March, as you all know, has been an incredible month for gaming releases; between the new Nintendo console and the new The Legend of Zelda, passing through the new IP of Guerrilla and the incredible work of Yoko Taro with Nier Automata, this first quarter of 2017 will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the richest ever in the world videogame scene. In this infinite month, however, there are also contents that transcend normality, contents and titles for which people would go crazy, given the emotional value to which they belong: Mass Effect Andromeda, despite all the shitstorm appeared on the net, can be a clear example, given the huge fanbase he enjoys gained thanks to an epochal trilogy; but here we are not talking about the new BioWare title, but about a DLC that could give all the answers that people have been waiting for since 2011, more precisely since we entered and never left in that magical universe created by the genius Miyazaki: we are talking about The Ringed City, latest DLC and content of Dark Souls III and the series in general, as proclaimed several times by the visionary Hidetaka. Come and find out with us in this comprehensive review.
Incipit
The Ringed City is the second and final DLC planned for Dark Souls III, including in the game's Season Pass; the price of the pass is 24,99 euros, while buying it separately from Ashes of Ariandel the downloadable content will cost 14,99. However, a necessary introduction is necessary, since From Software has released a substantial pre-content update that will not only make it compatible with the base game, but which will fix various gameplay features; in fact we are talking about the management of heavy equipment, with revisions on the weight in game and on the request for stamina to attack. These measures, combined with the revision of the balance with the pre Ashes of Ariandel, they should finally fix the heavy equip builds, making them finally playable and at least on par with those based on light armor and dexterity. In addition to this, From has added two new maps to the challenges among the undead: certainly bread for the teeth of those who make PvP their reason for playing. The DLC is accessible both from the Furnace of the First Flame, and from the bonfire of the Ariandel bossfight; the choice of the double bonfire is absolutely brilliant for gameplay purposes, since for the more daring it will be possible to access it already in the preliminary stages of the adventure and therefore obtain equipment of the highest level. We underline for the more daring why The Ringed City it is rather difficult: in fact we are talking about a recommended level of 100, therefore not exactly trifles. But we imagined it: Miyazaki wants to close the experience with a raw, arduous and equally stimulating content; and seems to have made it.
Where everything collides.
The macro-areas introduced by the last DLC are two, so it is necessary to distinguish them adequately. The first area is called Dump, an area on the edge of time where the eras collide on themselves; in a scenario similar to that observed from the Furnace of the First Flame, it is possible to observe a chaotic, confused and constantly evolving scenario. Miyazaki's authorship is at its peak in this scenario, confirming in fact theories of lore and crusades that the world audience had been carrying out for some time: the structure of this place is in fact cylindrical, with the most attentive they cannot but applaud this example. of silent fiction; in fact, starting from the first area of the DLC, which brings with it parts of the castle of Lothric and the royal archives, we first descend into the terrestrial peak of Draenglic and Dark Souls II and then even up to the Sanctuary of the Bond of Fire, which the most loyal to the series can not fail to admire after the first boss fight of the content, which wisely connects to Prince Lorian and the lore of the third chapter. A confirmation of the cylindrical structure of the ages and game worlds, with Lothric as the spire, Draenglic in the middle and Lordran in the lower part. A concentrate of lore and discovery that will leave the brand-loving player speechless, but who sees his small weakness in the gameplay: it is in fact overcoming three micro areas manned by three "turrets", which will not hesitate to destroy you in case of wrong approach or choice; the first part becomes almost a trial and error sequence, which could tire players who are less patient and less attentive to the majestic level design that the title offers. The "turrets" can still be deactivated, but the way to get there is perhaps too punitive and based on attempts: an "artificial" difficulty to which the Souls series is not used, but which will still give you satisfaction once mastered.
The City of Rings.
Once you have overcome the first boss fight it will be possible to reach the city of Rings, capturing even more the authorship that Hidetaka Miyazaki inserts in its products; not only the way to reach it will be a quote that can be grasped by fans of the saga, but the actual cutscene will give an absolutely incredible feeling to the gamer, finally aware of having reached the city of the pygmies, which has survived the vicissitudes of the cycles. The architecture of the Ringed City it is incredible, gothic and jagged by spiers and domes of incredible beauty; the gold of the buildings and the luxuriant green of the vegetation are the backdrop to a scenario as beautiful as it is gloomy, given the plagues we will have to face and the curse that has seized the pygmies and the ancestors of human beings. The city was in fact built by Lord Gwyn, the lord of the Embers, who donated this enormous architectural complex to the pygmies, the latter not aware of the fact that it would be their prison. The impact is simply devastating, with situations this time very original, well structured and above all intelligent, seasoned with findings that manage to justify even some "nonsense" present in Draenglic and Dark Souls II; verticality, combined with the superfine and often brilliant level design, is the master, with the feeling of descending faster and faster into the abyss now ruled by the abyss. The content then ends in an epic ascent to a forgotten castle, protected by proud squires and legendary entities, up to the final battle that we do not struggle to define as one of the most epic and best successful. If this time the gameplay and the played are excellent, including design and decidedly successful and varied boss fights, the small weak point is perhaps the background and the lore of the game; the content introduces new stories, questions and characters, effectively closing the story started by Ashes of Ariandel but not that of Dark Souls III. The most loyal users would have wanted answers on Londor, savored only but never deepened, and on the primordial snakes, legendary figures that have tormented the player since the first Dark Souls; answers that probably weren't in Miyazaki's imagination, who had long imagined such a conclusion for his masterpiece. The master has succeeded in his intent to create a gigantic epic, based very much on speculations, theories and discussions of lore; a saga that is still today the most discussed and talked about on the web, perhaps so fascinating precisely because it lacks certain answers but only hidden and well thought out clues.
The Ringed City it is therefore an incredible experience that closes the Dark Souls saga, as stated several times by Hidetaka; maybe not exceptionally as the users have been shouting for some time, but we remain with the hope that the teacher will make a decisive fourth chapter, even at the end of his career as he declared. And then yes, we could shout at the legend of the Dark Soul, praising it as one of the most beautiful works of all videogame "cycles".
