Beautiful as they were, the mostly dank stone sprawls of Crown of the Sunken King and Crown of the Old Iron King presented familiar territory. For the third and final slice of Dark Souls 2 DLC, From Software takes you somewhere you ve never been in Dark Souls—a winter wonderland.

Snow! Besides the brief Painted World of Ariamis, there s never been snow in a Souls game. To get there, once you have the frozen flower in your possession, visit the Shrine of Winter and use the warp. The opening vista is typically grand. Gorgeous view ahead messages litter the ground before an arctic version of the Grand Canyon.

The white stuff is a new element at play. It records your footprints. It coats your armour. It limits visibility. Melt through it though and you ll find conventional mapping underneath. It s no coincidence the long bridge before an imposing set of doors leading into the DLC proper recalls the start of Demons Souls. And inside is a complex of walkways, locked doors and corridors—yet another trap-filled fortress from the same mould as the last two expansions.

Still, there s plenty of juicy new story to tuck into. Past the entrance you ll see the kingdom of Eleum Loyce looking not unlike Anor Londo with a few coats of white Dulux. The fiction goes that this was once a thriving metropolis, but it s long since fallen into ruin. It s your job to quell the evil and reignite the fire.

As always, there are multiple paths but only one right one. Wander astray and you risk meeting a sudden end at the hands of an invisible monster. The correct route brings you up against a series of icy new enemies, rampart soldiers with crystalline spears and frozen protrusions on their back. One-on-one they re simple enough, providing you re a healthy level. I recommend at least level 70.

Down in a courtyard sit stray ice dogs, basically skin swaps of existing enemies that attack the same way. There are also icy takes on everyone s favourite, the pinwheel, in the form of wintry hedgehogs that do roly polys. Cute, but deadly. Push a little farther and you ll discover more enigmatic nasties.

Hooded witches dot the place, kneeling passively and in total disinterest of your presence. While I ll leave others to ponder their backstory, in function they re a bit like Heide Knights, dormant until disturbed then attacking with aggression. When they gang up with rampart spearmen and golems, their backstabs can pose problems.

The road to the boss feels shorter and more linear than the last two DLC instalments until you factor in the amount of easy-to-miss nooks and crannies hiding goodies. Some are frozen over, prompting various comical orange soapstone comments. On the ground in front of an ice-encased mimic, someone s written "Poor fool".

You ll reach the first boss in less than an hour. A deadly creature is revealed with the right item, and it s fierce, attacking with healthbar-depleting bites and homing crystal soulmasses. Like the rest of the DLC, a co-op buddy or two are highly advised. Though, I don t understand why bosses always gravitate towards me when I sit at the back of the arena chugging Estus juice. I wouldn t be surprised if it s an actual measure by From Software to punish cowardice.

The highlight of the DLC is delivered by a stunning foray into a cathedral, which I won t spoil. Both of the last two Crowns seem to treat players to a visually incredible room after the sometimes drab trawl through tight hallways, and Ivory King is no different. It also has a fantastic finale. Throughout the expansion you ll occasionally stumble across imprisoned Loyce knights. Release them and they ll aid you in the battle. With several AI buddies fighting a boss s backup, as well as two co-op companions thrown in the mix, you'll experience some impressive confrontations.

Again, it s a fight only the truly hardcore will win alone. Do so and you ll complete your crown collection, but it s not the end of the DLC. The Frigid Wastes await. They fulfill the promise of promotional screens, a broad, featureless tundra to tackle as unseen horrors stalk through a thick blizzard.

Your haul at the end of it all? Disappointing. There are ten armour pieces in all, but few any self-respecting adventurer would actually wear. The symbol of avarice is a chest with a great flopping tongue hanging out, and the old bell helm is, well, a bell—without eyeholes—you wear on your head. The Ivory King set just about excuses the abundance of paltry hats and robes. Shields are equally weak, with just four in total. Weapons save it from being a total washout. There are 15 to find, and with rapiers, staffs, greatswords and bone fists, most characters will find one that suits their build.

And with that, so ends our Dark Souls 2 journey. The Crown trilogy haven t been the most filling morsels. Unlike Dark Souls Artorias of the Abyss, they feel superfluous to the main show, something scooped off the cutting room floor. It s still Dark Souls, and it s still brilliant, but the Ivory King is a similar deal to the last two—a solid five-hour chunk of adventuring in another enemy-filled fortress. Like its wintry setting it might leave you a bit, well, cold.

