Dark Souls III: The Ringed City

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 290 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 248 out of 290
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 290
  3. Negative: 30 out of 290

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  1. Darthtux
    Mar 29, 2017
    9
    A massive improvement to what we had in the first dlc. This is a solid and great send off for the entire dark souls series!!

    I can't say that it's my most favorite expansion for DS but it's one of my top favorites though. Pros: +Environment/Scenery (Way better than the last one) +New Weapons/Spells/Armor etc... (A lot of these I actually like and did use in the DLC) +Bosses    A massive improvement to what we had in the first dlc. This is a solid and great send off for the entire dark souls series!!

    I can't say that it's my most favorite expansion for DS but it's one of my top favorites though.
    Pros:
    +Environment/Scenery (Way better than the last one)
    +New Weapons/Spells/Armor etc... (A lot of these I actually like and did use in the DLC)
    +Bosses (Fromsoftware has done it again except for ONE of them)
    +Lore/Conclusion (Solid sendoff)
    +Enemies (Bunch of variety here and all of them are unique)

    Cons
    -Short (The Ringed City looked pretty big at first glance, wished you can see more of it in full glory)
    -----> Placement of Bosses (not expecting them to be THAT close to each other)
    +/- I still am not too fond of the linear part about DS3 but its more of a personal opinion

    Overall great DLC!!!
    Thank you Fromsoftware for DS and giving us a place to praise the sun :D
    Good luck in your future and to those who haven't gotten the DLC, this is a must buy for sure!    … Expand
  2. Strelok_VSOP
    Apr 24, 2017
    10
    Очень хорошее дополнение, очень яркие впечатления, интересные боссы. Лучше чем первое дополнение. Хорошее завершение серии.
  3. Gwyndolin
    Mar 31, 2017
    7
    This DLC really rubs me the wrong way with some of the mechanics and design. But it was an overall good experience.

    Half the DLC was "run from cover to cover" puzzles that just felt super gimmicky. The spongy optional boss was also just straight up exhausting and reminded me of Ancient Dragon from DkS2. On the bright side, the final boss was really spectacular in terms of its    This DLC really rubs me the wrong way with some of the mechanics and design. But it was an overall good experience.

    Half the DLC was "run from cover to cover" puzzles that just felt super gimmicky.
    The spongy optional boss was also just straight up exhausting and reminded me of Ancient Dragon from DkS2.

    On the bright side, the final boss was really spectacular in terms of its moveset, even if he was probably one of the easiest bosses in the game. The Ringed Knights were pretty fun to fight. The repeatable boss fight / covenant can be fun but at the same time can get extremely imbalanced, frustrating, and toxic.

    I just don't think the conclusion of a series should be filled with experimental ideas, instead it should focus on what they have been so successful at.

    As for pvp...the new Twin UGS is awesome to use and scary to fight against so it may need some balancing, although it's kind of early to tell. Will try to adapt first before screaming for nerf.    … Expand
  4. Blocksss
    Apr 7, 2017
    9
    The DLC was pretty good, some things annoyed me,
    some bosses really were just copy-pastes but overall i'm pleased, the bosses are outstanding, and if u find it unfair when battling them, then just git gud.
  5. uhCharge
    Mar 28, 2017
    10
    The first minutes of the expansion are really good, I enjoyed it a lot. I was all time like WTF! Does monster are so **** cool! Oh.. wait.. They're gonna kill me! And then when I kill them another monster spawned. It was insane and I'm having great times with this expansion. This is one of the best DLC I've played ever by far. The bosses are nice and the last one made me cry, just a bit heThe first minutes of the expansion are really good, I enjoyed it a lot. I was all time like WTF! Does monster are so **** cool! Oh.. wait.. They're gonna kill me! And then when I kill them another monster spawned. It was insane and I'm having great times with this expansion. This is one of the best DLC I've played ever by far. The bosses are nice and the last one made me cry, just a bit he he. So I recommend to everyone who has played the saga, guys, this is the best end for the game and I'm sure that you're going to love it.… Expand
  6. maximumV1OLENCE
    Mar 28, 2017
    10
    Ringed City is as true a Dark Souls experience as there is. If you are under level 100 don't even try. This dlc is punishing and not for the inexperienced. The areas are beautifully detailed and the enemies and bosses are both impressive and deadly. The difficultly curve is high and takes time to adjust but once you do the reward is well worth it. I highly recommend for all fans of Souls.
  7. trevor1981
    Apr 7, 2017
    10
    The grand finale we were waiting for.
    The locations are stunning, bosses are great and pretty tough to beat. This is as great as the main game. I had so much fun especially in the final fight.
    Knowing this is the end of Dark Souls series makes me sad. I wish they had saved at least one more DLC to deliver as a surprise.
    Thank you, Miyazaki-san for this immaculate vision.
  8. ambientdrop
    Mar 31, 2017
    4
    Making a game hard just to be hard is such a terrible move, especially when people pay the extra money for the dlc. I can't even decifer a story because I'm constantly being unfairly murdered. The demon prince is, by far, the most unfair boss I've faced. Dear From, Take this game and shove it until you say ouch.
  9. Daxos
    Apr 17, 2017
    0
    Completely terrible, like the rest of DS3. I love the Souls series and DS2 is my all time favorite game, but DS3 is a head scratcher. It's not only the worst Souls game by a huge margin, it's one of the worst games I've ever played, period. Its awful mechanics and programming make it feel like sh*t to play (I feel like I have a DS1 or Demon's Souls character thrown into a Bloodborne worldCompletely terrible, like the rest of DS3. I love the Souls series and DS2 is my all time favorite game, but DS3 is a head scratcher. It's not only the worst Souls game by a huge margin, it's one of the worst games I've ever played, period. Its awful mechanics and programming make it feel like sh*t to play (I feel like I have a DS1 or Demon's Souls character thrown into a Bloodborne world with Bloodborne enemies and bosses, which is a mismatch of game play that doesn't work for me at all). Back to the DLC...

