4.5/5 ★ – MPT's review of Dark Souls II: Crown of the Old Iron King.

Crown of the Old Iron King is the best of DS2’s Crown trilogy, bringing the most effective creativity and (by quite a stretch) the best set of bosses to fight. while it’s got a few issues stemming from DS2’s problems as a whole, these don’t take away from this extra content being some of the best Dark Souls has to offer. the best thing about Crown of the Old Iron King is it’s boss fights. Sir Alonne, Fume Knight and the blue Smelter Demon are all great fights (yes, even blue Smelter Demon - the original Smelter Demon is a great boss, and spicing up his attack times is a cool little idea) so there’s not a single weak one in the DLC. these are all also really quite hard bosses, so the fun of overcoming a big challenge is always present. the DLC’s only major negative comes from the boss fights too, though - 2 runbacks in particular (Alonne and Smelter Demon) are horrible, both in the running for worst in the series, and while they didn’t take too much away from the bosses themselves for me, they do dampen the enjoyment of the DLC overall. this is a problem with a lot of the main game’s bosses too (The Rotten, Ancient Dragon) as well as Gank Squad in the last DLC. however, the creativity of the DLC as a whole is to be fully commended. taking place in a set of towers with the umbrella name Brume Tower, there’s a great focus on verticality, and ascending and descending them is a big part of the fun. everything also looks stunning, with beautiful landscapes and an atmosphere mirroring the Iron Keep in the main game. this harsh vibe, drenched in fire and flame, is great, and this along with the creative concepts makes for a very unique experience, which i really value (especially in DLCs). the lore and concept of focusing on the Old Iron King, a boss and one of the 4 lord souls in the main game, also greatly benefits the DLC. incorporating major players from the main game and exploring their lore has been done before in Artorias of the Abyss, and it worked incredibly well there, and does so again here. this is shown not just through finding out about the origins of the Old Iron King, but Sir Alonne and Fume Knight too, and how they all connect to aspects of DS2 itself which are delved into here. it all feels very rewarding and extremely interesting. overall, Crown of the Old Iron King is a very creative DLC and a unique Dark Souls experience, supported by rewarding lore and an extremely solid set of bosses. it trumps the other 2 Crown DLCs, and is in the running for the best DLC in the series, despite a few minor hiccups that could dampen the enjoyment for some.