Dark Souls fans understand that rushing in unprepared is almost always a prelude to getting a giant hammer up in the face. That's probably not what awaits From Software if they rush in with Dark Souls 2 DLC, but they've decided to wait nonetheless. The third part of the The Lost Crowns DLC trilogy, titled Crown of the Ivory King, was originally due out this Wednesday. Now, Namco Bandai has announced that for reasons unknown it's being delayed until next week, on 30 September.

Crown of the Ivory King is set to be a fitting end to an excellent series of post-release add-ons. This time, you'll be working through a frozen land of snowstorms and icy enemies. To help, a new follower system will be introduced. As you play through the DLC, you'll accumulate AI companions. The more you acquire, the easier the final boss fight will be.

See below for a brief chilly teaser of Ivory King's low-visibility vistas.

The first add-on for Dark Souls 2 restored some of the original Dark Souls legendary difficulty, but The Crown of the Old Iron King, part two of From Software s trilogy of DLC, doesn t follow suit. Instead, it evokes the sad, forgotten, wistful feeling I got in the first game s world. It s built to be explored, with lots of optional areas that branch off the DLC s main path, and that comes at the cost of difficulty.

The Crown of the Old Iron King refers to one of Dark Souls 2 s main bosses, and it explores the kingdom he ruled over. Since the Old Iron King was a creature consumed by fire, his world is a kingdom of ash and soot, and that ash is an ever-present reminder that the DLC s world is completely dead. It s a feeling that contrasts with the 'alive and growing' feel of Majula from the main game, and a throwback to the exploratory vibe that I loved in the first Dark Souls.

Ashen remains are all that's left of the forgotten kingdom.

I love the use of fire and ash in Old Iron King. Its new enemies are bathed in it, from the massive guardians that spew fire from their sides as I roll past to the charred undead carrying barrels that explode when ignited. I used this to my advantage in a heavily-protected room, luring the barrel-wielders in and hitting them with fire arrows. The resulting explosion leveled the massive armored guardians in the room, who would have otherwise smashed me to mush. Later, in a dark, foreboding corridor, I encountered crawling Ashen soldiers who light themselves on fire and grab on to me before exploding From s version of Mario s bob-ombs. The noise they make is unnerving.

I also spent much of my five hours clomping through ash fields, almost as pure as driven snow, or stomping on the crumbling remains of the kingdom s doomed inhabitants. Brume Tower, the main area, is covered in the stuff, hiding enemies until they re ready to ambush you or some of the DLC s many new items. It s a constant reminder that you re far too late to save this world, and a great throwback to the ultimate confrontation in Dark Souls. I loved the first game, and I got a nice nostalgia boost from exploring the ruins here.

Careful with that barrel, mister.

That s important, because I had to focus on exploration to get the most of this new area. The path to the one required boss before you grab the crown is surprisingly straightforward especially compared to Crown of the Sunken King. The other areas are tucked away, and while they re not required, they contain new items, spells, and weapons From has hidden away. That rewards playing methodically instead of rushing past enemies to get to the boss. The boss isn t the point this time around the world is.

None of this changes the game dramatically: Crown of the Old Iron King still plays like Dark Souls 2, even if the focus is more on the area I m exploring than the boss I m trying to dodge. I like that these DLC packs reward faithful Dark Souls 2 players, not just with new challenges but with improved items and equipment. I wish the boss fights, and even the normal enemies, were a little tougher Old Iron King feels far easier than Sunken King, which arrived alongside big balance changes to the combat but just because pro players won t die repeatedly at fog gates doesn t mean they shouldn t play this. Treat it as a stroll down memory lane.
Details
Price: $10 / 7
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: From Software
Multiplayer: Co-op and competitive
Link: www.darksoulsii.com

For a breakdown of our review methodology, check out the PC Gamer reviews policy.

Just when you thought you could relax and play something a bit less stressful, comes the second DLC pack for Dark Souls 2. Entitled Crown of the Old Iron King, it follows last month's Crown of the Sunken King pack, which offered "a whole new challenge for diehards, and a lot of content for your money," Cory Banks wrote.

