Dark Souls 2 - (PC, 360, PS3, XBO, PS4)

[Pineapple]

Oh my god oh my god oh my GOD!!! Totally didn't see Dunlap's post, which is good, because I would have called into work and I'm fresh back from vacation

70% downloaded right now, LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

[Pineapple]

So don't ever be wearing the Moon Butterfly garb when you go talking to friendly NPCs. I kind of forgot about it's poisoning effects and just accidentally aggro'd both of my goddamned blacksmiths and now I have no more goddamned blacksmiths.

For any wondering, the entrance to the DLC is in Black Gultch just past the primal bonfire.

[Dunlap]

Do headstones appear for the blacksmiths? I once accidentally tested some pyromancy in Mejula and killed the old hag, but I was able to talk to her ghost later on to keep buying firebombs.

[Pineapple]

I went looking by where I'd killed them after traveling and loading new areas and didn't see them, checked around Majula a little but didn't see them there either so I'm not sure, it was the first time I'd killed a friendly. I hope they have headstones, I have shit that needs repairing!

[Dunlap]

You can always go New Game +!

[Tyler_Durden]

Is anyone playing the DLC?

I am and it's difficult (shocking, I know). I actually haven't gotten past the first bonfire because I don't know how to damage the ghost enemies when you reach Dragon's Sanctum. If anyone has any advice, let me know - I realize I could Google the answer in a minute but this feels somehow more organic and less like I'm cheating even though I am cheating.

I love me some Dark Souls. Nothing like Dark Souls and a cold lager, or six cold lagers...that's a good day. Puff a little piff...ya know what I mean??

[No One]

There are statues/suits of armor with an odd swirling glow throughout the Sanctum (although honestly, most of them are towards the end) that can be destroyed, one for each of those phantoms. When you destroy them, the corresponding phantom becomes corporeal and easier to kill. They also gain access to a crossbow when that happens, so be careful.

[Jed]

I've been playing it, and that shit is TOUGH. I wish I hadn't accessed the DLC on my New Game+, it seems significantly harder since all the bonfires are at +2. Anyway, like No One said, look for the statues that have the swirling fog around them, once destroyed the ghosts become solid and are much easier to kill.

[Pineapple]

The DLC ended up similar to the Artorias DLC in a few ways, from being more challenging than the base game and being a "separate but connected" area to having 3 boss fights, all of which can mess you up bad if you're not careful. Like Jed I started with my original character (I got lucky again like with the first game's DLC, had a character in exactly the right spot to start it without having to start over), but I was already running at bonfire intensity 3 and it was stupid hard in spots. I ended up running past those phantoms until after I had finished the areas and went back to find their bodies later when collecting all the items.

Tyler if you're still having trouble there's a second bonfire closer to the Dragon's Sanctum. Just continue on the main path from the first bonfire and don't enter that building on your left, continue on the ground as it goes up and around a corner and then from hitting the right combo of stones that raise the platforms you can cross a makeshift bridge to a room with a bonfire that gets you pretty close to the Sanctum. I may be remembering that slightly wrong but just follow the archer enemies, they're lined up so that if you kill them and follow their corpses you'll end up in the right area eventually.

Overall I thought the DLC was excellent, the area itself is dark and haunting and yet beautiful, and the enemies are interesting editions the big mouth enemies remind me of the dragon things from Lost Izalith. The bosses were no joke either, although I read some people complaining about them being similar to other bosses. All I know is they were challenging but fun, and they looked great and killed me more times than I could count. Can't wait for the next one!

[Dunlap]

I totally missed the battle with the NPC group, so I'm about to do that part. I'm excited for DLC part two next week!