A new gameplay trailer for the upcoming Dark Souls 3 DLC Ashes of Ariandel has hit the internet. Totaling at nearly five minutes of footage, it offers great insight into what players can expect when it drops next month.
After watching the trailer a few times, we've noted five details that you should know about. Let's talk about them below.
1. Two New Bosses
In a recent interview Miyazaki stated that this trailer shows all of the new bosses. Investigating further, we find a total of two bosses showcased during the trailer.
The first boss appears to be a battle with a large wolf, not too dissimilar to Great Grey Wolf Sif from Dark Soul's Artorias of The Abyss DLC. The second boss is a mysterious and creepy looking robed creature that carries around molten lava in a golden cauldron.
This number of bosses is disappointing. However, if they are designed well, then the low quantity shouldn't be much of a problem.
2. There's a New Weapon
If you pause the video at 3:47 you can see a new javelin weapon being used by the player. It doesn't seem to have a Spear moveset, and the player even lifts it up over his shoulder to throw at the end of the cut.
Don't get too excited until we hear more, because chances are that this is simply a throwing weapon. There are certain to be several new pieces of equipment that simply weren't shown off in the trailer, by the way.
3. Massive, Cold Environments
There are several minutes of exploration featured in the video. You can see snowy mountains peppered with leaf-less trees, and beautiful new snow effects. There's a great sense of atmosphere demonstrated in the video, with vast open environments that remind me of the Crying Wolf battle in Metal Gear Solid IV.
Not all of the new areas will be housed within the snowy landscape. There are massive buildings that you'll enter as well as areas with geographical deviation, including rocky cliffs with ruins. If nothing else, it looks like it'll promote freedom of exploration and something that has a unique touch separate from the base game.
4. Set In a Painted World
If you're brushed up on your Dark Souls information, you might have noticed that the new setting is within a Painted World. It's not the Painted World of Ariamis from Dark Souls despite the similarities, though.
Painted Worlds in the Dark Souls universe are very interesting. As denoted by their name, they exist within a painting and are brought to life with magic. In the case of visiting the Painted World of Ariamis, you needed to obtain the Priscilla' Peculiar Doll, which were featured in the original painting. There was also some compelling story centered around the previously encountered Painted World that makes learning more about this one all the more exciting.
5. It's Still Dark Souls 3
Nothing in the trailer is too surprising. It's roughly what everyone expected, for better or worse. That means the same combat, enemy design, high difficulty, and equipment. Though, it brings with it some minor additions that are certain to give fans of the franchise a reason to come back.
This franchise will soon go on a hiatus, so for the time being this is a way to enjoy something special that won't be around forever.