According to screenshots the new environments will vary dramatically from the dank settings of the first DLC pack. "Players will venture into a massive tower swamped by black mist where flames, smoke and sorcery sadistically lurk," publisher Bandai Namco writes. Note how they use the word 'sadistically', and not 'playfully' or 'lackadaisically'.

Crown of the Old Iron King is available now for $9.99 on Steam, and will be followed by the third and final DLC pack, Crown of the Ivory King, on September 24.

The biggest criticism leveled at Dark Souls 2 was that it was too easy. Players who had spent hundreds of hours in the first game found that many of the same tactics worked in the sequel. Maybe you had to dodge left instead of right to get past the Pursuer s sweeping arc, but generally speaking, the old tricks still worked.

I thought about this as I died again while playing Crown of the Sunken King, the first part of From Software s three-piece downloadable content set. My old tricks failed time and time again, forcing me to relearn enemy patterns and try new tactics. For Dark Souls diehards, that s a good thing, though you ll have to slog through some drab environments.

Sunken King adds a new item to your inventory: a dragon claw with a cryptic clue in its description. That item should lead you to the new content area, grafted onto the Black Gulch, behind where players fight The Rotten. That means you can t get into Sunken King until Dark Souls 2 s halfway point, and even then, you might want to hold off until you have better gear. Use the dragon claw at the new altar beyond the Rotten s arena and you ll be brought to the new area. If you drop a summon sign here but don t own the DLC, you can still be summoned in as a phantom. Think of it as a demo.

That sinking feeling



The new content is split into three areas, starting with Shulva, the Sanctum City. I cross narrow ledges, activating platforms to reach areas, and spend more time jumping than in the base game. It never approaches platformer status, but I like the new emphasis on verticality. Enemies attack from above or below more frequently than before, and some of the best secrets in the early areas are discovered by trying to access rooms far above the ground. There are new environmental dangers here, too, and a better focus on puzzles and switches.

Sunken King s enemies are all brand new, too. The basic Sanctum Soldiers are so heavily-armored and tightly grouped that I quickly had to abandon my magic-based build for a sword-and-board approach so I could parry attacks and do more damage. There are insects that spit corrosive gas and are far easier to kill, and undead witches that are strong against dark damage. Massive, blind bipedal dragons guard a later bonfire, and take a tremendous amount of effort to kill. If I aggroed two at a time, one was guaranteed to chew on my bones.

Fighting these new enemies was genuinely difficult. Sanctum Knights start off incorporeal, immune to physical damage quick to hack through you with their dual blades. It wasn t until I discovered how to make them substantial that I could take one more than one at a time, and any time I heard a new phantom baddie, I was genuinely fearful for my stash of souls.

A few of the new knights have movesets remarkably close to your own. Dodging, parrying, and blocking these warriors felt more like PvP duels than cutting down mindless zombies.



Totally boss

Sunken King includes two new boss battles (three if you count an optional group of NPCs). Both are more creative than many of the basic game s guardians, who were often melee-based and easy to dodge in the early game. I won t spoil either fight, but I will point out that there are two NPC summons for each fight, which helps even the odds, and one battle takes place in front of one of the most beautiful areas From has ever designed.

Unfortunately, that s one of only a few standout landmarks in Sunken King. Most of the content is played against grey, monochrome environments that wear down on you after repeated deaths. Aside from a few key moments, the drabness of these areas makes pushing through a slog. Early on, I was concerned that I wouldn t even want to continue to the end. Dark Souls 2 has few moments that drag, but there were points in Sunken King where the momentum slows to a crawl.



But I pushed through, and when the final boss was down and the crown of the Sunken King sat upon my head I had played through ten solid, satisfying hours of new Dark Souls. For the devoted, that s a hell of a deal, and there are still two more chunks of content incoming, with even better-looking environments and a few new lore details. Sunken King won t do anything to convince you to play Dark Souls 2 if you don t already love it, but stays consistently challenging for even veteran players.

