Good, good. What is bravery without a dash of recklessness!

Artorias of the Abyss is a stripped down, almost microcosm of Dark Souls 1. Short-cuts and interconnected areas are all here, but in a more streamlined context. Verticality is used for visual storytelling on top of player progression. The bosses all feel like proper versions of what late-game DS1 bosses should’ve been. I don’t like saying “it’s X but better in every way!” because that phrase feels like a copout, but a lot of my problems with DS1 were addressed in ways I didn’t expect.

The player starts in the sanctuary and is immediately greeted by an aggressive manticore rocking more attacks than any enemy in the base game. It’s the weakest boss in the DLC, but it teaches players to be more quick-witted and reactive than in the base game. “Reactive” is the best way to describe the bosses in the DLC. In Dark Souls 1, every boss was beaten by strafing around them and running away when they do their “get off me” AOE attack. The DLC bosses, including the manticore, require much more diligent gameplay. The player often must create their own openings because simple passivity won’t cut it. These small changes create battles that feel like dances, a free-flowing series of attacks and counterattacks until an opponent is on the floor. Exuding a high that is comparable to a powerful drug.

Kalameet represents the absolute pinnacle of not just the DLC, but the entire game. Artorias and Manus are fantastic, but as I got better the fights gave off a “mechanical” feeling I couldn’t shake. Their attacks were too simple to dodge. When Artorias thrusts his sword forward, I dodge to the left. When Manus does a hand smash, I dodge to the right. There’s very little decision making in terms of how I dodge the attack. At a certain point it becomes a simple reaction, like I’m playing the game on autopilot.

Kalameet doesn’t have this problem. Many of their attacks can’t be rolled through, adding some quick decision making into how the player is going to dodge. There’s a distinct satisfaction in deciding how to physically dodge a move, rather than rolling through; it also adds to the sheer mobility of the fight. If Artorias and Manus felt like dances, fighting Kalameet feels like a waltz between opponents. The arena turning into a ballroom as each attack pushes a dancer into another position. The feeling I got when I finally felled the dragon was comparable to that of the Bell Gargoyles. A feeling of pride as I persevered and conquered a seemingly impossible task. It’s the best feeling a video game boss can give.

The DLC is brought down by numerous nitpicks. The areas, while great, don’t have the same atmosphere or emotional connection as a lot of the DS1 content. There could’ve been 1 or 2 more enemies present during the descent into the abyss. However, my biggest problem is that there isn’t more of it. It’s backhanded, but true!