SPOILER WARNING

I'll be going into some details about the new dungeon in this post. If you haven't experienced it yet and want to discover it all on your own, walk away from this thread :)

Layout: Good

The dungeon layout is well done IMO. I loved how it starts off with battling your way through a Relic Hunter expedition. They've setup tents, guard posts, and have tools and climbing gear scattered about the area. It feels alive and developed and enhances the immersion. This is the first dungeon where I actually felt like a Relic Hunter. Delving into the unknown and uncovering its secrets.

As you delve deeper, I loved how the dungeon transitions into a rundown subterranean structure of the Giant Kings. At this point, you're now battling undead denizens and a new "assassin" like creature who were left behind to guard the Anvil. I really loved that detail.

One negative I had is that once you finish the dungeon, it's not clear how to exit the place. You drop through a drain pipe and splash into a basin, but I had to run around a bit before I could retrace my steps to get out of that rats nest. Though once you do it the first time, it's quite easy to remember the next time.

Another thing is that you need a bow and arrows to complete the puzzles, similar to the Dregs. However, unlike the Dregs I did not see any arrows or resources laying around to craft more. I was fortunate enough to have enough arrows to complete the dungeon, but it would have been a bad situation if I ran out. More so since I noticed some doorways sealed off after awhile, shutting your way off from leaving the dungeon. This could potentially be a very bad issue to deal with, forcing a relog in order to exit the dungeon instance.

Environment: Great

I would say objectively this dungeon is up there with Well of Skelos in design and immersion. The surface level is cavernous with rich water basins and waterfalls. Colourful bioluminescent flora is scattered about in the water basins giving off a nice glow to illuminate the dark cavern. Saturated purples from the corrupted subterranean structure flood the deeper sections of the dungeon. There are moments of a vast openness to gawk at. I also love the little hints of ropes and ladders left behind by the Relic Hunters who traversed the depths before you arrived. Very nice little details and hints to the player.

Difficulty: Hard

I would say this is an easy dungeon to explore, but the boss fights are significantly amped up in difficulty. They have high health pools and hit like a runaway freight train. Even with 80% damage mitigation and maxed out vitality, you can only tank around 3-4 hits. When those hits come, they also come in a barrage, so you best be topped up on health at all times or you're getting carted out of there. It doesn't fare any better for thralls. They can survive a lot more hits than the player, but their health is constantly dropping. It's one of those dungeons you need to help heal your thrall out.

The final boss is quite ruthless as his spear attack has a very large hitbox, which also feels wonky. There were times I lost 75% of my health in a blink of an eye and there was no visible or audible cues to explain what happened. Just "poof, health begone". I was quite lucky to win that fight, but it did cost my thrall. I couldn't imagine those fights without a thrall to distract while I whale on them. If I tried to solo either of those bosses from full health, I would easily get smoked.

My only suggestion is the Anvil boss hitbox be looked into. It seems way to big and is able to hit you while you're behind him. Comparatively, thrall spears rarely connect with enemies as they start the attack while out of range (a bug that should be looked into). There's also no I-frames dodging his spear attack or his spear summons. That feels quite punishing as it forces you into block only strategy, which drains your stamina like a sieve.

Questing: Good

If you ever ran Dungeons in Elder Scrolls Online, this is the first time (that I'm aware of) where Conan Exiles has introduced a similar concept of meeting up with an NPC, chat them up to learn about their story, and help them reach the end of the dungeon. It's simple, nothing groundbreaking, but it adds flavor to the experience and so I give it a thumbs up. Given how this is also part 1 of 4 of the Giant Kings saga, I suspect the ending of that story could be a prelude for what's coming up next. So far, I think it's interesting (and funny in a dark humor kind of way).

Overall: Loved It

If this was Inflexion's initiation into building content for Conan Exiles, I'd say the project is in excellent hands. Presentation was great, the immersion was excellent, and the experience was memorable. Difficulty should probably be tweaked a little. I think a normal vs hard mode dungeon selector would help bridge the gap better. Overall, I look forward to seeing what they cook up next. And I also look forward to running the dungeon a few more times... just need fresh meat for the grinder a new thrall :)

A Note on AI Pathing Issues

I noticed some people reporting thrall pathing issues. I didn't really experience that myself, and I was surprised to see in this update that my thrall and horse followed me into the water. However, I will note that after climbing the wall to reach the bone dragon boss, my thrall and mount didn't teleport up. It wasn't until I started the fight that they were teleported into the room. I think that teleport distance should be shorted so that they're always by my side, especially to prepare before starting a tough fight like that.

Granted, any time Saint-14 is involved it is going to be a great time, but I absolutely love his dialog in the arena Override: Last City mission. I wasn't there for season of the splicer when that mission premiered so I'm very late to the party, but I'm glad to have experienced that moment here in D2's finale. Just hearing Saint say how the Eliksni are his people as he does his guardian thing, and the way he pushes himself to defend everyone while losing sight of Osiris and starts to panic is what makes me a proud Titan. That must have been one hell of a season to experience.

This game had so many great moments and memories. It's truly a shame to see it fade away, but I for one will cherish the memories and experiences I had. Here's to Saint-14!