Details

Price: $10/ 8, $25/ 20 for Season Pass
Release date: Out now
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: From Software
Multiplayer: Online co-op and PvP
Link: www.darksoulsii.com

A massive Dark Souls 2 patch has just gone live, and along with a long list of changes and refinements comes the news that Health Recovery Items can no longer be used during any PvP . What this means is that you can t chug Estus mid duel, which is a change the Dark Souls 2 community has been requesting for a long time. After all, a duel should be an honorable fight to the death, right? Right.
The update notes are as long as my arm. A huge selection of weapons have been buffed, a small selection have been handicapped, while a selection of armor sets now have increased durability but lower defense. Judging by the list it looks like no build will go unaffected, albeit in potentially unnoticeable ways.

Check out the full patch notes below. Maybe prepare a cup of tea first, because there's a lot to digest. It comes just in time for the release of the first Dark Souls 2 DLC pack, which you can read about how to access here.

Bug fixes, changes and refinements:

Fixed abnormal amounts of damage being caused by certain weapons
An upper limit has been set to the number of Souls a player can earn when fighting off invading players
Fixed the phenomenon where the player is not able to talk to Licia of Lindeldt
Fixed the progression-stopping phenomenon at Heide's Tower when the host falls off right before the Dragonrider Boss Fight
Fixed the phenomenon in Majula where the door does not open even after moved by Licia of Lindeldt
Fixed the progression-stopping phenomenon when the player talks to Laddersmith Gilligan in Earthen Peak
Fixed the phenomenon when the poison pond does not disappear when the windmill is burned down and immobilized
Fixed the phenomenon when that the poison pond returns after the windmill is burned down and immobilized, and the player is summoned into another world as a Blue Savior then returned to their own world
Fixed the loading screen issue when you lose a deathmatch in the Undead Purgatory
Fixed the issue where saved data cannot be reloaded if the game is shut down right after the player is caught by the Darksucker, in an oil puddle in Black Gulch
Fixed the phenomenon where items do not disappear from inventory if they are thrown away while they are also being used
Fixed the ability to use parry while back-stepping
Fixed the ability to use parry while invincible
Fixed the phenomenon where the player floats in the air if attacked while hanging onto a rope
Fixed the phenomenon in Brightstone Cove Tseldora when the Duke's Dear Freja stops moving after defeating a summoned player in a NG+ playthrough
Fixed the phenomenon where the Tseldora Den Key cannot be acquired after the confrontational event between Mild-mannered Pate and Creighton the Wanderer in Brightstone Cove Tseldora
Fixed the phenomenon where sound effects volume does not comply with the optional settings during the fight with the Looking Glass Knight
Fixed the jumping shortcut at the Shrine of Winter
Fixed the phenomenon where a summoning signature can be written near a bonfire in Belfry Sol Approach
Fixed the phenomenon where the floor trap in the Iron Keep is displayed differently on host and client worlds during multi-play
Fixed the phenomenon where the resume point is different from where the game was forced-quit after the player died
Fixed the issue where the selected message for deletion is not deleted, but a different message is deleted
Fixed the Halberd weapons sound effects that sometimes do not play when the weapon is swung
Adjusted the sound made when the Silver Eagle Kite Shield is hit
Fixed the issue where the player holding thrusting swords in both hands can cause continuous damage until the opponent's stamina runs out
Fixed the phenomenon where the player dual-wields whips and only the Right-hand weapon hits the enemy
Adjustments were made so players can get out of the continuous attacks from Syan's Halberd
Adjustments were made so players can get out of the continuous attacks from a player who is dual-wielding with a Straight Sword and with the Red Rust Sword in their left hand
Defender Greatsword can be enchanted
Fixed the phenomenon where a heavy attack while holding Pate's Spear with both hands produces only one hit
Adjusted the Strong Attack of the Spider's Silk when Dual-Wielding
Lucerne Strong Attack will penetrate shields
Adjusted the attack element type for the King's Ultra Greatsword
Adjusted the attack element type for the Drakekeeper's Warpick
Corrected the description of the attack type for the Archdrake Mace
Corrected the description of the attack type for Drakekeeper's Warpick
Fixed the Symbol Markings of "Galib, God of Disease" and "Caitha, Goddess of Tears" on the Name-Engraved Ring
Fixed the issue where the Information text sometimes does not display properly
Correction to the amount of damage inflicted against other players and enemies
Shortened the amount of time stunned when taking damage from multiple attacks

Adjustments that will be made with Regulation 1.08 (all following changes):

Health Recovery Items can no longer be used during any PvP
Increased the matching range for users in online play
Over-all balance adjustments made to weapons, armors, accessories and spells

