Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades

This is the Game of the Year edition including both of the downloadable content expansions, Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City. As is nowadays the case with AAA titles, it's wise to not buy them at their launches, and instead wait for GOTY editions to arrive.

In the case of Dark Souls III however, I simply could not wait. I sold my Apocalypse base game and bought The Fire Fades last month. While i replayed through the base game for the third time, but now as a heavy Strength build, I discovered what I was waiting for with patience.

Ashes of Ariandel is reminiscent of the Painted World of Ariamis from Dark Souls where a feminine guardian protects the snowy world with it's "peaceful inhabitants". Criticized for being too short, I don't agree, as the content, and especially the last boss encounter make up for a formidable time.

With new weapons, spells, enemies and a snowy area to discover, you will get lost in the frozen woods sections, and you will get overwhelmed by the numerous wolfs and living trees in the snowy plain, as well as the bugs in a disgusting inner section, which holds the foul truth of the lonely church beyond a fragile bridge.

Sister Friede and Father Ariandel are the main focus of the story and lore, and together they will become an unforgettable duo of odd proportions and fighting styles. Symbolizing fallen souls, it will take skill to overcome them, and in the end bring true peace back to the painted world.

But it will be the forbidden city at the end of the world where the final battles of perhaps the whole series await the Ashen One. The Ringed City is another aesthethical highlight by From Software, next to Anor Londo and Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, and it's objectively superior to the previous DLC.

Remaining true towards explaining the overall story and lore in a vague and mysterious manner, you will encounter prophesying locusts among very few surviving NPC's while you traverse through the city with it's tough challenges awaiting you.

The Dark Soul as a plot device is the central theme, and as such, different interpretations and theories exist as to what it embodies. A demonic duo in a strange wastelandish area of previous locations, and the toughest dragon of the gods Midir await as tough adverseries, while an Old Monk/Looking Glass Knight esque PVP boss fight is fun as an alternative, especially with the new implemented covenant.

It will be Slave Knight Gael as the most memorable boss of the expansion though, as he is arguably not only the toughest of the whole game to beat, but he also has similarities to others such as Artorias, and what is the most interesting and likely trivia out of all is that he just might be the connection towards the entire world found in Bloodborne, through the hands of the small painter found in Ashes of Ariandel.

The Ringed City is the last ancient sanctuary and haven you will encounter, and if this is the end of the whole pilgrimage through the 3 games, then it is surely a proper sendoff and "swan song" towards the franchise, remaining true and familiar to those brave enough to have vendured through all of the available adventures.