Dragon’s Dogma 2 vs Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Two 2024 action-RPGs that reward curiosity, but one leans on party synergy while the other demands solo mastery.
If you can forgive the original's quirks, DD2 holds up — patches fixed CPU performance and the microtransaction outrage was overblown (everything's findable in-game).
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.
Steam popularity
Dragon’s Dogma 2
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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
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Key differences
World exploration
DD2's open world uses a single save and limited fast travel to force commitment to your choices.
SotE's Land of Shadow hides its progression in Scadutree Fragments, rewarding thorough off-road hunting.
Combat system
DD2's 10 vocations and adaptable AI pawns create emergent party-based battles.
SotE focuses on punishing solo duels with complex boss move sets and no equivalent support systems.
Onboarding requirements
DD2 is a standalone sequel but its pawn and exploration quirks are best understood after the original.
SotE requires beating Elden Ring's Mohg — it's endgame content for veterans only.
Which one is for you?
Pick Dragon’s Dogma 2 if
- You want AI companions that learn and adapt during combat.
- You enjoy switching between 10 distinct classes throughout your run.
- You're fine with a single save slot and minimal fast travel.
Pick Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree if
- You already conquered Elden Ring and crave the series' hardest boss gauntlet.
- You prefer solo challenges where every upgrade is a hard-won discovery.
- You own the base game and have 35-40 more hours to invest.
Bottom line
Pick Dragon's Dogma 2 for its inventive pawn system and class depth. Pick Shadow of the Erdtree if you want FromSoft's most demanding content after Elden Ring.