If you've been following our recent TechRaptor Game of the Year Awards articles then you probably already know that Dark Souls III was a bit of a favorite among our staff. From Software's final game in the Dark Souls franchise originally released back in March of last year to astonishing critical acclaim that helped to make it From's fastest selling game to date. It was followed in September by the first DLC included in its accompanying season pass, the Ashes of Ariandel. The developer stated previously that there would be two DLC add-ons included in the season pass and that the second would be with us in early 2017. They've made good on their promise today with a new trailer announcing the second DLC drop, called 'The Ringed City,' which also reveals a release date of the 28th of March.
So far we know that, like the previous DLC pack, The Ringed City will include brand new areas to explore (some of which are shown off to stunning effect in the above trailer), new enemies, bosses, magic, armor, and weapons. In addition, today's press release promises a new story centering around a new cast of characters that will unfold as players 'chase the Slave Knight Gael to the literal end of the world as he searches for the Dark Soul of Humanity.' Footage in the trailer suggests that this 'end of the world' may relate to the game's final area, where the M.C Escher-like landscape presented a dizzying backdrop of converging worlds.
There is little in the way of further details at this stage but we can expect to see more on the expansion in the run up to its release. The previous DLC, 'Ashes of Ariandel' added a dedicated PvP option into the game as well as its additional story area so it's possible that we may see some additions to this in The Ringed City. Fans will be hoping that the story fills in some further details of the series' hard-to-penetrate lore and offers some closure to some of the many open-ended plot points, as this is likely the last we will be hearing from Dark Souls for some time. The Ringed City is set for release on the 28th of March across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. Any owners of the Dark Souls III season pass will automatically be able to download the DLC once it is released.
Are you one of the many still playing Dark Souls III? If not, will this last DLC release tempt you to brave the harsh realms of Lordran once again? Give us your take in the comments!
