Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree vs Nioh 3
Choose Erdtree for a hands-off 35-40 more Elden Ring hours; Nioh 3 for sharper combat that demands precise reflexes.
Updated 25d 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.
Punches above its sequel weight — Nioh 3's Samurai/Ninja stance system is Team Ninja's sharpest combat to date, despite empty-zone pacing.
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 | Nioh 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Value Nioh 3 wins on value | ||
| Price now | $35.17 −12% · GameBillet | $33.95 −51% · GameBillet |
| All-time low | $31.49 | $33.95 |
| Cost / hour | $1.37/hr $35.17 · 26 h main story | $1.25/hr $33.95 · 27 h main story |
| Off its low | +12% low was Aug 2024 | At its low low was Sep 2026 |
| Main story | 26 h | 27 h |
| Health Nioh 3 wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 70% 104k reviews | 78% 19k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 53% 200 votes · vs 70% lifetime · souring | 57% 317 votes · vs 78% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | — Not yet charted | 10,863 Aug 2026 · ↑ 377% MoM |
| Launch peak | — | 12% of Feb 2026 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | — | 87,778 Feb 2026 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | — | 6 days ago |
| Patch cadence | — | 4 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | — | Gold |
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree if
- You've beaten Elden Ring and want more of its world
- You enjoy obscure progression and exploring to find stat boosts
- You're on a budget and want 35-40 hours at $1-2 an hour
Pick Nioh 3 if
- You prefer stance-shifting combat over roll-and-mash style
- You have a high-refresh PC or PS5 for parry timing
- You don't want to replay a base game just to access DLC
Bottom line
Pick Elden Ring if you're already invested in the base game; choose Nioh 3 if you crave deeper combat and can stomach its open-field lulls—both cost over $2 per main-story hour.