Dark Souls II: Crown of the Sunken King Critic Reviews

The content of The Crown of the Sunken King seems small in comparison to the Artorias expansion for the original game, but with two other pieces coming to expand upon things (and the promise of additional secrets when all three have been cleared), I can’t wait to die again.

Suitably self-contained and demonstrating some of the best level design in Dark Souls 2, Crown of the Sunken King suggests that FromSoft’s DLC team may well be up to the daunting task of creating three essential add-ons.

From Software went above and beyond with their Crown of the Sunken King DLC: invest in its tiny asking price, and you may find yourself getting just as much time out of it as you would a $60 game.

Dark Souls II was easy; Crown of the Sunken King is the real challenge.

Satisfying add-on to a great game, with interesting bosses.

In a certain light The Crown of the Sunken King actually does it better, employing different constraints and driving new ways to explore and appreciate Dark Souls II's finer details.

Satisfying content, harder enemies (you probably miss old enemies), Sunken City looks glorious... Crown of the Sunken King is the first step of a big DLC trilogy If you like Dark Souls series, you shouldn't miss this adventure.

Sunken King won’t do anything to convince you to play Dark Souls 2 if you don’t already love it, but stays consistently challenging for even veteran players.

Even when it's frustrating, Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Sunken King balances out its rough patches with a sense of unbridled satisfaction. It's a perfect example of the interplay between tension and relief that the Souls series has become famous for. Crown of the Sunken King may be an optional expansion, but it transcends its own status.

Crown of the Sunken King is new and challenging content created for hardcore Dark Souls 2 fans that has great bosses battles, full of traps and new puzzle mechanics.

Don’t expect Dark Souls II: Crown of the Sunken King to match up to Artorias of the Abyss, but it still offers a surprisingly deep and gratifying experience.

Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Sunken King is a brutal, but entertaining opening to a coming trilogy of DLC.

The hunt for the crown is a great addition with lots of secrets and puzzles to uncover.

The puzzles are a fun twist on the pre-existing formula, the temple backdrop is an interesting setting and the new monsters are a welcome challenge.

While there were certain aspects of this DLC that felt rushed or outright lazy, the content addition for it felt just right.

Manages to capture the rewarding highs and terrifying lows that define the souls series.

A weaker effort than the excellent Artorias of the Abyss, Crown of the Sunken King raises the challenge of the main game but not much else.

A competent but unsurprising slice of downloadable content that features a solid challenge and plenty of content, but too little in the way of new ideas.

It looks like Crown of the Sunken Kings was developed by interns, as it misses many elements that made Dark Souls II an exceptional game.