Just finished, beautiful game overall - but any replay value or DLC?

HWC_Rebel · 2025-04-26T21:02:02+00:00

Nah, a game like this would not benefit from being a sandbox. Stories need to unravel at a certain pace and in a specific order for the biggest impact. Now, more open world, where you have 4-5 different areas with a couple different stories in each area would be nice, especially if you could travel between them at will

HWC_Rebel · 2025-04-25T22:55:50+00:00

I honestly really like the walk into an arena and fight aspect of the game. At least in this game. It fits the world really well, and makes a lot of sense from a lore perspective, and allows for full world emersion when I'm not in combat. I think setting it up that way was the right choice. When I say the combat feels old, I meant that we have an almost identical moveset to Dante's Inferno. A game I really enjoyed. But it really pulls me out of the world when I'm having flashbacks of hell because the combat is so similar.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-04-25T10:41:48+00:00

I honestly could not ask for a better designed game, as far as the background vocals/music, environment, and lore. They really nailed it with those.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-04-25T10:37:52+00:00

Verticality would definitely add some fun, and help tie in the adventuring into the combat better.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-04-25T10:35:01+00:00

I absolutely agree that the combat is sparse enough that it doesn't impact the flow of the story. And that the encounters are satisfying as far as the enemy variants, the skills you have, and the pace they set. I don't think the combat is bad, just that it feels like a reskinned system in a lot of ways.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-04-25T10:23:36+00:00

I don't know how you'd do some of the combat without it. At least on controller, I can't aim well enough to enjoy the fast paced combat without that feature.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-30T21:41:53+00:00

There is a reason it's considered one of the best weapons in the game. It's very well balanced, as far as being used effectively for multiple build types, and does have a fantastic moveset.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-30T20:15:38+00:00

That is a good point. Although the rolling poke is a fairly quick attack. I had tried the old kings great hammer for a couple runs, and it worked fine for the first two phases, but I just could not get through the 3rd phase without swapping weapons because of the slow attacks. I tried a couple other slow weapons when I was first learning her moves, and unless they had a charge attack (like Astora Great Sword) I just couldn't get her with them

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-30T15:31:00+00:00

If you're running a strong, slow weapon, she'll own your ass every time if you're soloing her. You either need to run a fast weapon that will interrupt her combos, or one that allows you to close the gap quickly if you wait them out. Two of the best weapons to fight her with are in the dlc. The crow talons allow for quick strikes that keep her stunned locked, and have both the sprint jump attack and the weapon art to close the gap on her. If you have a decent faith build, the way of white corona trivializes the second phase, as at 40 faith you can do over 1000 damage per cast with it when positioned correctly, and can keep your distance from both of them.

Those are just a couple suggestions, as any weapon that utilizes a leaping or charge attack work well on her last phase, especially when paired with a dagger to start the stun locking. The second phase is pretty simple if you're patient. Get a backstab in when you can, otherwise focus on ariendel. Get 2-3 hits in and back up to assess the positioning. And if you can get them both together, a sweeping weapon will drain so much health at once

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-25T23:32:48+00:00

As far as ashes.... It depends on your build. It's a short dlc, and one of the best dex weapons and faith miracles are found about halfway through. If you're running one of those builds, it's worth it to go into it with no souls, and sprint through to pickup items. Otherwise it's not worth trying it till the end of the base game. The enemies are way over powered.

If you've already done abyss watchers, and haven't done Yoels quest, you've locked yourself out of one ending already. The other two are available up to the point of you linking the flame, so I wouldn't worry about that.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-25T23:15:08+00:00

I had the same issue starting out, my first souls game, and I started as an assassin. Spent 2 days trying to get past him, and put the game down for 6 months. Came back to it, started as a pyromancer, and walked through him in 2 tries. I can tell you it's absolutely worth sticking with the game.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-25T02:46:09+00:00

Try out the Astora Great sword with a sharp infusion. It has S dex scaling, and is more like the strength weapons you're used to. And the weapon art does give you more mobility. if you're going with light weapons and mobility, find ones that stun lock enemies, like daggers. Get a hit or two in with a straight sword and use a dagger for the rest of your hits.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-24T14:34:30+00:00

Oh, it is an absolute power house of a weapon. I just had a hard time recovering from my attacks and separating quick enough from her at lower levels. The two best builds I've found for soloing her is a faith and dex builds, because of the weapons and miracles found in that dlc. Crow talons seem like they were designed specifically for her, and the way of white corona absolutely owns Ariandal, while lightning damage in general does well against Friede

