Summary
The extended boss roster ofDark Souls 2has long been a controversial subject among FromSoftware fans, with some fans criticizing the game for having too many uninteresting fights and others celebrating the breadth of available content. However, the early-game boss, The Pursuer, is a genre-defining series of encounters that showcases everything thatfuture FromSoftware titles should take fromDark Souls 2.
Unlike most bosses throughoutDark Souls 2, or even many other FromSoftware titles, The Pursuer isn’t defined simply by the lore of the character of the single confrontation against them. Instead, it is the way that The Pursuer earns its name and hunts the player down, even after being apparently killed, in order to offer a jarring challenge at an inconvenient time similar to the game’s player invasions.
The Pursuer’s Constant Presence Elevates Dark Souls 2
A Fateful Encounter With The Pursuer
Most players' initial encounter with The Pursuer likely won’t be in a boss arena with the enemy’s name and health bar at the bottom of the screen. Instead, the boss catches players off-guard in the Forest of Fallen Giants while exploring the Cardinal Tower area, literally dropping into the arena after riding in the claws of a giant bird. It is a bombastic entrance that bringsFromSoftware’s mastery of spectacletoDark Souls 2in style.
While it is possible to kill the first Pursuer encounter and skip the later boss fight, most players still getting the hang ofDark Souls 2’s combatwill likely have to either run away or be killed in this sudden invasion. To help hammer in the impact of the fight, The Pursuer doesn’t stick around for a second attempt if players die, run away, or run out of time while trying to kill the boss early. This is a single chance encounter that must either be won on a first attempt or simply acts as a warning for an intimidating boss to come.
The Environment Adjusts The Pursuer’s Difficulty
When the actual boss fight against The Pursuer finally rolls around, it is possibly an even more difficult encounter than the enemy is when fought on the roof of the Cardinal Tower. However, as the aggression and moveset of The Pursuer get an upgrade in the real boss fight at the end of the Forest of Fallen Giants, an additional piece of the environment has the potential to help even the odds for attentive players. Thisalteration toDark Souls 2’s difficultycomes in the form of a set of ballistas that the player can turn on The Pursuer in order to kill the boss in almost a single attack.
While the ballistas can turn the tide of the fight against The Pursuer, they do still require an element of care to use, as not only can the boss destroy the weapons, but the giant bolts can also hit summoned allies. This might not be much of a hindrance for some players asDark Souls 2begins sunsetting its online servers, but it is something to consider whenever getting in front of or behind the ballista and instead opting to fight the boss with magic or melee. Facing the challenge of The Pursuer head-on will be a tough fight, but could help for future encounters down the line.
The Pursuer Earns Its Name Again and Again
Staying true to its name, The Pursuer doesn’t let death end the endless pursuit of the player, as the boss continues to appear throughout the rest of the game. These future fights can occur across several locations, including the Smelter Demon’s boss arena, as well as a fight against two Pursuers at the same time in Drangleic Castle in a new game plus run, or after burning an item to upgrade the difficulty ofDark Souls 2’s bonfires. Each additional challenge issued by The Pursuer is optional, but it is well worth fighting for some impressive rewards and the experience of testing a player’s improvement against the repeated boss.
Dark Souls 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Dark Souls 2, released in 2014, is the second title in From Software’s iconic Dark Souls series. Players create their own character, an “undead” who will one day become a zombie-like Hollow if players cannot break the curse by defeating a powerful enemy.
