The most important story creatures are the Corvians. This time they do not have their wings like in the basic game, and most of them are rather pathetic and ragged. I say most of them but not all, because there are a few special Corvian knights that are extremely dangerous. If you want more information about the creatures and their story implications there is no one better (in my opinion) than Vaati. Just beware of serious spoilers and don’t watch it until you’ve completed the content yourself. Much like the other Souls games the story here is very subtle and it requires you to really invest in the effort of discovering what is truly going on. That being said, even the topmost level of the story interactions is fascinating.
The bosses are always one of the main reasons we love these From Software titles so much, and this content is no different. In fact, one of my few criticisms is that there are not enough new boss fights. The Champion boss fight was actually rather easy, even on NG +3, and really it only was a minor challenge when she summoned the massive wolf if you didn’t learn how to cope with them before fighting her. The Champion’s Bones you earn from the fight is a very important item. When you take them back to the Firelink Shrine, you can burn them at the primary bonfire and thereafter access the new group PVP content. There are a lot of new PVP options, and that feels like the primary focus of this DLC, but I’m not really into Souls PVP, only fighting when I have to. That being said, it was still very much worth fighting her to gain the new Valorheart weapon. It’s a really amazing weapon and shield combo that has a cool move set (often even blocking while you are attacking) and two special skills.
And even above the new story, the new weapons and armor are definitely the highlight of the content. Even though you can beat the DLC in 2-4 hours, the new gear will be yours for the rest of the game. There are also new spells, pyromancy, and miracles to be had but they are all pretty well hidden. Without a guide I had to search around for another couple hours extra beyond what I would have spent in the DLC in order to find everything. The new magic also makes some major changes to the way you play the casting class, well beyond just adding frost spells to the repertoire. This is nice for those who want to pursue the caster role, as this game is far more friendly on that style of character than the previous games were. But none of them change the fact that you are still better off waiting until you are a higher level to spec into that path.
I can’t finish talking about this DLC without discussing its final boss. So if you don’t want any spoilers, skip the next two paragraphs. The reason she is so important to talk about is because how heavy this fight’s influence is on my opinion of the content. From a story perspective, and how she ties into the main game (as the older sister of someone you know very well), she is very interesting. But her greatest appeal (or worst depending on your opinion of these games) is how brutally difficult and epic this fight is. From what I’ve seen online, she’s significantly easier on the first playthrough so you should feel lucky if you aren’t nearly as far into the game. For my money she might be one of the toughest fights in the history of this series, and she totally owns the Nameless King fight in Dark Souls III.
Her first phase isn’t too bad, but it can be tricky (and using sound cues will really help). But then you will have to fight a second phase with an all new health bar and two enemies at once. More than likely you are going to feel proud to finish that phase, only to find out that there is a whole new phase 3 with an all new health bar and in many ways it is the hardest of the three. So make sure you save up those Estus uses; you have no chance to restore them between phases and you have to start back at the very beginning after each death. Yes, it can be very frustrating but the feeling of accomplishment after you win is truly special. And the music of that whole boss fight really helps get the heartbeat going as well. That being said, you really need to also pay attention to the sound effects, it will help you a lot when she goes invisible.
Keep at the final fight, though, because the reward for finishing the DLC is well worth it. Not only is the story fascinating, but transmuting the boss’s soul will net you my new favorite weapon in the game. It’s honestly so powerful that I’m worried it will be nerfed. Oh well, I’ll enjoy it while it lasts. It’s a really fun weapon that reminds me a lot of Bloodborne. The new music, the new story, the new gear and spells and the new fights are all great things. The DLC is rather shorter than I would like, you can critical path it and finish in less than 2 hours, but it took me a bit over 4 with trying to find everything. That is a bit short for a $14.99 DLC, but the focus was also on adding new group PVP arena combat. And for those that are into the PVP of these games, this is a huge addition. Since I’m not into that side of the series, this DLC is not quite the perfect addition, but what was added is all really good and it makes an amazing game even better.
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Review Copy Purchased By Author
