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Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel |OT|

A

Alo0oy

Banned
xI5eR2W.png


Info:

Release Date: 24/25 Oct, 2016
Price: $14,99 / €14,99
Platforms: PC/PS4/Xbox ONE

15 New Weapons and Shields
4 New Armor Sets
4 New Spells
New PvP exclusive map, called Hollow Arena
2 New Bosses
New Location:
Painted World of Ariandel

Recommended Level: While skilled Dark Souls veterans can probably handle the DLC at level 70 (or even a bit lower), novice to average players should aim to be at least level 80 before taking on the DLC.

How to access the DLC area: video
You'll need to head to the Cleansing Chapel bonfire in the Cathedral of the Deep tab, and talk to the NPC at the shrine. If you don't see him, port out and port back in until you do -- it may take a few times

Reviews:

metacritic (PC) 73
opencritic 74

Thanks to takoyaki & Hikami for making the OT.
 
T

TitusTroy

Member
I'm loving the early parts of the DLC...level design is the highlight so far...enemies are tough but not too crazy (I'm Level 94 NG STR/END/VIG at 40)...biggest thing is that if you're not careful enemies can really gang up on you
 
S

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
The end boss of the DLC is easily the best boss From have ever done. Man what and incredible and tense fight.

Pity the other boss was so lame.
 
F

Freezasaurus

Member
Benzychenz said:
Spoilered in case anyone doesn't want to know for some reason:
Cleansing Chapel bonfire at Cathedral of the Deep.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't have known this if I didn't watch the first 15 minutes of the DLC on IGN. But Souls games have always been a bit vague with things like this.
 
K

KingKong

Member
I'm really enjoying this DLC so far. The level design is on point as always and the new enemies and tricks are great
 
J

Jobbs

Banned
Early DLC impressions/gifs

Initial impressions of the DLC is that it's artistically gorgeous but -- at least in its early area -- Leans in on some of the less fun mechanics and habits of the Souls series. Dog class enemies have never been fun to fight. They're absolutely annoying, but mixed into a level design sparingly can serve as good material to pace the experience and toy with the user. The DLC takes dog enemies and turns it up to 11.

We're also seeing huge groups of enemies that are best handled by kiting and cheesing -- Something that Dark Souls 2 did a lot and it's another design thing that I don't like. The controls and mechanics of Dark Souls are suited to one on one combat. Because of this fighting groups can induce panic -- And, again, that can be good if paced well into a level -- But at times it can be too much.

I killed these wolves then died to the Sif-like one in the distance. :(

xUWgzM0.gif


But at least I found a cool javelin. :)

SXUkWJi.gif


It should be noted that I had to make a new character and build her over just two days because I'm playing on PC now (previously only on PS4), so she's only level 45 or so and using a +6 raw astora's sword with lightning blade. With a more powerful character it'd obviously be easier.
 
T

TsunamiOfSwagger

Member
Not sure what the enemy is called, but the one that
jumps down from a hanging position and attacks you repeatedly with blades in each hand, extremely fast
, is an absolute bastard.
I'm overpowered at like sl 250 on ng++, but they are unforgiving.
 
N

NightShift

Member
Got through the first area and all I have to say is that
the enemies are intimidating as fuck, especially the big wolf
. I also came across a few enemies stuck in walls. :/
 
M

Mr Croft

Member
I just realized that it hit on other consoles that are not Xbox. Such a solid Dlc

For those that beat it.
sister friede goes down as one of my top five fights in souls now
 
B

bbd23

Member
what level is recommended for this DLC?

Should I be good if I completed the whole game already? too easy?

also how long is the single player stuff.
 
N

NightShift

Member
Freezasaurus said:
I wouldn't have known this if I didn't watch the first 15 minutes of the DLC on IGN. But Souls games have always been a bit vague with things like this.
Click to expand...
It's disappointing that they didn't do what they did in Bloodborne by dropping a new item in the hub with enough hints to point you in the right direction. But at least you can easily stumble into it.
 
d00d3n

d00d3n

Member
Two questions:

How do I start the DLC?

Can I return to the main world if I enter the DLC? (considering mechanics in Dark Souls 1)
 
S

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
bbd23 said:
what level is recommended for this DLC?

Should I be good if I completed the whole game already? too easy?
Click to expand...

It's end game content, From recommends being at least 80.

