

This is Darkeater Midir, and he is the hardest boss I’ve ever had to fight. Provided you take the right steps – which you can work out for yourself, thank you very much – you’ll find yourself in a hidden area, face to face with this same dragon.

Sure enough, after the swamp, a dragon will come and barbeque you while you’re crossing a bridge – nothing new. Throughout the Ringed City, notes and NPCs hint at some sort of optional boss. He’ll put up a heavy fight, but he’ll also drop some tasty loot. That said, it’s still worth exploring this area because you’ll find a nostalgia trip in the form of the Iron Dragon Slayer mini-boss. And for whatever reason, we’re stuck with horrible texture packs. They’re dreary, disgusting and almost always lead to you dying in some bad-mannered way (think poison, or surprise attacks). Historically, I’ve found these areas to be the low points of the franchise. You’ll find yourself trudging through the dated textures of yet another Dark Souls swamp.

Once through the city, things take a bit of a downward turn.
