Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition Reviews
Words can hardly capture the wonders within Elden Ring. Apart from a few cheap boss battles, this is one of the best action RPGs ever made. Tarnished Edition is as complete as it gets and contains roughly three games' worth of content. Why can't all games be crafted with this much vision and boldness? The lunacy of it looking and running as well as it does on Nintendo Switch 2 makes this an absolute must-have for the console.
ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition combines one of the best games ever made with perhaps the best DLC ever made and it performs much better than you'd assume on Switch 2 so it's a definite must-play for anyone who has yet to traverse the Lands Between. đź’Ť
ELDEN RING: Tarnished Edition is aimed primarily at Nintendo fans who haven’t played the game yet, as well as those who would like to rediscover all of its secrets—this time with the option to continue their adventure away from the TV.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is an astonishing Switch 2 port that preserves the scale, exploration, challenge, and sheer density of FromSoftware’s masterpiece while delivering surprisingly stable performance, sharp visuals, comfortable handheld controls, and the complete experience including Shadow of the Erdtree. Its enormous scope can still feel unnecessarily complicated, some questlines remain frustratingly opaque, and parts of the adventure repeat familiar ideas, but technically this is one of the most impressive conversions on the platform.
Review in Czech | Read full review
The wait was well worth it: Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition arrives on handheld in its most complete form yet, offering impressive visuals and solid performance. It is an excellent choice for those who have already completed the game, thanks to the new classes and weapons, but even more so for anyone who has never ventured into the Lands Between. Highly recommended.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Is it worth revisiting Elden Ring again if you own this game on other platforms? In short, not really. After just an hour into this version I could already see that the Switch 2 wasn’t fully up to the task. While the game still looks good, there was plenty of slowdown in the open areas. In a game where survival depends so much on very well-timed attacks, and defense, seeing the game skip a few frames at inopportune times will kill the experience. It’s painfully obvious that the Switch 2 struggles to keep up. When compared to the PC version, even on an older gaming rig, I’d much rather play it on PC.
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 brings a masterful action-RPG to new shores - a surprisingly polished package despite some minor technical drawbacks, but the wealth of content is worth every single cent.
I recommend Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition to those interested in either reliving the Elden Ring experience on the go, embarking on the punishing DLC after a lapse, or even those trying From Software’s masterpiece for the first time. I just wish that the asking price wasn’t so steep. I think that the $79.99 MSRP is a bit of a pill to swallow, but considering that it’s for a platform where third-party games typically go on sale, this is one release you’re going to want to keep your eyes on.
Elden Ring was my game of the year back in 2023 and it’s been really nice to go back and experience the adventure all over again. Will I still predominantly play on the console? Absolutely but being able to experience the game on handheld so that I can loudly swear on train rides? That sounds like perfection. The obvious limitations of the Switch paired with the general issues I have with Elden Ring has knocked the game down to achieve the Thumb Culture Gold Award. It’s still one of my favourite games and it’s definitely worth adding to your game library!
FromSoftware made great use of the extra development time to optimize ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch 2, and the results speak for themselves. Performance isn't flawless, but the game looks fantastic in both docked and handheld mode. The full package, expansion included, will keep you glued to your console for dozens of hours, and Soulslike fans can dive in without hesitation. Even newcomers to the genre will find an ideal entry point here, as this remains FromSoftware's most accessible title. That said, don't take it lightly — you will die, often.
Review in German | Read full review
In the end, Elden Ring is a game that divides opinion. Some simply can't come to terms with the Soulslike principle itself. Some wish there were more Dark Souls in it. Others, less Sekiro. And so on and so forth. Yet for all Nintendo Switch 2 owners, especially those who haven't yet gotten to play the game, it's worth a look. Whether in handheld mode or docked, both ways of playing are fun (for me), and technically the game has been solidly ported. Elden Ring is without a doubt one of the greatest games of this generation. And with the Tarnished Edition, more gamers can now form their own opinion. Personally, I can only recommend it.
Review in German | Read full review
FromSoftware's epic adventure has only gotten better with time, and playing it in handheld mode on a road trip is an exquisite experience that must be seen to be believed.
ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition succeeded in what it set out to do. It could have had more content for those who have already played it, and the necessary downgrades might feel a bit strange, but the essence was successfully maintained, and this can be considered one of the best ports the console has received so far, at least from my point of view.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 is a superb adaptation that brings one of the best ARPGs in history to a new audience. With the inclusion of the “Shadow of the Erdtree” expansion right from launch and commendable performance in handheld mode, it’s the perfect opportunity both for veterans looking to take the journey with them wherever they go and for those who’ve been waiting for the ideal opportunity to make their debut in the Middle Lands.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition is a technical feat that brings FromSoftware’s masterpiece and its excellent expansion to the Switch 2’s handheld format without compromise. Despite some minor trade-offs regarding performance stability and resolution, the game’s freedom, gameplay, and art style shine through intact. It is a must-buy for anyone seeking a colossal adventure that can be enjoyed anywhere.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
If you have somehow managed to avoid FromSoftware’s masterpiece until now or want the ultimate portable soulslike experience on the Nintendo Switch 2, this definitive package belongs in your library despite its frustrating quirks and high difficulty spike. This is a God-tier port and one of the definitive ways to play this amazing game. The powerhouse ports continue on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition isn't a completely new version of the masterpiece—and it doesn't need to be. FromSoftware is bringing one of the best action RPGs of recent years—including *Shadow of the Erdtree*—to the Nintendo Switch 2, delivering a port that's technically far more impressive than early impressions suggested.
Review in German | Read full review
If this review reads a little negatively, it is more down to setting a fair expectation to the sacrifices made to get Elden Ring onto the Nintendo Switch 2 to start with. Whether those ends justify the means is, ultimately, down to the buyer. What I can say is this; Elden Ring is intact on Switch 2, perhaps closer to the older days of FromSoftware releases than the new on the technical side, but the best way to play on a handheld and still an excellent videogame for those who haven’t dived in yet on other consoles. A tarnished epic, but an epic nonetheless.
ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition remains difficult, mysterious, enormous, and occasionally frustrating, but those qualities are still part of what makes it special. You are given a world that does not always explain itself, enemies that can punish mistakes, and a progression system that offers you countless ways to respond.
Elden Ring on Nintendo Switch 2 has finally convinced me I need to play it properly.