Having just finished it I can confirm it's plenty hard for an end game lvl 120 character.
 
T

takoyaki

Member
Cool that the DLC is up already, gonna check it out for a bit on PS4.

OP, you can just copy and paste this basic info from the review thread if you want.

Info:

Release Date: 24/25 Oct, 2016
Price: $14,99 / €14,99
Platforms: PC/PS4/Xbox ONE

15 New Weapons and Shields
4 New Armor Sets
4 New Spells
New PvP exclusive map, called Hollow Arena
2 New Bosses
New Location:
Painted World of Ariandel

Recommended Level: While skilled Dark Souls veterans can probably handle the DLC at level 70 (or even a bit lower), novice to average players should aim to be at least level 80 before taking on the DLC.

How to access the DLC area: video
You'll need to head to the Cleansing Chapel bonfire in the Cathedral of the Deep tab, and talk to the NPC at the shrine. If you don't see him, port out and port back in until you do -- it may take a few times

Reviews:

metacritic (PC) 73
opencritic 74
 
A

Aurongel

Member
The f
ake ou
t involving the
giant ass wolf nightmare
is GREAT. Instantly one of the highlights of DS3 for me and pretty unique as far as scenes like it go in the series.
 
A

Alandrus

Banned
I'm amazed so many people like this DLC. I went into the DLC blind. I saw the trailers then shut my eyes. I did my best to not hear a single thing about this.

pros. The world is gorgeous, I love the enemy design. The wolves like many say are a pain but From Software always balances mobs of enemies and with my +5 Wolf Knight's Greatsword. One regular attack cleaved them all down. I thought the boss Fiene was okay. I did this on regular NG. So, I beat her on one try but was amazed i had to beat the bosses THREE times before it was over. That was ridiculous to me.

Cons. $16 for this? People talk trash of DS2 DLC but those DLCs had more content than this. Each DLC in the Souls Series has had at least 3-4 bosses per DLC. But, I can't even say there are two bosses. There is one boss. The champion is ridiculously easy because he is a normal NPC with the Wolf you already faced in in the first section.

When I finished this DLC, I spent a good 1-2 hours running around and exploring every inch of the map. I could not believe that there was only one boss. I thought maybe I need to help the girl with her painting, talk to Yauria, and I found myself just hitting on walls. I couldn't believe it was just one boss. This is ridiculously overpriced. The only good part is the weapons and From making Frostbite now an effective build.

The arena is okay. But, anything but 1v1 and minimal player brawls is any test of skill. In the brawls with more than 3 players, you can easily cheese if you're a sorcerer by standing back and crystal soul spearing for last hits. There also isn't much of an incentive for winning either. The should of just allowed us to get covenant items for winning.

Overall, I give this DLC a D+ rating. It's a gorgeous enviorment but one "real" boss is ridiculous especially when they fight is padding itself by making you fight it 3 times in a row.
 
M

McBryBry

Member
So far I'm enjoying it. The area itself is gorgeous. The wolves can be annoying until you figure them out. Hint: Fucking charge. 99% of the time if you start attacking while they're getting up they'll never howl for backup.

As an endgame level 100 player, it's plenty difficult. Wolves and the big dudes were fucking me up until I figured them out. Guess I'm rusty from not playing in forever!
 
A

Alo0oy

Banned
takoyaki said:
Cool that the DLC is up already, gonna check it out for a bit on PS4.

OP, you can just copy and paste this basic info from the review thread if you want.

Info:

Release Date: 24/25 Oct, 2016
Price: $14,99 / €14,99
Platforms: PC/PS4/Xbox ONE

15 New Weapons and Shields
4 New Armor Sets
4 New Spells
New PvP exclusive map, called Hollow Arena
2 New Bosses
New Location:
Painted World of Ariandel

Recommended Level: While skilled Dark Souls veterans can probably handle the DLC at level 70 (or even a bit lower), novice to average players should aim to be at least level 80 before taking on the DLC.

How to access the DLC area: video
You'll need to head to the Cleansing Chapel bonfire in the Cathedral of the Deep tab, and talk to the NPC at the shrine. If you don't see him, port out and port back in until you do -- it may take a few times

Reviews:

metacritic (PC) 73
opencritic 74
Click to expand...

That'll do, I'm not gonna read what's in the spoiler tags to avoid spoilers, but I trust you with what's in there. :p Thanks.
 