    It's so pathetically cheap with this endless laser storm barrage while rolling through poison swamps and getting cursed if you stay in one place for too long (I got cursed for an insta-death death while in my inventory) that it's no fun at all to play. I don't have the patience for this crap in a game that I already hate. Back to DS2, DS1, Demon's Souls, and Bloodborne for me. This game sucks so bad I do not understand the love and praise it gets. Sorry. It's terrible and a shameful disgrace to my favorite series.    … Expand
  10. kenmil
    May 3, 2017
    9
    A great way to end a great series. Interesting to note that the three people who scored it the lowest all basically said they found it too difficult. (Blaming the game for their own inadequacies.) If you like Dark Souls, you will enjoy this DLC, though it is not for the weak.
  11. XxAlbertoBuzzxX
    Sep 19, 2020
    8
    DARK SOULS III: THE RINGED CITY
    ...............................................................................
  12. MadnessisRising
    Mar 13, 2019
    9
    By far the best DLC in the whole Souls-Series! Fantastic new designed areas with even better enemys. And all those got topped by the bosses. Must buy!
  13. Rektnarok91
    Apr 26, 2020
    0
    The base game is excellenct and the first dlc is pretty good. While this looks great it's full of enemies that gang up on you, it's much more frustrating than challenging
  14. DeusXCom
    Apr 8, 2017
    8
    Very nice DLC closure to one of the best series. Especially the ending area, theme and atmosphere are really strong. Not everything is perfect, some obligatory running around in swamps and one boss with billion hp felt a bit annoying, but the final impression is strongly positive. It's basically double the size of Ashes of Ariandel filled with quality content, including cool new weapons,Very nice DLC closure to one of the best series. Especially the ending area, theme and atmosphere are really strong. Not everything is perfect, some obligatory running around in swamps and one boss with billion hp felt a bit annoying, but the final impression is strongly positive. It's basically double the size of Ashes of Ariandel filled with quality content, including cool new weapons, enjoyable covenant and some very juicy lore bits. I'm really interested in what From Soft is going to do next and I wish them good luck, because it's going to be extremely hard to top the quality of Dark Souls, but judging from Bloodborne, definitely not impossible and I can't wait for their new projects. 8/10… Expand
  15. WoshW
    Sep 5, 2018
    9
    I dunno, this DLC was simply just amazing but ... one of 4 bosses isn't boss... it is just damn NPC fight -_- But the other 3 bosses are simply just fokin amazing! :D Then there is amazing atmosphere but.. only in certain areas and that is a pity.
  16. Bezz92
    Mar 31, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This dlc reminded me DKS1 and Artorias of the Abyss,it's difficult,and sometimes very unfair, and has a soul,you can feel the relevance of what you are doing.If you are looking for many lore answer you might be disappointed,if you are looking for the ending of DarkSouls series as desired by Myazaki you won’t.
    +The bosses are good,like the scenaries,variety of weapons,enemies,NPCs.
    -the first part is strange for a soul and could be very annoying in some session.
    -The game could not answer the questions that many have about the lore of Dark Souls 3 but the primary focus is to continue the story of the first DLC;it's a Myazaki choice,and personally i am satisfied with the outcome.
    -The difficulty at some point is unfair,but it is an end game dlc,i did not find it annoying.    … Expand
  17. Big_Bear
    Apr 13, 2017
    8
    Nice to see that for once on here, there seem to be less stupid reviews by brain-dead people than usual.

