Summary
Erdtree is an endgame addition, so I don't see any problem with FromSoft forcing its players to reach a certain aptitude before diving in. The map may look titchy in comparison to the Lands Between, but it's home to more fuckery per capita. The glintiest loot is located in or on structures that'll make you go "how the fu-" so often, you know FromSoft's designers placed them there with a cackle.
In-between many of these dungeons is a bit of a space to breathe in the delightful rotten air. Some will find unravelling this intertwined architecture an even greater joy than the Land Between's offerings. But I think some could find it frustrating, or at worst - paralysing.
All of the bosses are of an endgame variety, meaning they're all tuned to make your dodge reflexes twitch a little too early. There are plenty of interesting weapons that have entered Elden Ring's arsenal, many of which sate folks like me who want to swing a giant slab of something.
Whether you do or don't care about the story, it's an undeniable fact that Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree is a brilliant expansion. It swung around at just the right time for me personally, as someone who reached the EldenRing exhaustion point. Erdtree has a more focused interlocking map and locales that seem more adventurous, bleaker, weirder.
