Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Sunken King Review – Good Luck, You'll Need It

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From the onset of Dark Souls 2's first DLC adventure it makes clear that From Software has no plans for mercy. Crown of the Sunken King's new areas are as punishing as ever, and instead of letting you simply teleport to its new content like other games do, it makes you figure out how to get there. The Souls series was never known for being hospitable, but that's part of the allure.

Staying true to its heritage, Crown of the Sunken King is immensely challenging. I'd go as far as to say it's more dense with difficult sections than any other stretch in all of Dark Souls 2's 45+ hour journey. It's not necessarily that the enemies are high level, either. Instead, foes are packed into groups of up to six, making you have to delicately pull and crowd control to avoid being overwhelmed. An equal mixture of brute melee and powerful ranged bow and magic attacks means that one of your weaknesses will be exposed. Fleet footed players not only have a huge advantage with this content, but will get the most out of it. Made even more challenging, the level design doesn't give you much room for error. High, ledge-less vistas and deadly hazards ensure that you never feel in control of your situation. You'll want to tread lightly here.

For the most part, Crown of the Sunken King's new challenges are thoughtfully crafted. New enemies present an opportunity for you to read and adapt to what's thrown at you, something fans of the series should be good at at this point. However, the puzzles that must be completed to progress through the four new areas come off as a bit too vague in execution. Instead of feeling like well-constructed objectives, they come across as annoying hurdles that slow down the pacing. Nonetheless, they provide some variety to the four to six hours of content included.

As tough as the regular enemies are, the bosses are even more punishing. Three major encounters, a deadly phantom, and optional boss inhabit the halls of Crown of the Sunken King. None of them are a pushover, especially the final challenge which requires some serious hand dexterity to overcome. I would say the first two bosses fall in the middle of the spectrum, being great battles, but not standing out among the army of memorable Souls encounters over the years. The final boss is a highlight, though.

Related: Dark Souls 2 (PC) Review

There's also some new equipment, including rings, weapons, and armor, all with new models. However, I never found myself replacing my Looking Glass Set with a Large Club +10 and Claymore +10. Speaking of which, you really don't want to dive into Crown of the Sunken King unless you've already beaten Dark Souls 2. It's tuned for players who have already bested the final boss. That said, you can access it as long as you're far enough to have defeated The Rotten.

Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Sunken King is a strong showing by From Software, adding a wealth of new, extremely challenging content to extend the life of what was already a high play value game. If you've completed Dark Souls 2, and wouldn't mind braving some more of its merciless design, Crown of the Sunken King is recommendable.

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Jonathan Leack is the Gaming Editor for CraveOnline. You can follow him on Twitter @jleack.

Copy provided by publisher. Crown of the Sunken King is available on PS3, 360, and PC. A copy of Dark Souls 2 is required to play this DLC.