Found in an initially innocuous room tucked away in the Iron Keep, the Smelter Demon is a challenge that can quickly greetDark Souls 2players as they arrive at one of the game’s toughest areas. However, this fight is more than a simple big, armored soldier with a sword, and helps to refine anearlierDemon’s Soulsencounterthat defined itself around an aggressive, flaming boss that acts as the backbone of a classicSoulslikefight.
In addition to the fight against the Smelter Demon in the baseDark Souls 2world, theCrown of the Old Iron KingDLC also introduced a rework of the boss that continues to elevate the design. This is mostly done by altering the timing of combos and shifting punishment windows, a design philosophy that has continued in FromSoftware titles and DLC bosses all the way through toElden Ring.
The Smoldering Smelter Demon is Both Form and Function
A Redesign of the First ‘Soulslike’ Boss
Many of the bosses in theSoulsseries, fromDemon’s SoulstoDark Souls 3, can be filtered into one of two major categories. First, there are puzzle bosses like the Bed of Chaos, with the difficulty coming from discovering the gimmick that is required to complete the fight and then executing the expected solution. Then, there are the fights that boil down to a back-and-forth of either blocking or evading a boss' combos before maximizing the brief opportunities to punish. It is in this second type of encounter design that The Smelter Demon and its predecessor find themselves in. As had become the more common philosophy for boss design by the time ofDark Souls 2and continues to evolve intoElden Ring’s brutally aggressive boss roster.
This push towards aggression and attack windows is how the Smelter Demon’s most prominent predecessor fromDemon’s Soulshad previously set itself apart from other bosses in the same title. That is to say, the Smelter Demon is an evolution of the design of the Flamelurker fromDemon’s Souls, a brutally difficult boss that uses an aggressive moveset that can quickly end a fight before players even know what they’re doing. The similarities, however, go deeper than both bosses being designed around fire. In fact, it comes down closer to the way that the Smelter Demon trades out explosive claws for a giant flaming sword while still keeping the quick pace of the fight to thelimits of whatDark Souls 2can handle.
Continued Evolution Through Dark Souls 2’s DLC
In addition to the first fight against the Smelter Demon taking the feral design of the Flamelurker and updating it forDark Souls 2, the DLC continued to push the design forward. This isn’t much of a surprise considering how difficult theCrown of the Old Iron King’s bosses like Sir Alonneare. However, in the case of the DLC version of the fight, the blue Smelter Demon, this increase in difficulty doesn’t come from upping the pace or removing punishes entirely. Instead, this comes from slightly adjusting the speed and rhythm of attacks that change the dodge and punish timings from the original, but only ends up forcing players to learn the new pace instead of stopping their ability to be aggressive.
Both of these fights against the variations of the Smelter Demon add a level of difficulty to already difficult fights that can easily burn players into a reset at any point. This makes both Smelter Demon fights fresh additions to the otherwiseeasyDark Souls 2boss roster, as they test the player’s skill. It’s a continuation of a classic FromSoftware design philosophy that can be seen as recently asElden Ring’s Promised Consort Radahn, and it has been a key factor to the developer’s success in titles and DLCs followingDark Souls 2.
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.
