Dark Souls III: The Ringed City

A monumental achievement in game design that closes the circle of the Dark Souls series in the best possible way.

So that's it; the series that started in 2009 with Demon's Souls is coming to a close. The Ringed City has its share of annoyances, but the story, lore and bosses make any complaints null and void. This really does feel like 'the end' but games are like Marvel characters; no matter how or why they die, wait a few months and ' surprise ' they are alive again. I highly doubt From Software is done with the Souls series forever, but if I'm wrong this is the perfect way to cap off the last eight years of living in a Dark Souls world.

This is a beautiful expansion, visually spectacular and challenging – on par with Bloodborne’s “The Old Hunters”.

The Ringed City is a great way to close such an important franchise like Dark Souls. If you are a fan of this title, you should check this expansion.

The Ringed City puts an end to Dark Souls, at least by Miyazaki's hand. Feels short, but just because you want more and more. Be say goodbye to a franchise the way it deserves and look to the horizon, wishing that this is not the end of this kind of game from From Software. Praise the Sun!

Meaty and challenging, The Ringed City is an appropriate send-off for one of the most important videogame franchises of the last decade.

The Ringed City is a very good DLC for Dark Souls 3, far better than the previous one, Ashes of Ariandel.

If The Ringed City really is the last time we’ll see any new Dark Souls content for the foreseeable future, players can rest assured that their final endeavor will be a worthwhile one. Though at times it can feel even more punishing than the main game, the thoughtful level design, fun boss battles, and a more horror-inspired tone make The Ringed City a worthy add-on and will give any Dark Souls 3 fan a reason to jump back into the madness.

The Ringed City’s level design might be a little too linear at the beginning, and new ideas are not developed as much as you’d expect from a Souls game. Nevertheless it’s a challenging and enjoyable conclusion for Dark Souls III.

If you’re a souls fanatic, then getting this is a no-brainer and, in terms of amount of content, by all reports it’s almost double that of Ashes of Ariandel, making The Ringed City even better value for money.

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.

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.

Dark Souls III The ringed City is a very good conclusion to the saga, with great level design, a lot of exploration, good new enemies, and a lot of "You are Dead".

A greatest hits package of delights, The Ringed City gets just about everything right. If this is the end, as we believe it is, Dark Souls is going out on a high note.

I believe FromSoftware could do this forever, and I doubt I would ever get tired of it. If Dark Souls is my Madden or Call of Duty, so be it. It would make me happy. As a tidy finale or a signal marking a hiatus, The Ringed City is pure Dark Souls. I will always want more, but this is satisfying.

The Ringed City is a must for Dark Souls fanatics, and not just because it’s almost certainly the final chapter in what has become a cult classic series. It’s a great piece of DLC in its own right, with thrilling boss fights, gorgeous locations and an appropriately sad, mournful ending...If you count yourself among the hordes of gamers who adore these games for what they are, then you’ll find this last jaunt through a perilous, dying world where everything wants to kill you over and over again a joy.

While The Ringed City may not be perfect, it still serves as a fantastic send off to one of the most engaging series in modern gaming. Even with some lackluster environments and sections that feel artificially difficult for the sake of it, this second expansion reminded me of why I fell in love with this series. From the fantastic bosses to the powerful weapons and visually stunning levels this is an experience that was clearly crafted for the fans. If this is the last time we ever ignite the bonfires and charge into battle against a terrifying demon then it’s one that will be remembered. Even if it didn’t tie up every loose thread, The Ringed City stands as a great epilogue to an even greater series. Praise the Sun!

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.

Too bad for a subdued conclusion, faint as the last spark of a firebrand.

Quotation forthcoming.

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.

A good ending to a beloved series, but it's definitely time to lay Dark Souls to rest for a while. [June 2017, p.80]

Dark Souls III: The Ringed City is a worthwhile expansion for fans of the series but it also frequently devolves into a controller-throwing nightmare. That being said, it is a fitting final chapter of the Souls franchise but let's just hope that turns out not to be the case.

The Ringed City is a fantastically punishing finale for the Dark Souls saga, but is held back by linear level design and an underwhelming story.

The Ringed City is a brutally unkind piece of content that shows the series at its best, but also unfortunately its worst.