Dark Souls III - The Ringed City - Review

The Ringed City had a lot riding on it. As the final piece of content ever for a Souls game and after the moderately lackluster Ashes of Ariandel, this was the last chance for the series to go out on a high note. Fortunately for everyone, Dark Souls III's concluding DLC is spectacular. Reaching the same lofty heights that The Old Hunters and Artorias of the Abyss managed to attain, The Ringed City exemplifies what From Software can accomplish when they are at the top of their game.

A Heap of Fun

Environmentally, the areas on display here continuously surprise and impress. Opening in the sprawling, jumbled wastes of The Dreg Heap, the player explores through toppled towers and dilapidated stonework, each surface coated with a powdery ash. Beasts and treasure alike hide within the devastation with the vast majority of enemies being completely new to this release. From the oily, desiccated corpses that slowly crawl towards you in groups to the monstrous, lumbering giants that throw their greatswords around with ease, you'll always need to be wary when turning a corner. Worth particular note are the new 'angel' enemies which will have you shouting at your screen more often than you'd like. 

Urban Warfare

However, all of that was just an appetizer for The Ringed City itself. Visually stunning, thematically diverse, and utterly captivating, the city spans across several, large gameplay sections, each one filled to the brim with intrigue and challenge. Staring in shocked silence at the breathtaking vistas or some new and ferocious obstacle is not an uncommon occurrence. To say any more would only lessen the impact of discovering it for yourself, so I'll just say that it's one of the best locations to be featured in any of the Souls games ever.

Boss Time

Now, for the moment everyone's been waiting for, let's talk about the bosses. In total, there are four brand new bosses, three of which are menacing and gargantuan with multiple phases that each attempt to slaughter you with some further violence. Viciously paced and thrillingly aggressive, these clashes punctuate the experience, climaxing each element laid before it in a fitting and exciting way. Easily all three of these bosses will make my inevitable rehashing of the top ten bosses in Dark Souls III. The fourth plays out a little different. It implements a fascinating multiplayer component that has you facing off against a randomly summoned human opponent if you're online much like the iconic Old Monk fight from Demon's Souls. Fortunately, the system for summoning as a part of the boss fight is vastly more accessible than it has ever been before. Honestly, emerging in another player's world dressed in the Xanthous Crown, wielding a freshly acquired pair of dual greatswords and gank spanking a bunch of summons was, hands down, one of my favorite moments from this DLC.  

Thread of a Story


The Ringed City actually pairs quite nicely with the previously released Ashes of Ariandel following Slave Knight Gael on a previously illuminated quest: To find the dark soul of man. You'll see ghostly mirages of his character pointing the way. You can even summon him for at least one of the boss fights. His trail leads you through his own story arc. Where once there was light and hope, soon only dark prevails, mirroring the state of mind of Gael. It's a contained plotline that's fairly direct for From Software standards but it's also surrounded by ripe lore waiting to be combed through by VaatiVidya and other riveting tellers of such tales. It's an appropriately murky send off to a notoriously murky overarching story. It's also got one of the most memorable NPC quest lines from any of their games, one that somehow leaves you satisfied and enchanted even if it is probably the last one you'll ever experience.

Just Go Buy It

Don't be fooled by Ashes of Ariandel's smaller scope and relative disappointment, it doesn't mirror the kind of quality that The Ringed City reflects. It's a dazzling piece of content that any fan of the Souls series should experience. I literally can't think of a single thing that I didn't like. There is really not that much more to say about it other than: just go buy it and let the worlds of Lothric and Drangleic and Lordran inspire you one last time. Like a final, brilliant flicker of Fire before the Age of Dark overtakes you.

Final Verdict: 10/10

Pros: Bosses, Locations, Weapons, Lore Implications, Multiplayer, NPC Questline

Cons: Ummm... I don't know... Nope, I got nothing. It's great.

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