(TLDR? This review is also available in video format for your convenience below.)

The conclusion of the crown trilogy, Crown of the Ivory King takes players to the Castle of Eleum Loyce, a land covered in snow and tormented by endless blizzards. Brume Tower from the previous DLC tested player's abilities but the challenges within this new frozen city push them to their breaking point.

Much like the previous two DLCs, crown of the ivory king does right by presenting an interconnected world, with a slight twist to the formula. The frozen temple doesn't fully open up until certain progression has been made. Crown of the Ivory king does take a more direct approach in narrative giving insight on the fall of the king and the many fragments of darkness.

The art direction is up to par with the other two DLCs with a large emphasis on ice and snow this time around. The blinding blizzards further exemplify the emptiness of the land with some NPC interaction during the harsher weather. It all feels new but somewhat reminiscent to the Crystal palace of its predecessor. Hidden locations are easier to find with little exploration needed, opposed to the previous two DLC packs.

The cast of new enemies are difficult, if not the hardest in all of the Dark Souls 2 experience. Pure magic does very little damage to all enemy types leaving players to rely heavily on melee and dodging which seems to reflect recent balance changes as well as the iron king dlc. Across the temple you free Loyce knights which aid in the final encounter making it a bit too easy compared to the other DLC boss fights.

The Frigid Outskirts also delivers the toughest terrain to explore introducing one of the most anger inducing enemies and bosses in the game. It seems From Software was trying to be as sadistic as possible when developing this area. The blinding blizzards, relentless hell ponies as well as the less then suitable safe zones were a test in patience and skill.

In terms of narrative, the crown trilogy adds a lot to the history behind the fallen kingdoms of Drangleic. The optional bosses were definitely lazy with little imagination involved in their creation but overall were still a challenge for those willing to undertake them. Crown of the Ivory king was no exception to the many changes made across the DLC and will leave some disappointed and others satisfied. The many new weapons and spells are entertaining, while the amount of time you'll spend battling through the challenges present is certainly worth the asking price.

This review is also available in video format:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh7sVefeu-4

Pros:

+ Has a bit more of a Narrative
+ Cleverly Interconnected Castle
+ Troll NPC
+ Weather effects

Cons:

- Easy final boss
- Lazy optional boss
- Easy to find hidden areas
- Frigid Outskirts were frustratingly hard


If you enjoyed this review, please follow me as a Steam Curator, I'd appreciate it :)

http://steamproxy.com/groups/AnalogReviewsOfficial#curation

(TLDR? This review is also available in video format for your convenience below.) The conclusion of the crown trilogy, Crown of the Ivory King takes players to the Castle of Eleum Loyce, a land covered in snow and tormented by endless blizzards. Brume Tower from the previous DLC tested player's abilities but the challenges within this new frozen city push them to their breaking point. Much like the previous two DLCs, crown of the ivory king does right by presenting an interconnected world, with a slight twist to the formula. The frozen temple doesn't fully open up until certain progression has been made. Crown of the Ivory king does take a more direct approach in narrative giving insight on the fall of the king and the many fragments of darkness. The art direction is up to par with the other two DLCs with a large emphasis on ice and snow this time around. The blinding blizzards further exemplify the emptiness of the land with some NPC interaction during the harsher weather. It all feels new but somewhat reminiscent to the Crystal palace of its predecessor. Hidden locations are easier to find with little exploration needed, opposed to the previous two DLC packs. The cast of new enemies are difficult, if not the hardest in all of the Dark Souls 2 experience. Pure magic does very little damage to all enemy types leaving players to rely heavily on melee and dodging which seems to reflect recent balance changes as well as the iron king dlc. Across the temple you free Loyce knights which aid in the final encounter making it a bit too easy compared to the other DLC boss fights. The Frigid Outskirts also delivers the toughest terrain to explore introducing one of the most anger inducing enemies and bosses in the game. It seems From Software was trying to be as sadistic as possible when developing this area. The blinding blizzards, relentless hell ponies as well as the less then suitable safe zones were a test in patience and skill. In terms of narrative, the crown trilogy adds a lot to the history behind the fallen kingdoms of Drangleic. The optional bosses were definitely lazy with little imagination involved in their creation but overall were still a challenge for those willing to undertake them. Crown of the Ivory king was no exception to the many changes made across the DLC and will leave some disappointed and others satisfied. The many new weapons and spells are entertaining, while the amount of time you'll spend battling through the challenges present is certainly worth the asking price. This review is also available in video format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh7sVefeu-4 Pros: + Has a bit more of a Narrative + Cleverly Interconnected Castle + Troll NPC + Weather effects Cons: - Easy final boss - Lazy optional boss - Easy to find hidden areas - Frigid Outskirts were frustratingly hard If you enjoyed this review, please follow me as a Steam Curator, I'd appreciate it :) http://steamproxy.com/groups/AnalogReviewsOfficial#curation