month yet.
Key differences
World structure
Wukong's levels are linear corridors funneling you into over 80 boss fights.
Shadow of the Erdtree's open world rewards exploration with Scadutree Fragments.
Combat pacing
Wukong demands Sekiro-like parry timing and aggressive spell usage against each boss.
Shadow builds on Elden Ring's tactical combat with new weapon types and Ashes of War.
Story integration
Wukong leans heavily on Journey to the West mythology for its narrative and character design.
Shadow extends Elden Ring's cryptic lore about Miquella, Marika, and the Land of Shadow.
Which one is for you?
Pick Black Myth: Wukong if
- You want a 60-hour boss gauntlet with minimal open-world wandering
- You love heroic monkey king aesthetics and Chinese mythology
- You have Sekiro or Bloodborne experience and crave more tough bosses
Pick Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree if
- You finished base Elden Ring and want 35-40 more hours of its world
- You enjoy obscure progression tied to exploration (Scadutree Fragments)
- You're fine with FromSoft's vague quests and opaque difficulty spikes
Bottom line
Pick Wukong for a focused boss rush with mythological flavor; pick Shadow of the Erdtree if you already love Elden Ring's open world and want more.