DARK SOULS™ II Crown of the Ivory King DLC

Had to git gud, got gud, and it was gud.... Miyazaki-san is the next Miyamoto... even greater... ⡠⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⢸⣀⠜⢄⡀⠀⠰⣶⣤⣀⠀⠀⣠⠔⠚⢛⣛⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡐⠉⠉⢶⠄ ⠈⢅⠀⡈⠱⣄⠀⠈⠛⠻⢷⡎⡡⣶⣿⣿⣿⢿⣿⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣴⣯⣝⣲⠊⠀ ⠀⠀⠠⢅⢀⡎⣷⣄⠀⠀⠀⢿⡰⠊⠁⠀⠸⡼⡏⣇⠀⠀⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⡏⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠈⢻⣾⣿⣿⣷⣤⣀⣼⣧⡀⠀⣠⠴⣗⣳⣼⣄⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⠏⢹⠁⠀⡟⢹⢿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠦⢅⣀⣨⣤⠴⡞⣿⣿⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠈⠲⢦⡾⣛⣾⣁⣸⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⡍⡿⠟⢻⡔⠚⠚⣷⣼⣾⠉⢹⠃⠀⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢱⣷⠀⠀⢧⠀⠸⠋⠸⠌⠃⢸⠀⢰⣿⠃⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠹⣧⠀⣸⣤⣤⣶⣶⣶⣶⣾⣤⣿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢻⣿⣿⠿⠿⠿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣾⠃⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⣿⠿⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⢹⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠂⠁⠀⠀⢿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣇⢸⣤⣼⣀⣄⣀⡀⡀⢀⣀⡸⠄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⠟⠉⠙⡿⠋⢹⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣅⣀⣀⣤⡷⠶⡿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⢸⠃⣸⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣷⠀⠀⠀⣿⢠⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⡄⠀⢰⣇⣸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡟⠛⠛⢯⡉⢳⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠳⠤⠤⠬⠏⠉⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢣⡞⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⣠⣼⣇⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣿⣿⠛⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⡃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⣿⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢈⣟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣡⠀⣯⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⠃⠀⣾⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣯⣀⢰⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⣞⣿⣾⣿⡂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠙⡽⣽⢻⣇⣰⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢼⣗⣿⢹⡿⣏⣶⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢲⢠⣾⣾⣾⣯⣽⡗⣯⣿⣤⣤⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⢿⡻⣷⡽⣞⣻⣷⢿⣿⢿⣷⣾⣡⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣹⣏⢟⣬⡷⢮⡳⣿⠟⣳⣿⣼⢻⣽⣿⣿⣟⣝⡢⡀⠀⠀⠀ ⢠⣶⡶⡛⣋⣥⠾⢷⡍⡃⣟⣲⠳⣿⣿⣿⢿⣸⣹⣿⣕⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣦⣄ ⣸⣿⣯⣽⡵⣤⢶⣸⢘⣩⣉⣫⣥⣰⢤⣩⣫⣝⣭⣿⣱⣿⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⠻⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣞⣶⡿⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠛

треш длс

good dlc

To the far North of Drangleic lies a kingdom once abandoned. Chaos lies barely at bay beneath, once the origin of monstrosities, capped by the brave Ivory King's sacrifice. But... it lingers. Ice covers half the buildings; dilapidated houses, inns, battlements stretch as far as the eye can see. This is a shield in the form of a city. This is a disaster in hibernation. This, is Eleum Loyce. And it needs its saviour. Desperate cries hail your arrival; warnings, go back, go back. But you, pure persistence manifest, will not be swayed. Whatever hollowed residents left are aimless husks, now obstacles to their old desires. Only a few knights remain, loyal, locked behind hordes and thick iron gates. Release them. Battle across the icy ramparts, push through snowstorms, brace for cursed beasts from the fog. Release them, and the city, of all their burdens.

TLDR This is probably the best DLC Dark Souls 2 has to offer and is a solid 9/10 experience, minus the glaring issue of Lud & Zallen. Everyone has their own ranking of each of the three DLCs for DS2 but personally this is probably my favorite to experience between the three. The level design is great, the enemies are actually fun to fight and generally pretty funny (like the little priests with knives) and there are a lot of memorable moments throughout the experience. One of the most memorable parts of this DLC for me are the invaders and other human NPCs. In an effort to not spoil as much as I can -- there's one invader that disguises himself which had me dying laughing, then there's two other Hollows who are aiming ballistas at one another on a bridge and having a standoff as you come and kill both of them. And that's just two of the funniest to me, but they all feel like actual invasions or human encounters you would have with someone online, which I think made the DLC feel more alive for sure. Its the kind of charm I play this game for. The level design is really good with you going around the castle once and then getting an object to go help you defeat a boss and then unlocking new paths in the castle and having you go around once more, some areas have a bit of enemies but if you're properly levelled for the area they don't have a ton of health. Speaking of bosses, about two-thirds of the boss roster is good, just like every other DLC in this game. The first boss you encounter is Aava who is straight up just like an ELDEN RING boss you'd find like walking around in the overworld, which might sound bad to some but as someone who started with ELDEN RING I enjoyed it a lot and actually used an ascetic to fight her again. Then there's the Burnt Ivory King who is a pretty cinematic fight when you have all the knights and he's another really solid knight boss in this game, not much to say that hasn't already been said by others. Finally though, there's the "multiplayer section" of the DLC which is the Frigid Outskirts, a cute idea of walking around a desolate wasteland fighting things coming out of the snow and such, but it is terrible as a runback. It's about a 3-5 minute run from where you start all the way to the boss door, and there's basically no ignoring enemies because for some reason they created those DAMN ice reindeers that for some reason are basically walking mini-bosses that have more moves than half the roster of the game, so after you kill like six of those reindeers back to back and make it all the way to the boss, you're greeted with a re-run of Aava, who you just fought. They essentially turned Aava's fur black and removed one of their fangs and added a really annoying healing mechanic for one of them and thought it was "good enough." Lud & Zallen's AI overlap a lot so sometimes they will both jump at you at the same time or do the swipe attack which requires very exact timing or else you get trapped by the hitboxes. If their AI was actually fixed and their runback wasn't such a bore I think there was hope for this boss, but that is in a good timeline that we are NOT living in. This one area and boss combo takes this DLC down a whole point for me but because of how much good is in it ( and I didn't even talk about the weapons, armor, or lore ) I couldn't bring myself to rate it anything lower than a 9. I think that genuinely the best fix would have been to just not have a third boss for the multiplayer section, like the Frigid Outskirts is already an insane challenge but surprisingly reasonable with enemy placement (at least in comparison to the other multiplayer sections in the game) so if the challenge was to summon or go at it alone in the area while fighting every blizzard and making it to safety in the buildings as you make your way along, I truly think this area would not be looked at so negatively, yes it would still have it's critics but having to fight a high-damaging unbalanced F-Tier boss after a super challenging area with NO bonfires just puts it on a whole new level. ok ts was too long my b but this DLC is good and totally worth it, just completely ignore Lud and Zallen and just do the area instead, I promise it's way more fun than doing both lol.