Dark Souls III - Ashes of Ariandel Reviews

Dark Souls III - Ashes of Ariandel is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Sep 29, 2016

The Painted World of Ariendel has a bleak beauty that’s begging to be explored, but it’s all over far too quickly. Drilled down to its basic components, this DLC is one great boss fight, some decent items and a PvP arena. Unfortunately, if you don’t care about battling other players online then you're unlikely to get much out of this.

Read full review

7 / 10
Oct 20, 2016

Ashes of Ariandel is a fine addition to Dark Souls 3, but does not strive far beyond simply being anything more than just adequate.

Read full review

IGN
Top Critic
7.8 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2016

The Painted World of Ariandel presents a land that’s both enticing and dangerous, and there’s plenty of challenges to face even if you won’t have to face them too many times. However, unless you really love dueling in PvP arenas and can find sustained interest there, this adventure may serve as more of an appetizer than a full course meal.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2016

You don't really need Ashes of Ariandel unless you've squeezed every ounce out of Dark Souls III already or thrive on PVP. I think the concept of splitting up their resources took away from the sum of both parts, but there's still plenty of challenges and surprises to warrant another bloody good time. Or a future Game of the Year version bookended romp.

Read full review

Oct 20, 2016

All things considered, the first expansion for Dark Souls 3 is kind of a letdown, particularly if you don’t enjoy fighting other players.

Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Oct 20, 2016

Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel is a short but sweet experience.

Read full review

Fextralife
Emergence
Top Critic
8 / 10
Oct 21, 2016

A piece of content that falls short of past expansions in length but makes up for it by adding a well designed assortment of weapons and spells as well as some memorable boss fights. The addition of the arena adds longevity for PvP fans or those just looking for a rumble with friends.

Read full review

7 / 10
Oct 21, 2016

Ashes of Ariandel is a well-designed, 4-5 jaunt through another painted realm, with a structured PvP annex that to some may be worth the admission price alone. But it’s missing the superlative spark of previous Souls DLCs.

Read full review

GameSpew
Top Critic
8 / 10
Oct 24, 2016

Ashes of Ariandel offers more Dark Souls III, which can only ever be a good thing in my book.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Oct 24, 2016

The Ashes of Ariandel breathed new life into a game that was already strong and vital, and set the stage for the final chapter in its dark saga.

Read full review

Unscored
Oct 24, 2016

Ashes of Ariandel offers a satisfying blend of lore, boss fights, and exploration that Souls fans love, but fails to shake some of Dark Souls 3's problems.

Read full review

Oct 25, 2016

From Software plays to its strengths with Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel giving players more difficult content to progress through in a big new area to explore. While a little light on big boss fights, the new multiplayer Arena mode has the potential to keep the fun going long after players have mastered and discovered all the new secrets and items this content has to offer.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2016

Ashes of Ariandel is the best Dark Souls 3 has ever been

Read full review

Justin Celani
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2016

Ashes of Ariandel is a good time for those looking to give themselves an excuse to boot up Dark Souls 3 again, as if that is even necessary.

Read full review

7.2 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2016

Short but intense, the journey through Ariandel lands will entice longtime fans. Too bad for the very short duration of this (mis)adventure, that goes off in a few hours, voraciously consumed by those who have reached the endgame.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 25, 2016

Ashes of Ariandel is an impressive first DLC pack for Dark Souls III.

Read full review

3 / 5
Oct 25, 2016

High-quality content that doesn’t take long to go through. If you’re a fan of the series, and its competitive (PvP) mode, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here. However, if you’re expecting many additional hours of solo gameplay, then don’t expect much.

Review in Arabic | Read full review

70 / 100
Oct 26, 2016

A decent enough expansion, but it doesn't reach the great heights of previous post-launch outings.

Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Oct 26, 2016

Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel is possibly the weakest of all the Souls-Borne expansions, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. While it doesn’t reach the near perfection of those before it, there is enough variety and good ideas here to support a playthrough.

Read full review

Oct 26, 2016

The new Painted World looks gorgeous at times and exploration feels rewarding as you discover more shortcuts and pathways. The multiplayer arena seems unusual at first, but it is an interesting take on the game's PvP. Only hardcore fans will stick around for the long haul, though, so the DLC's main appeal comes from an awe inspiring boss fight at the end.

Read full review