Dark Souls III: The Ringed City Reviews
With some notable flaws and lack of originality, the Ringed City is a bit of a mix bag. Even so, the new areas are fun enough to explore, and the epic final encounter is something that absolutely needs to be experienced by anyone that calls themselves a Souls fan. It's unclear if this truly marks the end of Souls as a series, but if it is, it can rest well knowing it has left an indelible mark in gaming that will never be forgotten.
Two locations and four bosses doesn't sound like a whole bunch but don't be fooled - The Ringed City easily clocks in at four to five hours depending on how you fare with the bosses and other challenges. It's a meaty instalment and a welcome deviation from the practices seen in Ashes of Ariandel, while still interlocking with and continuing the complex narrative. The bosses are challenging and visually fantastic - besides a cheap NPC opponent - and the environments continue the Dark Souls tradition of being large, intricate, and engaging. The Ringed City feels like the climatic end that the Souls franchise deserves, even if we find ourselves hoping that this isn't actually the end at all.
The Ringed City DLC is a mixture of things, unfairly difficult in the beginning, it opens up and delivers a thematically fitting end to the series of the whole. Great boss fights as well as a new PvP mechanic elevate it above the previous DLC.
The Ringed City is a well-executed conclusion for the revered Dark Souls series.
As satisfying an ending as Dark Souls was ever going to get, with some shocking story revelations and memorable boss battles.
Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City has found a way to revisit the past without a cheap reliance on nostalgia, wrapping up the story of Dark Souls in a way that will be satisfying for fans who enjoy digging into the rich lore the series has been building for the last few years. But you don’t need an encyclopedic knowledge of the Souls series to appreciate the satisfying twists and turns of this short, but exciting adventure, with its abundance of haunting, secret-filled locales and terrifying boss fights.
There are a few segments and bosses that feel damn near impossible without the help from a friendly phantom.
The Ringed City is a very good DLC for Dark Souls 3, far better than the previous one, Ashes of Ariandel.
Review in Italian | Read full review
"What a ride, what a send-off, what a missed opportunity! I’m being a bit unfair. The Ringed City is perfectly good content, with a lot of play time, a lot of new weapons, armor and enemies. Some bosses suffer from hallmarks of the series so far, while one is almost exemplary in its design. It’s a linear experience but enjoyable to go through. The environments are among the most impressively looking in the series but the overall level of quality and polish fall short of previous DLC’s by From such as Artorias of the Abyss or The Old Hunters. In terms of lore and environmental storytelling, The Ringed City seems like a fair send-off for the series, even if it seems like it could have used (and deserved) more attention. Other aspects seem like placeholder ideas, such as the sections in which you’re forced to run from cover to cover which felt alien considering the series I was playing. I would call it “phoned in”, but even “phoned in” by From Software is still leaps and bounds ahead of what some AAA developers consider well-rounded and finished. Either way, it’s over at least for the time being and it’s been a privilege. Praise the Sun."
The Ringed City is not quite the conclusion of the series that fans would've wished for but besides a weak first hour, Souls Fans will get a good portion of challenging enemies and varying places that will entertain you even beyond new game+ for several hours.
Review in German | Read full review
The Ringed City DLC fixes the shortage of the previous DLC, presenting much more content, although not everything offered has a satisfactory gameplay. The big highlight are the bosses - challenging and worthy to face that vigorous build you created, after spending considerable time in the Dark Souls III campaign.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Ringed City feels like Hidetaka Miyazaki's send off to the Souls series. It's been a hell of a ride
"The Ringed City" is a proper farewell to a great series. From Software prepared a amazing expansion, which no Dark Souls fan should not miss.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The second (and final) DLC of Dark Souls III proves to be a far more robust and articulated experience than the first one. The level design is tangled yet magnificent, the content is richer and never ordinary. The perfect conclusion to an unforgettable chapter of the Dark Souls series.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If The Ringed City really is the end of Souls, it manages to hang its head high with the rest of the series. From Demon's to Dark III we have more than enough macabre settings to pore over in the years to come. They aren't all created equal, and some of them aren't even created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, but I'll remember each and every one of them for as long as I live. It's been a wild ride.
One of the best expansions From Software has ever produced, The Ringed City is a challenging and satisfying epilogue for the Dark Souls trilogy.
The Dark Souls plot is as mysterious in its conclusion as it was in its beginning. Of course there are a myriad of scattered clues, references and story points scattered throughout the Ringed City. And I’m sure there’s a myriad more I’m yet to discover.
The Ringed City is a competent end for the Dark Souls Franchise. It has interconnected bigger places and better bosses than the previous DLC. Maybe some of the story subjects that were anticipated to be explained are not spoken in this DLC. But after all, if you have ever played any Dark Souls game, you should play The Ringed City. Only the last location itself worth buying these DLC.
Review in Persian | Read full review
From Software brings the Souls train into the station on a fittingly somber, yet high note with this excellently realized content. The one stumbling block comes from trying new things at a stage where they probably shouldn’t have with introducing the stealth element. nevertheless, as a concentrated showcase of 8 years of Souls and the journey along the way, it’s an excellent send off to the age of fire.
Dark Souls III: The Ringed City is a fitting end for the series that has been my go to for years. A nice selection of enemies, bosses, as well as a nice bit of exploration and items. Definitely an improvement over the previous Ashes of Ariandel, something that should make fans happy.