Dark Souls 3’s Ancient Dragon was an Interesting Encounter That Didn't Stick the Landing

gamerant.com:

While fan-favorite bosses from the Dark Souls series are usually defined by the deliberate combat and high difficulty, the spectacle of these encounters can't be discounted. However, some boss fights like the Ancient Wyvern in Dark Souls 3 lean too hard into that spectacle, leaving the combat to suffer as a result.

This spectacle can make for a stellar introduction to the fight, especially as the arena tilts the camera up to watch the Ancient Wyvern make its entrance and immediately try to kick the player to death. The only problem with this form-over-function is that while this can be one of the more visually interesting encounters in Dark Souls 3, retrying on death or going back for a second playthrough loses a lot of that initial impact.

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Stripping down the technical and mechanical aspects of the Ancient Wyvern to the bare bones reveals two key factors in why this is often regarded as one of the most disappointing bosses in Dark Souls 3. The first is the long path the player needs to take in order to get in position to actually do any real damage to the Ancient Wyvern in the first place. This starts right out from the fog wall to the boss arena, where players are immediately greeted by the boss and then have to walk under its feet before finding the first safe room that is partially vulnerable to its fire breath.

After evading the Ancient Wyvern, the next main obstacle appears in the form of the Serpent-men who inhabit the majority of the Archdragon Peak area. These enemies aren't impossible to fight, but their ability to stretch their heads forward and attack in long, hesitant combos can easily catch a player off guard. While the Serpent-men are manageable,