The Dark Souls franchise is extremely popular for a variety of reasons, most notably for its high but rewarding difficulty level, stunning boss designs, and the overall dark and twisted atmosphere.
All three games in the main Dark Souls series have their devoted fans that praise each game – even the infamous Dark Souls II, yes – but the common sentiment is that, generally speaking, Dark Souls III is the best we’ve got, improving on almost every aspect known from earlier games.
Dark Souls 3 doesn’t have too many DLCs available. In fact, it’s just two, Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City, making my job a lot easier, as I’ll be basically comparing them against each other.
Even though it doesn’t sound like much, you should know that FromSoftware clearly values quality over quantity, and it shows; both DLCs provide amazing experiences you wouldn’t want to miss, and they’re criminally cheap these days when on discount. If, however, for whatever reason, you must pick one or the other, you may be interested in checking out the main differences as we point them out below to find out which expansion is better. There are some spoilers, though, so proceed with caution.
Ringed City vs Ariandel – what’s the best DS3 expansion? Let’s find out.
Average Length of The Ringed City vs. Ashes of Ariandel
Let’s kick off our Dark Souls 3 DLC ranking by comparing the average length of both expansions.
According to data from howlongtobeat.com, it takes about 4 to 5 hours on average to clear the entire Ashes of Ariandel, extending to over 6 if you’re a completionist.
The Ringed City, however, almost doubles these numbers, requiring 7 to 8 hours on average to clear the expansion, and over 10 for a 100% run if you know what you’re doing.
Naturally, the numbers will go higher if you fail to learn boss mechanics quickly.
And keep in mind that the length of The Ringed City is not artificial; it actually has more content for you to enjoy, compared to Ashes of Ariandel. So, if the amount of cool and unique content is what you value the most, The Ringed City is a clear winner.
Challenge Ahead: Comparing DLC Bosses
Both DLCs introduce new powerful enemies you’ll have to face, and let me tell you, it will be a tough one to pick the winner here.
The Ringed City introduces 5 new bosses, which include one of the toughest fights you’ll encounter in the entire Dark Souls 3, and that’s Midir. Spear of the Church is also a noteworthy opponent as it uses gameplay mechanics that are similar to what The Looking Glass Knight did in Dark Souls 2, bringing a possibility of PvP during the boss fight. And there’s also Gael, an absolutely epic fight that’s difficult to compare to anything else in the entire game.
Ashes of Ariandel only features 2 new bosses, and only one is particularly worthy of praise – Sister Friede. However, it’s arguably one of the best-designed and most satisfying boss fights in the entire game.
I think Ringed City bosses take the cake for this one, but it’s a really tough pick, as both expansions provide new experiences worth playing through. It’s just that The Ringed City has more of it.
Friede is fantastic, but she can’t carry the expansion alone.
General Difficulty Level
Dark Souls is known for its difficulty, so it’s only natural to take that factor into account.
Without diving into the details too much, The Ringed City is more difficult. It has more bosses you need to figure out how to fight, it has more deadly enemies that can hit like a truck if you’re not paying attention, and you will often be punished for making mistakes.
Ashes of Ariandel, for the most part, is more tedious than it is difficult.
DLC Lore and Story Comparison
Both DLCs contain some great lore about the universe of Dark Souls, but when you consider the lore depth and importance of information contained in both, The Ringed City wins once again. The painted world of Ashes of Ariandel feels more like a side story that mirrors the philosophy of the game’s real world. The Ringed City, on the other hand, teaches players more about the pygmies, the progenitors of mankind, connecting back to the Furtive Pygmy.
Player Versus Player Combat
When it comes to PvP, The Ringed City seems to be a better place to fight, especially for invaders in the swamp area. Much less fun for the victim. PvP zones also seem to be livelier here in general. AoA is hardly dead, but RC sees more play, simply because it has more stuff people are interested in, such as weapons and rings.
Conclusion
Both Dark Souls 3 expansions are amazing, but The Ringed City provides more content and feels more like a proper DLC. Ashes of Ariandel meets quality expectations, and some may actually prefer the snowy landscapes over the ancient city views and murky swamps, but there’s simply not enough content to beat what The Ringed City puts on the table. If you had to choose, The Ringed City is a clear winner, but you’ll eventually want to play both. The annoying part is that AoA is supposed to be played first; otherwise, you’ll miss some cool interactions.