Ashes of Ariandel release date
The video game publishing house Bandai Namco Entertainment has released a new trailer for the upcoming ‘Dark Souls III‘ DLC expansion. Is name is ‘Ashes of Ariandel,’ and it will be available for download on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 25.
The critically acclaimed game is the fourth and possibly final installment of the franchise. The creator of the game and author of the extensive lore behind it, Hidetaka Miyazaki, has stated that perhaps ‘Dark Souls III’ is the end of the journey into the ‘Souls’ universe for him and his team.
‘Dark Souls III’ was released worldwide on all three platforms back in April this year. Since then, it has become a cult hit for its detailed battle mechanics, storytelling, and difficulty. ‘Ashes of Ariandel’ is the latest DLC expansion for the Japanese title and it will launch with a $15 price tag.
Ashes of Ariandel’s trailer introduces a new location
Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead
The ‘Ashes of Ariandel’ expansion for ‘Dark Souls III’ shares the iconic style of the game regarding its bleak and disheveled environment. However, it relies more on referencing previous games indirectly as the snowy mountains guard enemies that remind of bosses from previous games in the franchise.
The few who have had the chance to play the demo claim the adventure starts from a cave up in an icy mountain range. The zone called the ‘Painted World of Ariandel’ is a throwback to the ‘Painted World’ featured in previous titles of the series.
Once players make their way out into the open and eerie ice field, they will have to travel across the steep terrain fighting off new hellish enemies in traditional ‘Dark Souls’ fashion.
Dark Souls III DLC’s enemies, features and price
The four-minute gameplay trailer for ‘Ashes of Ariandel’ shows significant new additions to the opponent roaster of ‘Dark Souls.’ Most notably, players will face fire-breathing and fire-wielding knights, as well as creepy lively trees, skeleton-like insects, and packs of ferocious wolves.
The wolves are particularly cold-blooded, and some testers have noted they may be triggered by the player’s presence, howling to alert the pack and attacking only in coordinated groups.
The DLC expansion adds four new armor sets and fifteen weapons, as well as four new spells. The story within the ‘Painted World of Ariandel’ won’t affect the game’s endings, but it will certainly add much to the game’s background.
‘Ashes of Ariandel’ is the first of two planned expansions that will wrap up the ‘Souls’ series for good, according to the game’s author Hidetaka Miyazaki. Players can get the DLC as a standalone expansion for $15 or as a Season Pass for $25 to gain access to the second upcoming add-on title next year.
Source: Dark Souls III