The bosses from the Dark Souls 2 DLC content still stand as some of the most difficult encounters that FromSoftware has designed, with few offering more of a challenge than the Fume Knight. Included in the Crown of the Old Iron King DLC alongside Sir Alonne and the updated Blue Smelter Demon, Fume Knight offers a steady stream of high-damaging attacks that are rarely overwhelming, but will rather catch mistimed dodges with devastating results.
This intensely difficult boss isn't completely unbeatable, however, as the key to not getting caught by either sword that Fume Knight swings with deadly precision is to adapt to what Dark Souls 2 is throwing at the player. Of course, that means learning the moveset and countering during the brief windows available, but also making sure that a player's build has the adaptability to keep up with the boss' attacks in more ways than one.
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Fume Knight Rewards Dark Souls 2's Most Controversial Experiment
Adaptability is the Name of the Game for Dark Souls 2
The adaptability attribute is a controversial addition to Dark Souls 2, to say the least. This is one of the many aspects of a player's build that is upgraded at the Emerald Maiden in exchange for souls, offering moderate improvements with each new level added to these individual attributes. In the case of adaptability, the division among fans comes from the way that the attribute affects agility, which changes a handful of animations, such as using the Estus Flask. Most importantly, a character's agility determines how many i-frames a dodge roll gives, with many players suggesting that anywhere between 96 and 105 are the goals to hit, requiring a considerable investment in adaptability.
This investment in adaptability and agility sets the difficulty for Fume Knight across most of Dark Souls 2's best builds, as the boss has many attacks that will take full advantage of the lacking i-frames of low agility builds. While a high enough agility won't give an instant win against Fume Knight, as players will still need to learn his moveset, the ability to escape some of his more powerful attacks with a well-timed dodge can help players stay aggressive throughout the fight. However, this aspect of a build is only part of what helps to make Fume Knight more manageable, as the boss continues to rampage with a pair of powerful swords that can quickly end the fight at close range.
Fume Knight Demands a Player's Full Toolkit
Considering how consistent and powerful any melee weapon can be across the Souls series, many players might find themselves not only falling back on close-quarters combat, but also isolating their build to fight only at the range of a sword or spear. That being said, FromSoftware has always included ranged options, including Dark Souls 2's sometimes overpowered magic system, stemming into either miracles, sorcery, or pyromancy. Any of these magic types can quickly give players the advantage against Fume Knight, as the boss has few counters for ranged combat. The same goes for non-magical forms of ranged combat as well, such as thrown consumables or a trusty bow and quiver of arrows.
Many of the tools offered to players go underutilized and sometimes undiscovered on the path of progression through many entries in the Souls series. The perceived initial weakness of these ranged options, as well as the way that they tend to lock players in place as Dark Souls 2's Bearer of the Curse can take ages to aim and throw an item or fire a crossbow. However, the safety offered by creating space between the player and a boss like Fume Knight, as well as the amounts of ammo and consumables that can be carried can give opportunities to safely chip away at those massive health bars.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
- Released
- April 2, 2015
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood and Gore, Game Experience May Change During Online Play, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Publisher(s)
- Namco Bandai, FromSoftware
- Franchise
- Dark Souls
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.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 36 Hours