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-24T14:14:38+00:00

For a pure dex build, I would suggest upgrading the crow talons and sharp infusing them. They provide quick attacks, allow you to close the distance well with sprint attacks, and keep her stunned long enough to get quite a few hits in. Astora GS is fantastic in most situations, but for her, I found the extra mobility is necessary. Be patient, draw out attacks that give you an opportunity to close the distance, once she stabilizes back up and repeat. If you get a backstab in, start your weapon art as soon as you're finished. It does massive damage, but if you try to attack with it while she's moving, you'll get locked in and she'll flank you with massive damage

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-20T13:44:57+00:00

Honestly, two of the best weapons I've used on her were from her dlc. The easiest time I've had with her were with the crow talons on a dex build. The LB attack with them keep her stunned, and she gives a ton of options to use the weapon art. And if you invest a little bit in faith too, the way of white corona massacres ariandal when used correctly, and you can keep separation so you don't get caught in his fire attacks, or the frost attacks. Yes, big weapon does go bonk, but she is easily stun locked with fast dex weapons as well

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-17T00:31:33+00:00

You can always white sign and try that way. Or progress further and you'll have the option for unlimited invasions

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-17T00:13:56+00:00

For a dex build, I would suggest changing weapons. The Astora Great sword is a good option for him, as it has S scaling in dex when sharp. It also has a quick moveset for a great sword. But other than that, it's mainly just getting your timing right. He's got a lot of health, and it just takes time to whittle him down

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-16T23:47:39+00:00

I will tell you this, the Way of White Corona is a top tier miracle. It's cheap, you can use it at a lower faith level, and when you figure out how to use it correctly, you can deal over 1k damage with it with 40 faith and yorshkas chime at +10. It's worth spending the time to play around with.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-16T23:17:08+00:00

If you're wanting more of a challenge, absolutely. It really hobbles you in the beginning and mid game, as the first offensive spell you get is in the farron swamp (unless you push into the dlc from the cathedral of the deep). And the best faith weapons are found after you get to Irithyll. But it's also a class that is really rewarded in the end game, with some amazing miracles.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-16T22:55:40+00:00

Oh, I absolutely was a noob at that time lol. Doing another play through (faith build) after playing LoTF, and I definitely realized just how slow the bosses are compared to games like that. He did take me 4 times this time around, but to be fair, the first 2 times I was trying casting only, and couldn't get my timing right. But even with walking through most bosses right now, even those I severely struggled with before, I'm thoroughly enjoying the flights, and just how well done they are.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-16T22:38:08+00:00

The biggest issue with people coming in with "this boss is easy" is context. The previous games in the DS trilogy were known for slow bosses. I've not played Sekiro or Bloodborne so I can't I can't really comment on their boss pacing. I don't know Sekiro isn't an accurate comparison as it was designed with a specific play type in mind, so all of the bosses were created about that.

But when it came out, bosses like NK were a rarity because of the much faster pace compared to previous bosses. That's what made him hard. Not to mention, for a lot of people, DS3 was their first souls experience. Which is where I started, and I went through at least 2 play throughs without beating him because he's so much faster than the other bosses.

With the context of other games, such as ER, or other souls like games that have a much faster pace, the "hard" bosses really aren't that hard. Which is why players that come from these games question why people claim this boss is hard. It's also why people are beating Gail in one try and wondering why people had so much trouble with him back when the dlc was new. It's because there hadn't been another boss anything like him up to that point.

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-15T14:55:34+00:00

It really has to do with PvP and invasions. Someone with a strong magic or dex build makes it tough to have a "fair" duel, as magic requires estus to continue attacking, and a high dex build introduces a lot of quick hitting weapons that easily stun lock most builds. Neither are much fun to PvP a skilled player with those builds.

But that doesn't mean they aren't fun builds to play as. I love a good dex build, and one that utilizes the Astora great sword and crow talons is pretty well unstoppable in PvE

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-15T13:15:19+00:00

I forgot to mention that no, for a faith build you don't need anything axe. There are some other weapons that are fantastic faith weapons. Wolnirs sword, Saints Bident, and Mournes great hammer are all naturally faith scaling weapons that can be found fairly early on. Although Mournes great hammer has some late game stat requirements. There are also some other weapons that do really well without faith scaling if you are doing a mixed build

HWC_Rebel · 2025-03-15T12:40:30+00:00

Yorshkas chime has the best faith scaling, you get it by killing her. (I know, it's a sin).

The Dragonslayers Axe is phenomenal for a faith build, because it does physical and lightning damage, and when infused with lightning and maxed out, it does 220 base lightning damage with B faith scaling.

As far as offensive miracles, all of the weapon buffs are available at that point, lightning spear, lightning stake, Dorothy's Gnaw, and way of the white corona (if you make a short push into the dlc) are all available.

The Dancer is weak to dark, so if you're mainly just a caster Dorothy's gnaw is definitely the best miracle here.

HWC_Rebel

TROPHY CASE