For their first DLC of this kind, FromSoft really hit the ground running. From the moment you are pulled in to whichever boss you beat last, it's an enrapturing ride with the most consistently good gameplay throughout Dark Souls. The spectacle, storytelling, and just general detail of everything is some of the most complete and thorough to come out of the studio. And you can really tell this was a special project to them just as Dark Souls itself was, that everything they set aside during the game's development for this got all the attention it needed to fully shine.
Despite all that, I think this DLC pushes somewhat past the capabilities of Dark Souls 1 as a gameplay system. All bosses are fast and active enough that the flaws in input handling as well as limitations of the lock on and roll mechanics provide more deaths and wasted time than usual for this game. "git gud" me all you want but 15-ish playthroughs in and I still stop short after Artorias sometimes to not have to grind so long on bosses I don't like as much as him.
And frankly the reason it's 4.5 instead of 5 stars is this game codified the "Dark Souls formula" that I feel was run into the ground. Sure it's solid, but it's not as interesting as Demon's or Dark, and I think that's generally true of later Souls games as well.
Despite all that, I think this DLC pushes somewhat past the capabilities of Dark Souls 1 as a gameplay system. All bosses are fast and active enough that the flaws in input handling as well as limitations of the lock on and roll mechanics provide more deaths and wasted time than usual for this game. "git gud" me all you want but 15-ish playthroughs in and I still stop short after Artorias sometimes to not have to grind so long on bosses I don't like as much as him.
And frankly the reason it's 4.5 instead of 5 stars is this game codified the "Dark Souls formula" that I feel was run into the ground. Sure it's solid, but it's not as interesting as Demon's or Dark, and I think that's generally true of later Souls games as well.