Covetous Demon Impacts Dark Souls 2s Meta More Than the Boss Roster

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Covetous Demon Impacts Dark Souls 2s Meta More Than the Boss Roster

Highlights

  • Covetous Demon‘s lack of challenge is compensated by the use of bonfire ascetics for grinding.
  • Bonfire ascetics can restore bosses, turning simple fights like Covetous Demon into opportunities for resource gain.
  • Fighting easy bosses multiple times with bonfire ascetics in Dark Souls 2 can lead to skipping certain encounters.

As a seasoned Dark Souls veteran who has navigated the treacherous landscapes of Lordran, undead Burg, and Blighttown, I must say that my initial encounters with the Covetous Demon were underwhelming to say the least. The Earthen Peak, once a formidable challenge in earlier games, had been reduced to a mere speed-bump thanks to this sluggish, jabba-esque adversary.

In the opinion of some devoted fans of the series, the expansive lineup of bosses in Dark Souls 2 can detract from its overall quality due to enemies like the Covetous Demon being included more for quantity rather than increasing difficulty. However, despite the Covetous Demon not being the most challenging boss in Dark Souls 2, a distinctive feature of the game manages to make this enemy stand out for players through an alternative approach.

Positioned strategically atop Earthen Peak, acting as a precursor to the main adversary, Mytha, the Greedy Demon, often serves as little more than an obstacle for many players in Dark Souls 2. These intermediate battles, like the one with Mytha, are scattered throughout the game and can detract from the overall quality of the boss roster. As players grow accustomed to utilizing bonfire ascetics, they may begin to view these encounters not as challenges but as opportunities, which can potentially diminish their excitement and sense of accomplishment.

Covetous Demon’s Value Increases Every Time it is Defeated

An Underwhelming Climb up Earthen Peak

It becomes clear that the Covetous Demon lacks interest in the fight as soon as players engage, with the boss lazily moving across the arena like a slug. The design of this creature, reminiscent of Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars, might initially seem intimidating, but upon closer observation, it’s clear that the boss is not much of a threat. Any potential danger posed by the Covetous Demon compared to some of Dark Souls 2’s larger enemies disappears once the boss begins to flail around, missing any player who moves sideways at a slow pace.

In the game Dark Souls 2, the Covetous Demon’s toughest attack is just a swift roll that surpasses the usual speed of the boss. This means that most players should find this fight relatively easy to overcome. It’s unlikely that you need one of the game’s top builds to defeat this boss and advance through Earthen Peak. Instead, this battle may end up among the game’s less challenging boss encounters, much like how players have breezed past similar battles in previous FromSoftware titles due to their experience.

Bonfire Ascetics Help Dark Souls 2 Break the FromSoftware Mold

An uncommon feature, bonfire ascetics possess the power to completely revert any location back to its original state before the player’s arrival, even bosses. But remember, the area linked to whichever of the bonfires in ‘Dark Souls 2’ the ascetic was used will now be in a New Game Plus mode, featuring harder enemies and potential new dangers that could surprise players. This trade-off allows players to battle bosses again during the same playthrough, with greater rewards each time they are defeated.

This is where the lack of challenge of the Covetous Demon becomes the boss’ greatest strength. With enough bonfire ascetics, players can use this relatively easy boss as a location to grind up extra souls, giving them the resources to either purchase powerful items or rapidly increase their levels. In some cases, fighting easy bosses like the Covetous Demon on repeat can even allow players to skip otherwise mandatory encounters like finding Dark Souls 2‘s disappointing Vendrick fight, as having enough souls can unlock progress to the endgame.

As a devoted player, I’ve found that both the Covetous Demon and The Rotten are often sought after by those who want to utilize bonfire ascetics to make challenging battles simpler. In subsequent playthroughs, especially in New Game Plus, these two adversaries share the limelight. While there are advantages to tackling either of them, the Covetous Demon typically offers a less formidable fight, making it easier to repeat as many times as needed. Regardless of which boss players decide to target with their bonfire ascetics, they’ll find that it significantly eases their journey through Dark Souls 2, thanks to the abundance of souls earned from these repeated battles.

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2024-08-22 20:33