    The Ringed City is a satisfying, massively enjoyable addition to Dark Souls 3. For me it works better as seen like that rather than classing it as the 'ending' to Dark Souls which is only ever going to breed disappointment. Good - The level design and atmosphere are as strong as    Nice to see that for once on here, there seem to be less stupid reviews by brain-dead people than usual.

    The Ringed City is a satisfying, massively enjoyable addition to Dark Souls 3. For me it works better as seen like that rather than classing it as the 'ending' to Dark Souls which is only ever going to breed disappointment.

    Good - The level design and atmosphere are as strong as anywhere else in the game, if not stronger. The Ringed City level itself, whilst a little small perhaps, is beautifully formed. The added lore is as vague as ever but also hugely intriguing. There are a good variation of interesting and diverse enemies and NPCs. The Boss fights are memorable and challenging.

    Bad - to me there still is not enough armor, but I suppose there never can be. My main criticism would be the overall size; despite being double the size of Ashes of Ariandel, I still found the levels to be too small. Although that being said, there is more to do within those levels.

    Overall this is a 8/10 piece of DLC. More importantly though, it adds more much needed padding and increased quality to an already great, but previously too short main game. I originally scored Dark Souls 3 8/10 because of its size. Now with both DLCs I am happy to say I now consider Dark Souls 3 a 9/10 and probably overall, just about the best in the series.    … Expand
  18. Obby360
    Apr 1, 2017
    9
    One of the best games of 2016 and most likely one of the best game franchises ever, The Ringed City has us going to the world end in this last instalment DLC.

    A very rounded expansion, in both level design, lore and boss battles- since it offers an improved challenge from the first. It offers something for does interested in challenges, in story depth and exploration, even if it all    One of the best games of 2016 and most likely one of the best game franchises ever, The Ringed City has us going to the world end in this last instalment DLC.

    A very rounded expansion, in both level design, lore and boss battles- since it offers an improved challenge from the first.
    It offers something for does interested in challenges, in story depth and exploration, even if it all seems way to rushed in the end, as though trying to fit it all under a 8 hour mark.

    All in all, officially this is the last instalment in the Souls franchise, and I have to say this DLC is a love letter to the fans    … Expand
  19. geoxd88
    Jul 20, 2017
    10
    After 3 dark souls games, a demon souls and a bloodborne, you reach the end of this dlc feeling full and slightly saturated by the myriads of challenges you have already overcome. But from soft has one last surprise for you that manages to capture and reignite every single emotion you felt during this long journey, in a trully majectic, awe inspiring way. Souls fans, we couldn't have askedAfter 3 dark souls games, a demon souls and a bloodborne, you reach the end of this dlc feeling full and slightly saturated by the myriads of challenges you have already overcome. But from soft has one last surprise for you that manages to capture and reignite every single emotion you felt during this long journey, in a trully majectic, awe inspiring way. Souls fans, we couldn't have asked for more, but we got it :)… Expand
  20. DMcGee2288
    Apr 12, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What really bothered me was the ending.. everyone keeps saying that this DLC was the closure that the series deserved.. How? Nothing happens.. Nothing is finalized. So, you kill Slave Knight Gael.. take the blood of the dark soul to the little painter in ashes of Ariandel.. and that's it.. oh, she'll name a new land after your name.. uhhh, thanks? I guess.. It's almost as if they lost creativity and steam for a proper ending.. or maybe there is one DLC left and they just wanted us to think this was the end, only to later surprise us with a proper ending.. dunno..

    I did love this DLC though. Darkeater Midir is probably the toughest boss I've ever played and beaten in any Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne game.. It was BRUTAL! The final fight against Gael was crap easy compared to the optional Dragon bout. There's still very few things that I need to do in the DLC.. I'm not really interested in joining the optional covenant.. I DO wanna go back and beat Shira.. and explore the final area of the game, with what little it has to offer.. It will probably take me a total of half an hour tops.. I did enjoy it though.. probably took me about 6-7 hours to do everything, not counting how many times I died and had to retry against the Darkeater Midir. Wasn't really particularly impressed with the new weapons and gear from the DLCs. Even the boss soul transpositions into weapons and spells were not all that impressive. All in all, the new areas, baddies, and NPCs offered an enjoyable time. The short-comings, besides the ending, were easily over-looked by how awesome the DLC was. However, 8/10 is because the lack of an ultimate conclusion rather irked me.    … Expand
  21. BlakDak666
    Mar 30, 2017
    8
    Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City is the final expansion of the Dark Souls (if not the whole Souls) series and ends a very good note. The new areas offer a mixture of new and old enemies (more towards new) and offer a challenge to players. The bosses (four in total) are perhaps some of the best bosses in not just Dark Souls but also in the whole series on full display. There is one inDark Souls 3: The Ringed City is the final expansion of the Dark Souls (if not the whole Souls) series and ends a very good note. The new areas offer a mixture of new and old enemies (more towards new) and offer a challenge to players. The bosses (four in total) are perhaps some of the best bosses in not just Dark Souls but also in the whole series on full display. There is one in particular I was disappointed with and didn't like, but the other three are absolutely stunning visually and very difficult.