Description of the modifications made to the main components and spells:

Increased the durability and lowered the defense levels of the following armor sets (Helm, Armor, Gauntlets, Leggings)

Steel Armor Set
Havel's Armor Set
Gyrm Warrior Armor Set
Ironclad Armor Set
Old Ironclad Armor Set
Smelter Demon Armor Set
Alonne Knight Armor Set
Vengarl's Armor Set
Mastodon Armor Set
Rusted Mastodon Armor Set
Old Knight Armor Set
Drakekeeper Armor Set
Velstadt's Armor Set
Looking Glass Armor Set
Imperious Armor Set
Dragonrider Armor Set
Infantry Axe




Decreased the amount of attack power of the following weapons

Drangleic Sword
Defender Greatsword
Large Club (Strong Attack only)
Pickaxe (Strong Attack only)
Great Club (Strong Attack only)
Gyrm Great Hammer (Strong Attack only)


Increased the status values of the following weapons

Shotel
Monastery Scimitar
Curved Dragon Greatsword
Chaos Blade
Flamberge
Key to the Embedded
Drangleic Sword
Defender Greatsword
Greatsword
Hand Axe
Infantry Axe
Butcher's Knife
Giant Stone Axe
Gyrm Greataxe
Morning Star
Reinforced Club
Craftsman's Hammer
Blacksmith's Hammer
Gyrm Great Hammer
Spear
Winged Spear
Pike
Partizan
Stone Soldier Spear
Spitfire Spear
Channeler's Trident
Gargoyle Bident
Full Moon Sickle
Helix Halberd
Blue Knight's Halberd
Old Knight Halberd
Work Hook


Decreased the durability of the Defender Greatsword and Watcher Greatsword
Increased the enchantment statistics Defender Greatsword and Watcher Greatsword
Increased the weight of the Defender Greatsword
Decrease the weight of the Butcher's Knife and Old Knight Halberd
Status value added to the Handmaid's Ladle
Decrease the amount of damage for the following weapons

Malformed Skull (Strong Attack only)
Giant Warrior Club (Strong Attack only)
Old Knight Hammer (Strong Attack only)
Drakekeeper's Great Hammer (Strong Attack only) oDragon Tooth (Strong Attack only)
Malformed Shell (Strong Attack only)
Archdrake Mace (Strong Attack only)
Channeler's Trident (Strong Attack and Dual-wielding)
Helix Halberd (Strong Attack and Dual-wielding)
Drakekeeper's Warpick (Strong Attack and Dual-wielding)


Increased the amount of self-inflicted damage when using the Chaos Blade
Adjusted the hit detection for the Scythe of Want (Strong Attack only)
Increased the physical cut rate of the Shield Crossbow
Changes were made to the point of explosion and Blast area of the Old Sun Ring Changes made to the effect of the Gower's Ring of Protection - does not negate damage anymore, will reduce damage received
Improvements made to the penetrability of Soul Speak and Crystal Soul Spear
Improvements made to the tracking of the following Spells, Hexes, Pyromancy and Miracles

Soul Bolt
Soul Shower
Shockwave
Soul Spear Barrage
Blinding Bolt
Perseverance
Caressing Prayer
Heavenly Thunder
Fireball
Fire Orb
Great Fireball
Great Chaos Fireball
Lingering Flame
Dark Orb
Dark Hail
Resonant Soul


Decreased the amount of stamina consumed for the following Spells, Hexes, Pyromancy and Miracles

Soul Bolt
Soul Shower
Fire Orb
Great Fireball
Great Chaos Fireball
Lingering Flame
Iron Flesh


Increased spell usage for the following Spell and Miracle

Cast Light
Unveil


Improvements to the durability damage for the following Spells


Shockwave
Soul Spear Barrage




Decrease the number of multi-hits to the following Spells, Hexes and Pyromancy

Soul Vortex
Firestorm
Fire Tempest
Chaos Storm
Scraps of Life
Lifedrain Patch
Darkstorm


Decrease the attack power of the following Miracle

Blinding Bolt


Decreased the number of attunement slots required for the following Miracle and Pyromancy

