Dark Soul 2 Crown of the ivory king ( 3 DVD )
Even with the Aztec-inspired temple in Crown of the Sunken King,
the oppressively dark and dank look of the first downloadable adventure
conveyed environmental continuity with the equally gloomy lands of the
main game. Same goes for the Crown of the Old Iron King
and its visually thematic connection to Iron Keep. I love the sense of
cohesion within these first two episodes, and I adore the sense of
detachment within the frigid lands of Crown of the Ivory King.
The
sheer hostility of snow culminates by about the third hour of Crown of
the Ivory King, where you're practically walking through a blizzard.
Eleum Loyce is one of the more dynamic lands in the series, one that
makes backtracking worthwhile. Solve the mystery of the Ivory King, and
treasures once hidden in the snow are thawed out for the taking. This is
not just an ordinary, obligatory ice level; snow and ice create fitting
variables and escalate what is an already challenging experience.
Changes in movement through the snow are subtle, the differences
noticeable but never drastic, and enemies are equally hampered.
The
game is more than plentiful in enemy variety, though Crown of the Ivory
King still features the occasional reskin. Nevertheless, for every
familiar Flexile Sentry there's something more unusual, like the Rampart
Hedgehog. I'm especially enamored with the Frozen Reindeer, a merciless
creature that made me think of an evil version of Yakul, the noble,
mystical elk in Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke. The boss
battles of Crown of the Ivory King exemplify the two dominant encounter
types of Dark Souls II: the manageable duels against enemies who are
slightly larger than you, and the exploratory puzzle-based battles. The
riddle of the Ivory King is an exploratory puzzle, one that introduces a
new way to do battle. As with some elements of Dark Souls II,
explaining further would ruin the sense of discovery and reward, but
let's just say that you are not alone.
This
is not just an ordinary, obligatory ice level; snow and ice create
fitting variables and escalate what is an already challenging
experience.
As
with the Frozen Reindeer, there is imagination at work with the Ivory
King and his pets. And he is a cat lover! After the boss rats and
overabundance of knights in the main game, the lethal and regal presence
of the king's phantomlike tigers makes for a welcome change of pace,
adding to the sense of finality to Dark Souls II. These ghostly felines
are as otherworldly as any of the exotic Souls bosses that have come
before them. However intimidating or unintimidating these pets might be,
they can be dealt in the same way you've dealt with other four legged
beasts in the series.
By conforming to the mold of most
Dark Souls II bosses, Crown of the Ivory King offer comfort in providing
much of what you expect. As much as continual roll-dodging has come to
represent the unintentionally lighthearted side of the Souls games, it's
a popular defensive choice for a reason. Still, it's never as
gratifying as standing your ground with well-timed fencing-inspired
melee attacks, offensive moves that are wholly complemented by
satisfying blocks with your shield.
Based on the
setting alone, Eleum Loyce could have easily been the main area for a
conceivable Dark Souls III, not something I could say about the Iron
King or Sunken King expansions, as great as they are. And if any one
game series effectively encapsulates the cliche of the journey being
more important than the destination, it's this one. If you need a
reminder, look no further than the fanfare-free ending to Dark Souls II.
The finale is not so much a payoff for 100 hours of enduring trials and
heartache, but rather an interlude to be enjoyed before entering the
fray once more in a new-game-plus. Crown of the Ivory King pulls off
something unexpected: it feels like Dark Souls II's true payoff.
The lethal and regal presence of the king's phantomlike tigers makes for a welcome change of pace.
Crown
of the Ivory King is a melancholic victory lap in the only way a Dark
Souls game can present a finale. From Software congratulates you on your
achievements by giving you even more, even harder goals, specifically,
some of the hardest boss fights in all of Dark Souls II. It's not about
the spectacle of a drawn out ending cutscene; the spectacle has always
been about your own survival in battle, especially those victories when
your lifebar cannot withstand one more hit. What could be a better Dark
Souls II send-off than more punishment? The answer is "nothing, fellow
masochist."