Dragon’s Dogma 2 vs Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
A sequel that doubles down on pawn-driven exploration versus a DLC that demands mastery — one rewards curiosity, the other persistence.
Updated 10d ago
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.
By the numbers
Prices checked Aug 7; 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 7.
| Measure | Dragon’s Dogma 2 | Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree |
|---|---|---|
| Value Dragon’s Dogma 2 wins on value | ||
| Price now | $34.99 −13% · Newegg | $35.17 −12% · GameBillet |
| All-time low | $10.88 | $31.49 |
| Cost / hour | $1.11/hr $34.99 · 31 h main story | $1.37/hr $35.17 · 26 h main story |
| Off its low | +222% vs $10.88 low | +12% vs $31.49 low |
| Main story | 31 h | 26 h |
| Health Too close to call | ||
| Steam reviews | 62% 116k reviews | 70% 104k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 74% 343 votes · vs 62% lifetime · improving | 58% 186 votes · vs 70% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 4,122 Jul 2026 · ↓ 19% MoM | — Not yet charted |
| Launch peak | 2% of Mar 2024 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 | — |
| All-time peak | 228,285 Mar 2024 | — |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 8 weeks ago | — |
| Patch cadence | 1 in last 90 days | — |
| Steam Deck | Silver | — |
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Dragon’s Dogma 2 if
- You loved original Dragon's Dogma pawn system and want a polished sequel
- You enjoy class variety with 10+ vocations to switch between
- You're OK with single-save-slot RPG design and fast-travel costs
Pick Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree if
- You finished base Elden Ring and want 35-40 more hours of challenge
- You enjoy obscure progression via Scadutree Fragments found by exploring
- You don't mind FromSoft's vague questline tracking and steep bosses
Bottom line
Choose Dragon’s Dogma 2 if you value pawn AI and class experimentation; pick Shadow of the Erdtree if you've conquered the Lands Between and crave more FromSoft challenge.
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