Unveil
Immolation


Decrease the number of uses for the following Miracles and Hexes

Lightning Spear
Great Lightning Spear
Sunlight Spear
Emit Force
Soul Appease
Great Resonant Soul
Profound Still


Increase the damage for the following Miracle through correction to status values

Lightning Spear
Great Lightning Spear
Sunlight Spear
Emit Force


Increase the hit radius for the Miracle Force
Increase the effectiveness of the following Pyromancy and Hex

Iron Flesh
Whisper of Despair (duration and effect)


Decrease the self-inflicted damage of Immolation
Increase the speed of chanting the following Hexes

Repel
Twisted Barricade


Decrease to the amount of durability damage done from Dark Hail
Increase the attacking power of Great Resonant Soul
Decrease character mobility while using the following items

Amber Herb
Twilight Herb
Wilted Dusk Herb

Written by Tom Marks

If we ve learned anything from our time in Dark Souls 2, it s that the game doesn t hold your hand for anything. Its first DLC, Crown of the Sunken King, is no exception. Unlike Borderlands 2 or Fallout: New Vegas, where installing new addons immediately give you a new quest and a map marker, Crown of the Sunken King simply puts a mysterious item in your inventory and leaves you with a cryptic clue. If you're stumped on what the new item means, or how to get into your newest challenge, we can help.

As soon as you start up your game, you ll notice a new item has been added to the Keys section of your inventory. The Dragon Talon, in the form of its vague description, tells you about a locked door in Black Gulch, and that s exactly where you should head.



Travel to the Hidden Chamber bonfire in Black Gulch (assuming you unlocked it, otherwise you'll have to navigate through Black Gulch's poisonous towers). When you arrive, break the pots in front of you and leave the chamber, then take a right. If you just want to run through, make sure to bring some Poison Moss or poison-resist gear along.

Head down the path towards the burning area, which you should recognize as the Boss arena of The Rotten. If you haven t defeated The Rotten yet, now's a good time. You can't access the gate to the DLC content without defeating the boss.

Go towards the patch of fire on the back wall that is directly across from where you entered. There is a small, dark opening behind it, accessible to the right of the flames. Light a torch and go on through.

You will soon be at the post-Rotten Primal Bonfire, but behind it is now an elaborate altar surrounded by pillars and four, large tablets. You can read the tablets, but when you examine the center altar, you will be transported to the start of the DLC area.



Summoning signs can be dropped by anyone in this room, allowing people who don t own the DLC to join those who do. But If you aren t interested in help, head for the large door on the far side of the room and, thanks to the Dragon Talon, unlock it. Now all you need to do is go through the statue-lined cave and you will find yourself in Shulva, the Sanctum City.

Crown of the Sunken King is the first of three DLC packs for Dark Souls 2, and costs $10 alone, or $25 for the Season Pass. Sunken King features three completely new areas with two new boss fights.

Last week, From Software announced their planned Lost Crown trilogy of Dark Souls 2 DLC, starting with The Crown of the Sunken King in July. Now, through the magic of video capturing, you can see how it will play. Well, you can see how it will play with someone competent at the controls. I dare say, for many people, the actual experience will feature a whole lot more dying.

The footage was shown as part of GameTrailers interview with Dark Souls 2 global producer Atsuo Yoshimura.



Yoshimura reveals that this first DLC chapter will take place in an area called The Poisoned Winds, and will feature two potential paths one with the expected level of Dark Souls 2 difficulty, and another more challenging route, designed to be tackled with a summoned soul at your side. I wonder how quickly speedrunners will be able to tame that.

The Crown of the Sunken King will be available on July 22, followed by The Crown of the Old Iron King on August 26 and The Crown of the Ivory King on September 24.

Thanks, VG247.

Brighten up your soul with our complete E3 coverage... Too cheesy a segue? Sorry.

Dark Souls 2 looks beautiful by any stretch, especially at 4K resolution as I've demonstrated in my Screenshot Showcase, but there's nothing quite like seeing it in motion. The oozing lava, the flocking birds, the ash clouds swirling through the air. I got the idea from cinemagraphs still images that contain moving pieces. Confessedly it's a term I find a bit pretentious, so I'll continue calling them GIFs. Now, anyone can make a video clip. The aim here was to create a series of living photographs. Personally, I think it's the closet you can get to Dark Souls 2 without playing it, which you should, because it's great.