The first entry in a

Eurogamer — 8/10

“It’s a strong start for this series of add-on chapters for Dark Souls II, then. There are no standout battles–save, perhaps, for the grim final encounter–but the cumulative effect of its fights, puzzles and secrets is memorable: Sanctum City and its offshoot areas lodge in the mind like so many of this series’ locales. It’s exciting to see the team return to the ingenious, interlocking layout of Demon’s Souls and the first Dark Souls and there are enough novel ideas to be found in this shantytown of pillars, temples and chipped blocks to reassure you that this is a team that has run out of neither inspiration nor vigor.” [Full review]

IGN — 8/10

“Dark Souls II: Crown of the Sunken King is a brutal, but entertaining opening to a coming trilogy of DLC. Though I wasn’t wild about some of the level design, the emphasis on puzzle solving added a welcome new layer to the already-deep Souls gameplay. Within its four hours, I played through a handful of encounters that were as tense, challenging, and rewarding as anything in the entire Souls series, and that’s saying something.” [Full review]

US Gamer — 4.5/5

“From Software went above and beyond with their Crown of the Sunken King DLC: invest in its tiny asking price, and you may find yourself getting just as much time out of it as you would a $60 game. But it’s more than just the amount of content that makes this DLC irresistible–it’s what From did with it. The amount of surprises and fresh ideas Crown has to offer should make any Souls fan salivate over the prospect of two incoming DLC packages developed (hopefully) with the same amount of thoughtfulness.” [Full review]

Game Informer — 9/10

“The zones themselves are among the most labyrinthine in Dark Souls II and include a huge amount of dead drops and lethal traps, which are often served up under duress from unwavering foes. This creates an atmosphere of claustrophobia and keeps an uncomfortable pressure bearing down on the player throughout the entire DLC experience. The content of The Crown of the Sunken King seems small in comparison to the Artorias expansion for the original game, but with two other pieces coming to expand upon things (and the promise of additional secrets when all three have been cleared), I can’t wait to die again.” [Full review]

Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX
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