Dark Souls III - Ashes of Ariandel Reviews
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.
Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel is a short but sweet experience.
All things considered, the first expansion for Dark Souls 3 is kind of a letdown, particularly if you don’t enjoy fighting other players.
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.
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.
Ashes of Ariandel is a fine addition to Dark Souls 3, but does not strive far beyond simply being anything more than just adequate.
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.