Summary
The Ruin Sentinels stand as one of the strongest encounters inDark Souls 2thanks to the unique way that it handles the multi-boss template that has continued to be iterated on in the FromSoftware catalog. One specific choice made when introducing the Ruin Sentinels is a perfect example of howDark Souls 2has continued to influence future titleswith new, meaningful ways to challenge players.
Aside from the unique tricks of the Ruin Sentinels, the fight also certainly follows with the difficulty ofDark Souls 2and other FromSoftware titles to make for a brutal encounter, regardless of the developer’s additional tricks. This makes for a memorable boss fight that goes a step further than simply pitting the player against multiple enemies and calling it a day as the extra targets to juggle pull the odds even more in the boss' favor.
Ruin Sentinels Introduce Dynamic Boss Fights to the Soulsborne Formula
A Standard One-on-One at the Start
When first entering the fight against the Ruin Sentinels, players might even assume that this will simply be a fight against a single enemy named Ruin Sentinel Yahim. Of course, the two extra health bars at the bottom of the screen give away part of the surprise from the start, even if the initial drop into the arena only gives the player the chance to fight a single enemy. This introduction to the bosses serves several purposes, including allowing players to learn how to handle one Ruin Sentinel before the other two start to overfill one ofDark Souls 2’s most strangely designed arenasand push the player to retreat to safer ground.
After a certain amount of time passes, and the player has hopefully taken care of the first Ruin Sentinel, a second enemy quickly appears to immediately double the pressure of the fight. Not long after the second enemy arrives, the third Ruin Sentinel makes the tiny arena impossible to fight safely within. It is an immediate elevation to the fight that keeps the pacing of the encounter changing the longer the encounter goes on, while also rewardingDark Souls 2’s strongest buildsfor being able to kill each new enemy before the next one arrives.
An Arena as Layered as the Multi-Boss Fight
The ongoing introduction of additional bosses is further improved by the way that the arena changes throughout the encounter, mostly determined by the player’s own skills. This is because the tiny balcony where the player first lands in the fight isn’t the entire arena that is available throughout the entire encounter. Instead, there is a much larger area below the balcony that can easily lower the difficulty of what is otherwise one ofDark Souls 2’s toughest fights, at least when up against two or less Ruin Sentinels at a time.
While this bottom section of the Ruin Sentinels' arena gives players more space to evade and split up the three bosses, rushing down to this wider area isn’t the best course of action at the start of the fight. Since the second and third Ruin Sentinels jump up to the starting balcony from the lower section, dropping to them early will quickly pit players against three bosses instead of one or two. This leaves the player with a dynamic choice to make early on, either by taking on the DPS test of fighting each Ruin Sentinel one at a time or taking on all three at once. Goingonline inDark Souls 2to summon help could reduce the risks of the three-on-one, but that’s hardly the most available option for a ten-year-old game.
Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin
WHERE TO PLAY
Gamers are in for a big surprise in DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin. An unforgettable journey awaits you in a breathtaking world where each dark corner and unexpected encounter will test your resolve. Go beyond what you thought was possible and discover incredible challenge and intense emotional reward. Whether you’ve previously played DARK SOULS™ II, or are new to the award-winning franchise, you are in for an entirely different experience with this exclusive, “Director’s Cut” version of the game.The definitive edition of DARK SOULS™ II. DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin includes all the DARK SOULS™ II content released to-date in one package and much more!A brand new experience and challenge. Enemy placement has been overhauled, resulting in a completely different play dynamic than experienced before. The safe zones that some players remembered are no longer safe! A new NPC invader called Forlorn will also play a key role in changing the gameplay experience. Hardened players will have to forget everything they thought they knew about DARK SOULS™ II.Online play has been enhanced with the addition of a special item to regulate souls acquired in battle - it’s now possible to match up more consistently online. The number of players who can participate in an online session has also been increased, from 4 to 6 people, completely changing the online play dynamic.DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin brings the franchise’s renowned obscurity & gripping gameplay to a new level. Join the dark journey and experience overwhelming enemy encounters, diabolical hazards, and unrelenting challenge.