K

KingKong

Member
Alandrus said:
When I finished this DLC, I spent a good 1-2 hours running around and exploring every inch of the map. I could not believe that there was only one boss. I thought maybe I need to help the girl with her painting, talk to Yauria, and I found myself just hitting on walls. I couldn't believe it was just one boss. This is ridiculously overpriced. The only good part is the weapons.
Click to expand...

you missed an area. there are
2 bosses
 
T

takoyaki

Member
Alo0oy said:
That'll do, I'm not gonna read what's in the spoiler tags to avoid spoilers, but I trust you with what's in there. :p Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sure, no problem. It's just the name of the DLC location and a text description of the video that shows how you enter the DLC area. Both don't really need a spoiler tag, but some people might consider stuff like that a spoiler.
 
E

ElFly

Member
why does this post game DLC area for people level 70 and upwards, decide to reward me with freaking (spoilered for lame)
Titanite Shards

what the fuck is wrong with this area
 
A

Alandrus

Banned
KingKong said:
you missed an area. remember the smouldering lake?
Click to expand...

You missed what i say in the cons part about how I feel about
the ridiculously easy normal NPC boss with standard giant wolf.

To be fair, I think the Champion was meant to be easy so more people could have access to the arena without sweating since it's one of the few things in the plus column of this DLC.

ElFly said:
why does this post game DLC area for people level 70 and upwards, decide to reward me with freaking (spoilered for lame)
Titanite Shards

what the fuck is wrong with this area
Click to expand...

I got a good laugh out of that when I was going through this area. It should of been at least
Chunks
 
T

TitusTroy

Member
review sites were giving this DLC around a 7...seems like the short length is what lowered the scores...do the people that have played it here agree with 7/10?...or is the game under-rated?
 
A

Aurongel

Member
TitusTroy said:
review sites were giving this DLC around a 7...seems like the short length is what lowered the scores...do the people that have played it here agree with 7/10?...or is the game under-rated?
Click to expand...
So far that seems accurate to me. Very, very well made but little in the ways of substantial lore or crazy encounters. Every encounter here pales in comparison to anything in the Old Hunters or Artorias. A slight letdown but still very good so far.
 
J

JudgmentJay

Member
TitusTroy said:
review sites were giving this DLC around a 7...seems like the short length is what lowered the scores...do the people that have played it here agree with 7/10?...or is the game under-rated?
Click to expand...

3 hours in I do not agree. It seems like I still have a good amount of stuff left. Haven't even seen a boss. I'd give it a 9/10 so far. I can't help but think that the reviewers breezed through the DLC with high level characters.
 
A

Alo0oy

Banned
The DLC unlocks in 15 minutes, got my level 60 NG character ready. And a bunch of level 120 NG+++ characters as well.
 
R

ramyeon

Member
JudgmentJay said:
3 hours in I do not agree. It seems like I still have a good amount of stuff left. Haven't even seen a boss. I'd give it a 9/10 so far. I can't help but think that the reviewers breezed through the DLC with high level characters.
Click to expand...
I'm not that high. In the 80s. And I've already found one of the bosses. It seems about as short as the reviews state and honestly the boss I found doesn't make up for that.

I'm pretty underwhelmed all around.
 
D

d1ddy

Member
anyone down for some co-op on PS4 ? Add me jaereckz .. can drop souls if u need levels lol 😭😂
 
G

Gbraga

Member
Really enjoying my time with it so far, 5 hours in or so, I'll finish it tomorrow. The main issues are definitely amount of content for price asked and I'm also having Bloodborne flashbacks with the hidden items that when you finally get to them, it's just consumable #38, or some random upgrade item. I guess it's to be expected, given the low amount of content, but yeah.

I'm doing it with a Greatsword and a bow, wolves are really hard with slow weapons >_<

The OT title might as well be changed to "Wolves hunt in packs!"

Lore-related question:
How exactly does the Painted World work? The way the ones we know of are named would make you think that each painting is its own world, but not only there's the suspiciously familiar tower where you fight the NPC, but Ariandel has a sense of place that wasn't present in Ariamis, it seems like a very complex place, the whole conflict with the Millwood knights being driven out of their homes, the Abyss Dragon, even the presence of the Farron Followers and hollows from Londor, that painting isn't some isolated place, is it?
 
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