![]() He’s flamboyant with his strikes, constantly rushing in and out of battle, spinning his blade and lunging at you from great distances. This hulking mass wasn’t as simplistic as the previous boss fight, but it’s very easy to predict his attack patterns. The final boss, Slave Knight Gael, is a bit of a mixed bag, especially coming off the incredibly impressive Sister Friede from Ashes of Ariandel. ![]() There aren’t multiple stages to this fight, just an incredibly straightforward and almost laughable encounter that’s easier than most of the NPC Invaders. There’s really no strategy to him you just eliminate any support that spawns and then rush him whenever necessary, as his poise is virtually non-existent. This is simply a human who sometimes receives support (which also ties into the new covenant) and uses a long blade with the occasional magical ability. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the second mandatory boss fight, as it’s almost not worth mentioning because of how easy it is. It’s easily the most difficult encounter in the entire DLC, but it’s worth it. There’s even a secret boss hidden within the world that will live up to fan expectations. The first boss fight sets the tone perfectly, throwing in a multi-staged fight that will leave you on the tip of your toes. Outside of the normal enemies, if there’s one thing the series does right, it’s the bosses, and The Ringed City more or less delivers. Outside of these three, there’s also magicians who look similar to Yoel of Londor, and hideous bug-like creatures that have the ability to slow down your movement. There are only a few of them scattered about, but they can be a pain to deal with. These colossal beings are arguably the best new addition as they have the ability to summon an army at will to unleash hell on anyone who gets in their way. The Ringed Knights within the city itself feel like evolved versions of Black Knights, having a similar, but more stylish, set of gear, and even have an elemental attribute attached to their attacks. Instead of simply running far enough to ensure they’re leashed back to a certain point, you will need to break line of sight with them to escape. These are some of the coolest enemies in the entire game as there’s an element of stealth implemented here. For starters, there are angelic beasts flying around the first portion of the DLC, constantly peppering you with magic. There are very few rinse and repeated enemies this around, with a couple of the new faces making a huge difference. While it’s not as entwined as The Ring City, this section is still a surreal experience that will leave a positive first impression.įortunately, FromSoftware does have a strong grasp on enemy designs. It’s meant to be a completely decimated version of the Earthen Peak from Dark Souls II, with familiar enemies roaming about, along with some iconic visual treats. You’re constantly scaling walls that were torn down decades, if not centuries ago and carefully walking across ledges that were once hand railings. Never did I think I’d get dizzy just from thinking about my placement in the world, as you’ll be battling on top of knocked over towers and structures. With that said, the first section of the DLC is the complete opposite. At the very least, there’s a few secrets spread across the city, ensuring players will be rewarded for exploring every nook and cranny. They have all these environments that, while layered on top of one another, feel disjointed and aren’t large or fleshed out enough to be special. It has become formulaic, something Dark Souls has never really struggled with in the past, although it might be because so much potential is stuffed into a four-hour package. So for example, there needs to be a swamp, a crypt, a dragon blocking your path, a castle with a princess at the top, and so forth. It’s as if the developers had a checklist of their favorite areas and slapped it into a small city. While it certainly has a strong assortment of locations to trek through, not to mention being visually captivating, a lot of it, at least in the second half of the DLC where you reach The Ringed City itself, is far too cut and paste. The environmental design in The Ringed City is varied to a point of contention. ![]() New areas, enemies and bosses are par for the course, but adding a brand new covenant and tacking on to the already expansive lore will have fans digging into every aspect of The Ringed City. While the last piece of DLC, Ashes of Ariandel, stumbled a bit in its approach, big promises were made for what was going to be the series’ swan song, wrapping things up a positive way. Ever since the incredible success of Demon’s Souls, FromSoftware has been capitalizing on this creative and challenging formula, bringing multiple Game of the Year nominees. Despite having only three games in the franchise, it feels like Dark Souls has been going on for far longer than six years.
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