Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss
2012
- role-playing (rpg)
- adventure
- action
- fantasy
- single player
- multiplayer
- co-operative
The story
Artorias of the Abyss is additional content for the game Dark Souls. It was originally released for PC as part of the Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition, and later for consoles as the eponymous DLC. A console version of the Prepare To Die Edition was also released at a later date.
What it’s like
Grim, sodden darkness broken by sickly green-blue luminescence and the orange flare of bonfires, with the Abyss's black corruption spreading across ruined stone and wounded flesh. Its soundtrack is sparse and mournful, built on low strings and choral drones that swell when a boss wakes, and long stretches of near silence where only footsteps, dripping water and the clatter of armour fill the air. Combat is deliberate and punishing: each swing carries weight, every mistake is paid for in souls, and the rhythm is one of cautious advance, death, and return. The mood is bleak, lonely and quietly mournful, a tomb-crawl that rewards patience rather than speed. Violence is frequent and stylised, with brutal finishing animations and heavy fantasy gore, but there is no sexual content and little dialogue-driven cruelty. It suits a solitary evening with headphones and a tolerance for frustration. It is for players who want a demanding, atmospheric dungeon descent with a melancholy edge, and who find satisfaction in mastering a hard fight.
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