    That is perhaps the biggest thing to understand with this expansion is the difficulty spike that comes when partaking in its areas and adversaries. Not to mention some of the ideas and designs From has implemented in is very experimental, so this could be a issue for some but for me i love it. The bosses might be very harsh at first, but considering this is a final Souls content being released, you kind of want to go off with a bang, and the end game boss and secret boss is definitely a epic conclusion. The new weapons, spells, armors and equipment will also allow further builds and character creation to take place and they are some of the coolest the whole game has done (in my opinion at least.)

    The final expansion of the Souls series is worthy to be among the best DLCs Fromsoft has ever done and deserves to be among the ranks of Dark Souls' Artorias of The Abyss and Bloodborne's Old Hunter for its conclusion. If you are discouraged by the difficulty jump, then it might be a turn off, but for those that demand a true final test of skill and wit, then it is absolutely worth your time and energy.    … Expand
  22. Kamikazeshocki
    Aug 11, 2017
    9
    Way better than the first DLC. Feels like playing a summary of every DS game. If you own DSIII you have to get this.
    And damn that **** dragon boss... infuriating.
  23. gpl6467
    Apr 13, 2017
    8
    This is a tough one to review. It's not particularly unique, but it does offer a decent amount of new content. Much of the DLC contains what I'd refer to as "artificial difficulty"---- that is, it often feels difficult in an unbalanced, unrewarding way (hoards of enemies, poisonous areas w/ ranged enemies, curse inducing etc). That said, the areas are engaging, the new weapons are fun, andThis is a tough one to review. It's not particularly unique, but it does offer a decent amount of new content. Much of the DLC contains what I'd refer to as "artificial difficulty"---- that is, it often feels difficult in an unbalanced, unrewarding way (hoards of enemies, poisonous areas w/ ranged enemies, curse inducing etc). That said, the areas are engaging, the new weapons are fun, and I think ultimately it's worth the price.… Expand
  24. XV_
    Apr 4, 2020
    8
    I think this DLC is a good closure to the series (at least to this point), it has a good challenge, lore and the mood is kinda sad all the time, which is a good thing. Overall it's a well-executed and fun addition.
  25. Richard1766
    Feb 2, 2019
    9
    This DLC is amazing. Locations are very good, bosses here are very good and very complex. The lore of this DLC is very rich and interesting. The final fight with the boss is fascinating. Very good completion of the series.
    One minus is the boss halflight, as for me one of the worst and not interesting bosses of all Dark Souls 3, and the fact that in multiplayer it becomes PVP, and not a    This DLC is amazing. Locations are very good, bosses here are very good and very complex. The lore of this DLC is very rich and interesting. The final fight with the boss is fascinating. Very good completion of the series.
    One minus is the boss halflight, as for me one of the worst and not interesting bosses of all Dark Souls 3, and the fact that in multiplayer it becomes PVP, and not a fight with the boss, too controversial in my opinion the decision    … Expand
  26. Blaxmagister
    Dec 8, 2018
    9
    Lots of new items and cool weapons? Yes
    Goregous landscapes(with ganks)?Yes
    Great bossfights?Yes(But halflight is boring)
    Personal favourite boss ever? YES YES YES YEEEEEEES
  27. Souls-Lurk
    Dec 28, 2018
    10
    THIS (together with the Ashes of Ariandel as one unified piece) is my favourite DLC of any game ever. From Soft always 'bring it' with the DLC to their Souls (& Bloodborne) games and for me this is the pinnacle. So good in fact that it elevated Dark Souls 3 to be my favourite Souls game and (the DLC) actually manages to provide a satisfying conclusion to my favourite franchise in bothTHIS (together with the Ashes of Ariandel as one unified piece) is my favourite DLC of any game ever. From Soft always 'bring it' with the DLC to their Souls (& Bloodborne) games and for me this is the pinnacle. So good in fact that it elevated Dark Souls 3 to be my favourite Souls game and (the DLC) actually manages to provide a satisfying conclusion to my favourite franchise in both gameplay and narrative terms.

