This is the best summary I could come up with:
Having played through its entirety last week for my review, though, I can confidently say that it's not unfair, as every foe possesses learnable movesets with consistent, readable telegraphing (the base game actually had a few problems with this).
While Shadow of the Erdtree is home to some of FromSoftware's toughest ever boss fights, finally taking them down after hours of patient perseverance led to some of the highest highs I've ever felt playing a game.
I couldn't help but loudly cheer despite the fact it was 1:30 in the morning (sorry, neighbors) when I finally beat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight — the first or second boss you're likely to encounter — in a (self-imposed) duel with no summons.
Shadow of the Erdtree takes what the base game did and does it better, cutting away most of its formulaic side content like simple mines and catacombs and giving its players a denser world with more bespoke and original things to find.
Neither pillar of Elden Ring's gameplay would give me the satisfaction they do if the experience was designed to be easier or to hold my hand, so I'm in full agreement with Miyazaki's comments.
In fact, that's a big part of why the Land of Shadow is so enjoyable to explore — new weapons, armors, spells, talismans, Spirit Ashes, and more are scattered all throughout the DLC's various zones, with particularly special items often located within or at the end of side dungeons.
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