Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss

Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss is downloadable content for the 2011 action role-playing game Dark Souls. FromSoftware developed it, and Namco Bandai Games published it. It first appeared as part of the Prepare to Die Edition for Windows in August 2012, then became available separately for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 two months later. The content sends players centuries before the main game, tasking them with rescuing the land of Oolacile from Manus, Father of the Abyss. Critics gave it positive reviews, highlighting the boss fights and the extra story and gameplay.

In terms of gameplay, Dark Souls lets players control a custom character whose look and abilities they choose. Players explore areas and fight bosses to advance. Artorias of the Abyss adds the Oolacile area, which opens after finding the "Broken Pendant" item. This area contains four bosses and optional miniboss fights. It also brings new weapons, armor, shopkeepers, and upgrade materials usable in the main game. A multiplayer arena with online leaderboards offers more structured player-versus-player combat.

The story takes place centuries before Dark Souls. A primeval human named Manus, resurrected and tortured by Oolacile's sorcerers who wanted his dark power, unleashed the Abyss—a void threatening to consume Oolacile. Anor Londo sent Knight Artorias to stop him, but lacking Humanity, Artorias fell to the darkness and became possessed, managing only to save his wolf companion, Sif. The player, possessing Humanity, can resist the dark. They must defeat the corrupted Artorias, then travel through Oolacile Township into the Chasm of the Abyss to fight Manus and rescue Princess Dusk, the land's ruler. An optional battle involves slaying the black dragon Kalameet with help from Hawkeye Gough, a giant archer and one of Gwyn's Four Knights.

Director Hidetaka Miyazaki noted that early in Dark Souls' development, the team considered a quest where the player would be summoned to rescue Dusk of Oolacile in her kingdom. They abandoned it, thinking it impossible, and left Dusk as a merchant in the original game. After Artorias of the Abyss released, they revisited the idea, making Dusk's rescue a requirement to access the content.

Reception was generally positive, per Metacritic.