    Gameplay-wise, I would say that The Ringed City (& The Ashes of Ariandel as they are both present on the Dark Souls 3: Fires Fade GOTY Edition and there is cross-over) are THE toughest areas of the whole Soulsbourne pantheon. Both in terms of the trash-mobs within the area's themselves and the Bosses that you will eventually face. The Demon Princes & Darkeater Midir (as well as Sister Friede from Ashes) are three of my top five Soulsborne bosses of all time (the other two being Ludwig & Orphan of Kos). Slave Knight Gael is also right up there in my top 10. The Ringed Knights are also some of my favourite 'in-level' enemies from throughout the series.

    Level design is strong, with the environments really helping to tell the conclusion to this epic (if obfuscated) tale. The area's are definitely more about the visual storytelling than the usual short-cut - wrap around areas that are usually provided (though there is obviously some of that too).

    Narratively, Souls is Souls and therefore extremely sparse and difficult to piece together... but having researched the story theories flying around Youtube (as I have always done throughout my time playing all of the Soulsborne games), there is some genuine closure that is pretty satisfying once fully comprehended (& Youtube research has ALWAYS been part of the fun for me with these games).    … Expand
  28. jiorl
    Sep 8, 2019
    8
    A great send of for ds3, and definentely worth the money. Bosses are great, level design/environment is some of the best, new enemies are a challenge and the lore is as interesting as it has ever been. The dlc has some of the best parts of the souls series, and this is no exception for the ringed city dlc
  29. 666Game666
    Oct 5, 2019
    10
    More of what one would expect out of a souls' dlc. Fun, variety and crazy deaths. Possibly the best levels in the game.
  30. joel_tdl
    Feb 12, 2022
    8
    Mejor que el DLC 1

    Al ser un DLC es claro que los aspectos generales son los mismos que en el juego base. Por lo demás: Aquí sí, tenemos un escenario bien hecho y mucho mejor construido a lo visto en Ashes of Ariandel, el primer DLC. Los enemigos están mejor balanceados también. No que sean más fáciles (todo lo contrario), sino que no están tan mal ubicados y apretujados como en la    Mejor que el DLC 1

    Al ser un DLC es claro que los aspectos generales son los mismos que en el juego base. Por lo demás:

    Aquí sí, tenemos un escenario bien hecho y mucho mejor construido a lo visto en Ashes of Ariandel, el primer DLC.
    Los enemigos están mejor balanceados también. No que sean más fáciles (todo lo contrario), sino que no están tan mal ubicados y apretujados como en la mencionada expansión.
    Es un poco mas largo también, lo cual se agradece.

    Los Boss, por su parte son muy buenos. Desde el primer jefe(s) que es muy duro, nos damos un vistazo suficiente de lo que será esta aventura. Y si bien, tenemos el ya-cien-veces-visto miniboss Dragón en el Puente, eso no quita el mérito del resto de ellos. Ni siquiera a sí mismo una vez convertido en jefe, pues tiene una de las mejores piezas de soundtrack del juego.

    Además, traes el decepcionante jefe final del juego base, Gael es una maravilla audiovisual. La arena es probablemente la más grande vista para un jefe en el Souls, y ese diseño tan simple pero inmersivo quedó como anillo al dedo para concluir la aventura.    … Expand
  31. LikeaPisces
    Dec 22, 2019
    9
    The best DLC a Souls game ever had. Visually wonderful, and a dubiously deserved closure.
  32. nurfedx
    Oct 30, 2021
    10
    One of the best Games known to mankind.
    From Software is a safe heaven for the Gaming community.
    Especially in times where big Developers dissapiont us with theyr fraudulent intent.
    Praise the sun!
  33. nietzfk
    May 20, 2023
    8
    The map design didn't look great to me, I got bored playing it... Still a great experience.
  34. Dom007
    Mar 28, 2021
    9
    This is probably the best soulsborne dlc out of all of them. The bosses are incredible and the area is stunning in terms of visual appearance. Some of the enemies can be a pain to fight however.

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Best PS4 Game of 2017
89
#89 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Games Master UK
    Jun 20, 2017
    75
    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]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    May 15, 2017
    100
    FromSoftware definitely couldn't say a better goodbye to the series than they did in The Ringed City. This spin-off brought not only some of the best bosses in the whole series, but also impressive locations and distinctive characters that deepen the mysterious world. [Issue#274]
  3. BaziCenter
    May 7, 2017
    80
    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.
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