So what do you guys think of Messmer? I just beat him and to be honest I'm kinda disappointed. It's not that he's particularly hard or easy, that's not it, but something about his fight was just not fun at all. It felt like he had never ending combos and had an answer for everything. Grab attacks, long rage attacks (with the snakes and all), explosions everywhere, it was kind of a mess. I'm still early in the DLC (I think?) but this guy is my first disappointment. Bayle is my favourite so far, especially when you use the NPC summon. CURSE YOU BAYLE!!!
Also as a side note, what's up with the exploration? Or rather, not the exploration itself but the rewards for it. Why am I getting low level smithing stones? You need to beat Mohg to even access this area, at that point you should already be past smithing stones from level 1 to 6 atleast, so yeah...why? And my god I swear I've picked up more cookbooks than I ever did in the base game.
So far the DLC has been amazing, it feels like playing Elden Ring for the first time again and they knocked it out of the park yet again with the art and atmosphere. But I think the base game is still much better. My main complaints so far are dragons, dragons, dragons (outside Bayle of course), the not-so great rewards for your exploration and some bosses being a little too spammy with their moves like Messmer.