Crimson Desert vs Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Both are open-world action-RPGs with brutal combat, but only one asks you to finish its base game first — and they differ sharply in how much patience you'll spend.
Updated 20d 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 Sep 25; 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 25.
| Measure | Crimson Desert | Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree |
|---|---|---|
| Value Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree wins on value | ||
| Price now | $58.99 −16% · PlayerLand | $35.17 −12% · GameBillet |
| All-time low | $50.39 | $31.49 |
| Cost / hour | $0.91/hr $58.99 · 64 h main story | $1.37/hr $35.17 · 26 h main story |
| Off its low | +17% 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% 176k reviews | 70% 104k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 76% 3k votes · vs 84% lifetime · souring | 49% 228 votes · vs 70% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 44,164 Sep 2026 · ↑ 19% MoM | — Not yet charted |
| Launch peak | 16% of Mar 2026 launch peak · as of Sep 2026 | — |
| All-time peak | 275,859 Mar 2026 | — |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 11 days ago | — |
| Patch cadence | 15+ in last 90 days, at minimum | — |
| Steam Deck | Gold | — |
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Crimson Desert if
- You want a brand-new open world without finishing another game first
- You have 60+ hours for a main story and enjoy Bethesda-style exploration
- You don't mind inventory UI quirks and some endgame grind walls
Pick Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree if
- You already beat Elden Ring and crave 26 more hours in its world
- You enjoy opaque progression like hunting Scadutree Fragments instead of grinding Runes
- You're ready for steep boss fights where patch 1.14 tamed Consort Radahn's combos
Bottom line
If you never finished Elden Ring, pick Crimson Desert for a fresh 64-hour world — but if you already beat Mohg, Shadow of the Erdtree's 26 focused hours at $1–2 each are the better return.