Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree vs Mortal Shell II
A finished, demanding expansion versus a buggy, faster Soulslike — the choice hinges on whether you want a known quantity or a tighter, riskier 26-hour ride.
Updated 3d ago
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.
Mortal Shell II nails crunchy, weighty combat with the Shell-class system — but wait for the bug fixes if you're not already a Souls vet.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 9; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 9.
| Measure | Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree | Mortal Shell II |
|---|---|---|
| Value Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree wins on value | ||
| Price now | $35.17 −12% · GameBillet | $49.99 Steam |
| All-time low | $31.49 | $49.99 |
| Cost / hour | $1.37/hr $35.17 · 26 h main story | — |
| Off its low | +12% low was Aug 2024 | At its low low was Jul 2026 |
| Main story | 26 h | — |
| Health | ||
| Steam reviews | 70% 104k reviews | 79% 20k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 53% 200 votes · vs 70% lifetime · souring | improving trend only |
| Peak players | — Not yet charted | 27,995 Aug 2026 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | — | 8 days ago |
| Patch cadence | — | 3 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | — | Gold |
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree if
- You already beat Mohg in the base Elden Ring and want 26 more hours in that world
- You enjoy Scadutree Fragment hunting and accept FromSoft's opaque quest tracking
- You want a stable 9.4/10 expansion rather than a launch-window gamble
Pick Mortal Shell II if
- You loved Sekiro's parry timing and want a Dark Souls-style map around it
- You finished Mortal Shell and want a shorter, tighter follow-up
- You can tolerate map-spawning loot bugs for crunchy, weighty Shell combat
Bottom line
Pick Shadow of the Erdtree if you've beaten Mohg and want the finished, 9.4/10 expansion; pick Mortal Shell II only if you're a Souls vet who values parry-driven combat over a bug-free 26 hours.