So...what are your thoughts about the new content?

9/10 for me. Yes, it's a little short for the experienced players but it took me longer than I was expecting based on the reactions I was seeing on the webs. I love the new content. The bosses are pretty entertaining fights. The terrain/world is varied. The enemies are unique and challenging. I have not done any of the arena stuff except accidentally enter it thinking I had found another bonfire, lol. I haven't had much time with it so I don't really know how the new gear is going to affect me as of yet.

I think From did a great job given that they weren't originally going to add DLC.

Vinyl Scratch wrote:QUESTION:

Does the DLC come with instructions or do you have to figure everything out by yourself?

I didn't notice any blatant hints added to lead someone to the DLC, but I may be mistaken.

FruitPunchNinja wrote:I know everyone loves to say how everything is easy, buy artorias and manus are really cool/difficult fights. Obviously if you are on top of your game/dodges its easy, but doing that is what is difficult people just love to brag. I didn't have to much trouble with him, but i can see a newer player thinking he is impossible(especially with how he punishes healing, which i love).

I was taking my SL100 faith build into DLC, expected to destroy him. A normal Scythe with SLB (30dex/30fth) only does about 180-200ish dmg forget exact numbers. If that. I was fooling around, and when he buffed i threw a great lightning spear at him, i had full health but i was too slow. 1580hp, he did that jumping attack from a distance...1shot. 1580hp. NG...Can't wait to fight these bosses in NG+.

That doesn't make sense, I've been fighting him from a long time and he never 1-shotted me with his jumping attack if I had full health, and I've never had more than 1200hp and I wear light armor, sometimes I use some Elite Knights parts.

Have to say guys, I'm totally mesmerised by Pursuers I don't even mind (yet!) when I get hit by it, because it's so darn cool. I love the sound effects

Short but sweet. 10/10

Argetlam350 wrote:I enjoyed it and feel that it lived up to the value. Ya it's not the longest piece of DLC in the world but then again when you are all ready experienced with Dark Souls you kind of can get through a lot of places quickly if you know what you are doing. I found the bosses quite fun especially Artorias. Though cutting off the tails for Kalameet and the Sanctuary Guardian took me forever and were slightly annoying to get since you have to bait one attack that actually has them put the tail on the ground for you, but they were fun fights too. I also liked Manus, he was a challenge. His physical attacks weren't hard to dodge but his magic just destroys my character (I was using a strength build and some meduim weight armor, so no fast roll for me). In total it took me ten hours just from all the exploration and gameplay, but I enjoyed all of it and have to still try the arena mode.

The only qualms I have are the few secret/hidden door ways, no new miracles, and that we can't get any of Chester's fighting equipment. I would like to have his throwing knives, his overly sized sniper crossbow, and that sweeping kick.

Omg, you're profile picture is sooooooooo coooooollllllll. Can you send me a link to it? That would be nice.

ChizFreak wrote:

FruitPunchNinja wrote:I know everyone loves to say how everything is easy, buy artorias and manus are really cool/difficult fights. Obviously if you are on top of your game/dodges its easy, but doing that is what is difficult people just love to brag. I didn't have to much trouble with him, but i can see a newer player thinking he is impossible(especially with how he punishes healing, which i love).

I was taking my SL100 faith build into DLC, expected to destroy him. A normal Scythe with SLB (30dex/30fth) only does about 180-200ish dmg forget exact numbers. If that. I was fooling around, and when he buffed i threw a great lightning spear at him, i had full health but i was too slow. 1580hp, he did that jumping attack from a distance...1shot. 1580hp. NG...Can't wait to fight these bosses in NG+.

That doesn't make sense, I've been fighting him from a long time and he never 1-shotted me with his jumping attack if I had full health, and I've never had more than 1200hp and I wear light armor, sometimes I use some Elite Knights parts.

He actually did come very close to one-shotting me with his high jumping attack. It went all the way through my stamina/shield and left me with a sliver of health.

I'm wearing Shadow Armor/CoD and I have 1325 health.

I beat Artorias on my second attempt. Oh, the fight was grand epic.

Has anyone encountered this named Black Phantom NPC, in the Town of Oicialce(or how ever you spell it). The dude uses a crossbow and darts.

If so, where else does he invade you?

Marvelous Chester?

He invades you just a little way in to the Oolacile Township, near the first elevator. Gave me a heart attack lol...didn't realise he invaded

WhatDoesThePendantDo? wrote:Marvelous Chester?

Yes.

He invaded me close to the first elevator in the Oocilia town.

