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Should I buy the Dark Souls 3 DLC and When Should I play it?

Alek

Alek

Games User Researcher
Verified
Oct 28, 2017
8,467
Is it worth it? I bought the game for like £20 a while back and the DLC costs £20 unto itself.

Also when should I play the DLC. Should I play it after I beat the main game? On my first playthrough, or on NG+? Or do you get access to it sooner?

I've never bought a Dark Souls DLC before aside Old Hunters in Bloodborne.

For context I just beat Dark Souls 3's main game, for the first time. Took 26 hours.
 

TronLight

Member
Jun 17, 2018
2,457
It's kinda great. Some of the best bosses. Really great art. I don't know the price but I'd go for it if you want more Dark Souls 3.
When is up to you, if you want it to be harder go for NG+ but then you have to replay the game until you get to the places you need to access the DLCs.
 
.exe

.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,219
I'd do it right after beating the main game, in the same cycle. But you can access it whenever. Start with Ashes of Ariandel and then do Ringed City.
They're pretty fun. Not my favorite Souls content by any stretch, but if you enjoyed the base game, this is more of that.
 
AuthenticM

AuthenticM

Son Altesse Sérénissime
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
30,036
It is 100% worth it. Some of the best DLC I have ever played. The last bosses of both DLCs are fucking spectacular.

Buy it, and play the DLC in your NG, before doing the final boss.
 
Adulfzen

Adulfzen

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,606
The DLC has some pretty good bosses (arguably some of the best in the game) but I wouldn't play those areas on NG+ (especially for the second DLC), I found the difficulty scaled way up already.

Definitely play those areas towards the end of the game on your first playthrough.
 
Beth Cyra

Beth Cyra

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
2,903
Absolutely yes.

DS3 and in particular Ashes are one of the top three games this gen for me and the DLC is as good if not better than the main game.

Also do not listen to anyone who hates on Ashes, it's gorgeous and while small, it has one of the best characters In Dark Soul's and a boss that is as good if not better than Maria from BB.

Also do echo it's mostly endgame content.
 

Deleted member 2834

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,620
Yeah, the DLC is really good, especially the second one. Soloing Ashes or Ariandel's boss is almost as hard as killing Sekiro's last boss though, so be prepared. Difficulty wise the DaS3 DLC is probably the hardest Souls content available.
 
Citizen Rizer

Citizen Rizer

Member
Oct 27, 2017
265
The bosses are easily the best in the game outside of, like, 2 (and one of them is the best boss in the whole series IMO). I didn't care for the new areas much, but the bosses are worth the cost. Play them after you beat the main game.
 
.exe

.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,219
TP~ said:
More reminiscent of Dark Souls 2 than anything in the DS3 campaign
Or my memory is really bad
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Felt about the same as the wave the main campaign was riding from around Lothric Castle forward. And they don't shy away from multi-phase bosses or multi-enemy bosses there either. My impression was that they just kind of cranked it to 11 in the DLC with more everything — enemies, phases, bosses, lore implications, the works.
 
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Nimby

Nimby

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,217
God, I remember the vitriol around here when TRC launched. Controllers broken, TVs probably busted.

The DLC for Dark Souls III is a must, by the way. You can play after beating the Soul of Cinder.
 
InstantN00dles

InstantN00dles

Member
Nov 2, 2017
481
If you enjoyed Dark Souls III and just want more of that then go for the DLC. Personally, I didn't enjoy Ashes all that much but like everyone else said it does contain one of the best boss fights. The Ringed City is great and I wouldn't skip that one.

I did both DLC's right before the Soul of Cinder but really doesn't matter when you do them, although you might want to be a particular level before attempting them.
 
OP
OP
Alek

Alek

Games User Researcher
Verified
Oct 28, 2017
8,467
I'll pick it up later then, everyone here seems pretty positive about it. Shame it's so expensive though. I have a couple of main-game bosses that I missed that I have to clear up first then I'll hit up the DLC. I missed like half of the catacombs area apparently.

Just played that missed catacombs area as I was writing this, terrible area. Kept getting lost because everything looked the same and then the boss was just a re-skin of one of those asylum demon type things. Also, full of stupid gimmicks like a giant worm and a ballista.
 
CQC

CQC

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,706
shadowhaxor said:
Yeah, I suppose skipping Sister Friede wouldn't make sense. That's the only thing I liked about that DLC.
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That and the lore implications the painted world perpetuated for me. Other than that was some tough new enemies, it was one of my lowest ranked DLC for Soulsborne. I'd argue that Dark Souls II had better DLC than Ashes of Ariandel.
 
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NioA

NioA

Member
Dec 16, 2019
3,627
Ashes of Ariandel has one of the best bosses of the game and a cool setting, but it's price is too high for something that can be completed in 3 or 4 hours so maybe wait a bit.
The Ringed City is very, very good: the map is gorgeous, has a lot of new enemies and there's a good amount of content, plus I loved the final boss (it felt more of a conclusion then the vanilla final boss itself). I'd say go for it, both have to be played at the end of the game (I did that on a NG+).
I'll also add that the game get discounted very often and I bought the game + season pass from the psn fro 13€, so maybe you can wait for a sale just for the season pass.
 

devSin

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,194
You may be over-leveled for Ashes of Ariandel. The boss will probably still be challenging, though.

But the Ringed City is definitely appropriate for end-game play.

The DLCs are linked (they're their own story in 2 parts), so I recommend playing in order. Ashes can be done after you reach the Cathedral (IIRC), and Ringed City is available after beating Ashes or at a new bonfire before the final boss.

It's up to you if you want to try it in NG+.

 
Laxoon

Laxoon

One Winged Slayer
Member
Jan 24, 2018
1,831
Absolutely. Though DS1 is my favorite souls the final moments of Ringed City are insanely legendary shit. Definitely go Ariendel -> Ringed City for the full experience.
 
lvl 99 Pixel

lvl 99 Pixel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
44,652
Ariandel has my favourite boss, and Ringed City is just a good DLC in general.
You can look up recommended level or whatever, I kind of just went into them when I found them and it was great.
 
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