"Dark Souls 3" fans looking for extra content to augment their experience with the main game finally have something new to play. The first of two expansion DLCs for the main game, "Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel," has arrived and from the looks of it, it seems to be a very solid addition to the game.
What's new in "Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel?" For one thing, it's definitely harder than the main game, even though you might have already finished it. It's a wintry environment, one that's similar to the Painted World of Ariamis from "Dark Souls 1," but it's far from being a winter wonderland. The terrain is treacherous, the enemies are powerful, and you'd better watch your step and be careful out there in order to survive the Painted World of Ariandel.
IGN has a favorable review of "Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel." Reviewer Brendan Graeber found that the new setting is just as challenging as any in "Dark Souls 3," requiring a good amount of strategy and skill to overcome. Graeber found that it could get both challenging and repetitive at the same time -- forcing you to think of new ways to approach boss battles, but using those similar methods in some of them.
According to Shaun Prescott of PC Gamer, the punishing challenge of "Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel" was also satisfying. It definitely helped that the icy setting of Ariandel was very beautiful, enticing the player to do a lot of careful exploring in the game. The expansion also has a dedicated PvP Arena area that supports up to six players at a time.
"Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel" releases for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Tuesday, October 25. Anyone looking to extend their "Dark Souls 3" experience should definitely look into getting this game.