Do you or anyone else, know where else he invades?

I knew about him, and I spoke with him before fighting Artorias but I did not know he was going to invade me when he did. He didn't drop anything so I hope he will invade me somewhere else down the line.

WhatDoesThePendantDo? wrote:I knew about him, and I spoke with him before fighting Artorias but I did not know he was going to invade me when he did. He didn't drop anything so I hope he will invade me somewhere else down the line.

I spoke with him before the Artorias battle too. And was a little surpise that he invaded me, and only used a crossbow as a weapon.

Unrelated to NPC Black Phantom invasions:

I killed the lady that appears in the arena where you fight Artorias. And I got her armor and her two daggers gold and silver. I did not give her my Artorias Soul.

I heard that if you do give her the soul all you get are her Tracers which she drops anyway when killed. Seems like offing her is the best thing to do.

I killed her too, by the way.

Smart choice. IMO

By the way. What does the wood carving gaint on the top of the arena do for you. Anything special, besides selling Gough's Arrows and a few other things?

While short, I find the DLC has plenty of good levels and did have plenty of enemies to test even veteran players. The stone guardians were a powerful force of blows and were paired up with quick-hitting ents. Chester and Ciaran were powerful NPC enemies. The bloated heads mixed with sorcerer bloated heads made for some tactical battles that included luring and hiding behind pillars.

All the bosses were impressive. The Sanctuary Guardian was intimidating and it pressured pretty well with its combination of long range attacks and close range assaults. Artorias was a great sword fight that required skills in both dodging and blocking. Manus was just...awesome, where he lacked power in his melee, he made up with devastating magic techniques. Kalameet was a very deceptively quick enemy, capable of crashing through the arena in seconds.

The only thing I didn't quite like about the DLC was the chained prisoner (pfff, too easy) and the chasm of the abyss (barely a level if you don't do the optional parts).

Vinyl Scratch wrote:Smart choice. IMO

By the way. What does
the wood carving gaint on the top of the arena do for you. Anything
special, besides selling Gough's Arrows and a few other things?

He has a giant greatbow with lances three times the length of your body. You don't have any particular problems with a large, flying dragon, do you?

My honest thoughts are that I can see why it was left out. The art style and general atmosphere is quiet different.

Although, thank god we got to finally fight a dragon!

Vinyl Scratch wrote:Smart choice. IMO

By the way. What does the wood carving gaint on the top of the arena do for you. Anything special, besides selling Gough's Arrows and a few other things?

He cripples Kalameet for you, but only after you meet the dragon at least 1 time.

TheBigLebowski wrote:

WhatDoesThePendantDo? wrote:Yes, it seems like the consensus is that the boss fights are really high-quality.

I really like the bosses.

Yeah, Manus is still kicking my @$$... have not got past him, and think I messed up the Sif side-mission...

Oh well, there is always ng+ or rebuild

How do I get to battle Kalameet in the valley?

Every time I go there, it's just flying about and throwing a dark cloud that 1 hit kills me.

You need Gough to shoot him down first, or he'll fly all the time.

You need to head to the bottom of the Royal Woods. The path is right behind the elevator where you came in from before the Artorias boss gate. You'll have to progress through the pass until Kalameet reappears. From there, return to Gough and he should be able to force Kalameet to the ground.

Beating Kalameet awards you with 60,000 souls, the Calamity Ring ("Hard" mode ring) and, if you succeed in cutting his tail (Which isn't as easy as you would think), the Obisidian Greatsword (Arguably, the best dragon weapon next to the Moonlight Greatsword)

God I hated Kalameet's tail, took me and 2 phantoms two hours to get .-.

The trick to Kalameet's Tail is to unlock and fast roll. Bait one of his standing attacks and his tail will be at ground level. In addition, standing behind him (still hard to do if you're alone) might cause him to do either the tail sweep or the tail slam. The tail slam has his tail stuck to the ground for a short amount of time and it is easy to dodge (fact, you don't even have to, just move to the side)

Just cleared the new content this afternoon and have to say it's a 10/10 from me.

It was to be expected really but the way FROM incorporated the additional content into the main game's story I found really impressive. The whole experience is now fuller with the addition of the DLC, enhancing the story and the overall pacing of the game. You can tell that this content was intended for the original game but cut (due to time constraints, budget, or w/e), glad it was brought to life in the end.

A few things in particular that I loved:

Spoiler:

I used that Obsidian Sword on Manus, and just WOW a really great sword. That R2 attack well timed destroys him. Good for coop too!