Crimson Desert vs Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Crimson Desert unfurls an 84%-rated 64-hour world to wander; Shadow of the Erdtree serves a brutal 26-hour masterclass only for Elden Ring veterans.
Updated 3d ago
The combat rig and region-by-region exploration carry 300 hours; the main story and voice acting fall short — buy it for the world, skip if you need a plot.
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 23; 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 23.
| Measure | Crimson Desert | Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree |
|---|---|---|
| Value Too close to call | ||
| Price now | $55.99 −20% · Epic Game Store | $35.17 −12% · GameBillet |
| All-time low | $55.99 | $31.49 |
| Cost / hour | $0.87/hr $55.99 · 64 h main story | $1.37/hr $35.17 · 26 h main story |
| Off its low | At its low low was Aug 2026 | +12% low was Aug 2024 |
| Main story | 64 h | 26 h |
| Health Crimson Desert wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 84% 167k reviews | 70% 104k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 78% 2k votes · vs 84% lifetime · souring | 57% 167 votes · vs 70% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 26,599 Jul 2026 · ↓ 44% MoM | — Not yet charted |
| Launch peak | 10% of Mar 2026 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 | — |
| All-time peak | 275,859 Mar 2026 | — |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | today | — |
| Patch cadence | 15+ in last 90 days, at minimum | — |
| Steam Deck | Gold | — |
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Crimson Desert if
- You love huge open worlds and Bethesda-style exploration without a map marker hand-hold
- You want deep combat and boss challenges across a 64-hour main arc
- You avoid games requiring you to have played another title first
Pick Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree if
- You finished base Elden Ring and beat Mohg to unlock the Land of Shadow
- You enjoy opaque, exploration-driven progression like Scadutree Fragments over standard leveling
- You accept steep difficulty and obscure questlines without needing a guided narrative
Bottom line
Crimson Desert wins for players wanting a massive, exploration-first adventure with a low cost-per-hour; choose Shadow of the Erdtree if you've conquered Elden Ring and crave a dense, punishing add-on with a 9.4 verdict.