Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel

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.

Focusing mostly on the PvP aspect of the game, Ashes doesn't bring enough to satisfy the thirst for more Dark Souls. The new story is on the short side, but what is there is masterfully executed.

With Dark Souls' formidable reputation undisputed, other characteristics slip into transparency. Humor, long rumbling under the surface, receives a more stable focus in Ashes of Ariandel. Expectations are bent, defied, and destroyed in ways that are designed to simultaneously humiliate and impress series veterans. After five games and six pieces of downloadable content, it's hard to imagine a more suitable approach.

After a base game that had me questioning if the formula had lost its spark, this DLC proves that there are still frigid regions still worthy of exploration and horrifying beasts still in need of slaying. I won’t go so far as to say it’s the best Dark Souls has ever been, but it’s certainly the best Dark Souls 3 has ever been.

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.

The enchanted scenery could have been bigger, the story longer than roughly five to seven hours, but nonetheless Ashes of Ariandel is a good expansion.

Ashes of Ariandel is a downloadable content that surprised us, and not always positively. An extremely high overall quality collides with a paucity of content, creating a controversial result, which satisfies a little bit, leaving the player in the grip of conflicting feelings.

Ashes of Ariandel is, plain and simple, disappointing. Is it bad content? Nope. Are you going to enjoy it? Most likely. Does the content justify the price? There's no doubt about this: no, it doesn't. We don't know what From Software was thinking when they decided that this could be a DLC but we really hope that the second one is better, since it will mark the ending of the series and it should be a memorable one.

While satisfyingly challenging, the longevity of this awaited DLC leaves us disappointed.

It's more great Dark Souls content, but this expansion offers few unique aspects to the tried and true formula. An additional PVP matchmaking system is a nice touch, but it could do with a bit more polish.

The first DLC for Dark Souls 3 is short. But the cold setting, enemies, weapons and spells are entertaining. Could have used a bit more boss fights though.

Ashes of Ariandel is a welcome addition to the Souls franchise. It's one of the most intriguing settings in a Dark Souls world so far, but you'll see most of it in only a few hours. Also the content is less challenging than the original game.

The final boss fight is challenging and worth the DLC, while the PvP arena will keep fans busy for some time, but ultimately the world of Ariandel is bleakly beautiful if unsatisfying.

What Ashes of Ariandel lacks in originality, it makes up for in cohesion with the full version of Dark Souls III.

Splitting half the content between a mode many players won’t be interested in is an odd decision, but short as it is the new area still has that classic Dark Souls appeal.

Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel is possibly the weakest of all the Souls-Borne expansions, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.

The Painted World of Ariendel has a bleak beauty that’s begging to be explored, but it’s all over far too quickly.

In the penultimate addition to the Dark Souls series (the next DLC will be the last, and thus, the end of the series ' sure.. sure it will be'), we see From Software's usually brilliance peeking through, but the Painted World of Ariandal, while worthy of the Dark Souls name, just isn't their best work. I don't doubt for a second that the final DLC will knock the series out of the park in legendary fashion, but this first Dark Souls III expansion feels a little lost in the blizzard.

It saddens me to see the game that stole more of my time than I’m willing to admit turn into a self-parody. Ashes of Ariandel is like a covers playlist prepared by someone who has never heard the original recordings. Its only truly valuable moment is the wonderful last boss fight. [13/2016, p.48]

Though Ashes of Ariandel offers a new surrounding, new enemies and pretty challenging boss fights, there is nothing surprising or convincing about it.

I appreciate that multiplayer is a big deal in the Souls games, but this is the first time From Software has crafted a piece of DLC content that focuses almost entirely on that multiplayer experience, and I think this will fall flat with plenty of other Souls fans.

Quotation forthcoming.

Pretty but shallow, Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel is sorely lacking in content and inventiveness.

It feels like From Software phone this one in. As DLC for the Souls series goes, this is a disappointment. [Christmas 2016, p.69]