Introduction
So this is it. The legendary series, Dark Souls, has reached it's conclusion with the last DLC to hit Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City. I was a little worried about this expansion due to my overall disappointment with the game's first DLC, Ashes of Ariandel. While that DLC had a great final boss and nostalgia of revisiting The Painted World, it didn't live up to the reputation that From Software has of making quality DLC for their games.
That's why I'm more than pleased with this new piece of DLC. The Ringed City gives us everything we wanted for a last hurrah from Dark Souls 3. With great level design, interesting new lore, expansions of existing lore, and some of the best boss battles in the series, The Ringed City may be just as good as the beloved Artorias of the Abyss DLC of the original Dark Souls.
If you want to know more about bosses in The Ringed City DLC, check my ranking article.
Dark Souls III: The Ringed City is available for purchase on Amazon for $15 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
story
As I'm assuming most of you reading this know, Dark Souls doesn't give you much of a story to follow; more of just a basic path in which to go to reach more of the game's baddies. You access the DLC in one of two ways: make it to the kiln of the first flame bonfire, or complete the game's first DLC Ashes of Ariandel. Either way, you'll find a bonfire that will transport you to a mysterious new land.
I won't spoil anything here, but I will say that if you're a fan of Dark Souls' lore and backstory, you'll have a blast with this DLC. But as with anything Souls related, this DLC shines to most through it's level design and new enemies.
gameplay
The Ringed City feels very different than any other part of the game because it heavily encourages stealth and taking cover rather than just trying to blast your way through the level. You'll encounter many of these flying angel creatures that can obliterate your health if you aren't hiding and taking cover from them; that is until you can find the true creature that's creating the angel. There's also these giant priest-like enemies that can summon apparitions of archers, knights, and sorcerers that hit extremely hard if you aren't careful.
I never really got used to the stealth, but at the very least it adds some variety to the classic Souls gameplay. There are also a ton of new enemies to fight, such as tough ringed knights, gross spider creatures, giants with big curved swords, and so much more. But none of these enemies compare to the four new bosses that The Ringed City adds. Besides one of the bosses in particular, every new boss is extremely challenging and rewarding. I won't spoil them here, but they are without a doubt the best part of The Ringed City.
Each area in The Ringed City is very well designed and visually striking. From the opening of falling down into ashes to the desolate lands towards the end, you get that classic Dark Souls feeling in every dark, beautiful area that you explore. That coupled with the enemy variety present makes every inch of The Ringed City feel unique and (unfortunately) alive.
The DLC also adds to the superb online competitive mode that was introduced in Ashes of Ariandel. It adds two more maps and a password system so you can play with friends easier. The matchmaking was probably my favorite aspect of Ashes of Ariandel, so seeing it be expanded in The Ringed City is very welcome.
And of course there is a plethora of new weapons, armor, and spells that await for you. Personally, I found that the new weapons, spells and armor were overall just okay in terms of visuals. I'm sure that you competitive PVP players out there will have better knowledge than me of the stats, but a few really stuck with me; such as the ringed knight armor.
conclusion
The Ringed City is a fantastic send off to a much beloved series. Whatever From Software works on now, whether it be a Bloodborne sequel or something entirely new and different, there's no doubt that they will make something great if this series is any indication. If you own Dark Souls 3 (which you should, it's fantastic), then you owe it to yourself to buy this last chapter of the Souls series.
PROS | CONS |
+ Excellent level design | – Meh new weapons, armor, and spells |
+ Interesting lore | |
+ Amazing boss fights |