As I ventured further into the Ashes of Ariandel DLC, I discovered more intimidating enemies. After falling through the snow I landed in an icy forest, populated by packs of wolves. Singularly, the wolves are pretty easy to defeat; however, their piercing howls soon attract the rest of the pack and before I knew it, I was completely surrounded by them. As if that wasn't enough to keep me on my toes, exiting the forest also marked my encounter with a huge wolf that actively tried to nudge me off the side of the cliff face. The enemies that followed were even more interesting. At points, I found myself cornered by hefty figures clad in in chainmail and horned helmets. These forest-dwelling foes brandished heavy axes and some even ambled alongside the wolves that I had met earlier. The most interesting enemy that I discovered in the demo were the trees. Adopting the silhouette of a woman, the trees would remain still until disturbed. Once awoken, they would lean forward and grab my character, blowing a gust of cold air that greatly depleted my health bar, before dealing further frost damage.
So far, the area that I've described may sound like your average starting area for Dark Souls and you'd be correct in assuming that. My first few minutes in Ashes of Ariandel almost felt soothing and despite the fact that many of the enemies that I encountered felt familiar, it was not a disappointing experience. There is certainly more to come. Turning a corner away from the wolves and entering a clearing littered with ruins and a dilapidated tower reminded me of the sheer depth of the story, history and secrets that Dark Souls encapsulates. Racing up the spiral staircase in the hopes of discovering a new item filled me with curiosity and excitement; as did sneaking up on the enemy halfway up and landing that oh-so-satisfying backstab. In the tower, I uncovered the ‘Captain's Ashes' which I found will unlock new items from the Handmaiden at the Shrine (unfortunately I do not know what these items are). I also picked up a Millwood Battle Axe and Follower Javelin, although these weapons may be common enemy weapons in this area.
