How in the hell do you access the DLC?

[Benthik]

I've just recently gone through the game again, finished it tonight, and it won't let me get into the game after the credits. Just stuck in a loop watching credits. What gives?

[EF_Neo1st]

You need to progress through the story.
I dont remember, but I noticed (on loading screen) the message for the DLC (and who to talk to) now that I am near the end of the game and, well, must tell you, there is a good reason for that.

[LittleJohnny]

Complete the "Bastille" part and then return to Luxembourg and talk to Abbe Gregoire. The option should be marked with a DLC hint.

[Benthik]

The problem is that I've completed the game. The credits have run and I'm back at the main menu. I choose my save file to load back into the game and it just takes me back to the end credits. I might just have to give up on it because I've never seen anything like this before.

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by Benthik:

The problem is that I've completed the game. The credits have run and I'm back at the main menu. I choose my save file to load back into the game and it just takes me back to the end credits. I might just have to give up on it because I've never seen anything like this before.

Dark Souls 1 do exactly the same but nott giving you any clue of when and how to access (so you may lose it multiple times and is far more complicated to get access than Steelrising).
NOTE: this game warns you that if you enter a certain region of Paris (Versailles) you wont be able to leave anymore, as it is clearlly explained the very first time when you cclick Versailles (i warns you) and the DLC region (Hôspital Saint Louis), also the message at the main menu screen shows clearly what you need to do to access:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3048598256

In comparison Dark Souls 3 if you dont talk to Gael (that is at Cathedral of the Deep, near the Cleansing Bonfire but totally missable and the game wont tell you anything about it.
At Dark Souls 1 there is no explanation to what to do or where to go to access the DLC (and quite a few steps, also you need to return and go to the most remote location of a place that previously had nothing but the Hydra and you need to kill a certain enemy AND collect its dropped item then taking it there):
1 - Clear the Hydra from the Darkroot Basin and save Dusk of Ooalice.
2 - Obtain the Lord Vessel and give it to Kaathe or Frampt.
3 - Go to the The Duke's Archives and kill the lone Crystal golem after the bonfire. After doing so you will obtain the Broken pendant.
4 - Now return back to where you killed the Hydra (and keep going beyond that point, to the side. .. where previously it was so far away and had nothing and it will only show as you get close becaause of enemy render distance).
The Surge and The Surge 2 are also completely missable DLCs as it gives you no warning and no explanation whatsoever... and so on.

Elden Ring "secret areas" are about the same, you have no hint of how to access these and are "secret locations" that are missable (well, you may see the huge snowfield down there but.. "how to access there?", "where to go to access?", a complete mystery, then the halightree also missable if you just rush and dont pay attention).

Steelrising gives the benefit of not only warning you (too not progress) as it shows you constantly on main menu screen "how to access it" so it is absolutelly not developers fault if you missed it.

Anyway, not only there is NG+ as there you have already all weapons and upgrades (and can rush into main bosses to rush the areas and gain access to the DLC area) or you can start new NG, upgrade only Power and Engineering and rush bosses about the same but easier as you also know what is your favorite weapon class and can upgrade just that since the beginning (what may result in a 1h to 2h gameplay, 4h maybe, to get access to the DLC)

[EF_Neo1st]

Just passing to say...
It is a "half lie", you can still return to the DLC area but not to the other places (so you are not held back from the DLC, just from all other places but Versailles and the DLC), the cariage still there and you can loop around through the Verailles map and return to the carriage.

[Benthik]

Thanks for all the replies to this, but I've given up trying and uninstalled. After beating the final boss and seeing the credits, I'm no longer able to even load my save file as the game just sends me to the credits automatically. It's gotta be a bug, but I went all over the internet and couldn't find a fix so I guess my money was wasted on the dlc. Disappointing.

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by Benthik:

Thanks for all the replies to this, but I've given up trying and uninstalled. After beating the final boss and seeing the credits, I'm no longer able to even load my save file as the game just sends me to the credits automatically. It's gotta be a bug, but I went all over the internet and couldn't find a fix so I guess my money was wasted on the dlc. Disappointing.

Yes, just NG+ (what I am currently doing) .. but, really, before the final boss you looped back to the beginning or Versailles, if you just had checked the ccarriage once again (I actually did Versailles in 1 go without activating any Vestal).

NG+ is basicallly NG all over aagain, you can even lvl up all your stats +20 and yes, if you was with 20, the max at NG, now it seem possible to lvl up +20 again, meaning up to 40 max stats, also weapons upgrade +4 again so it is even easier if you had resources from NG to lvl up your weapon that fast.

[EF_Neo1st]

Also, you can just do the main story stuff (avoiding all side quests) and get to the DLC quite fast and already maxed at NG+

[SorprenDante]

Man I had the same problem. I've forgot about the dlc and just travelled to the end area thinking everthing was done and now I can't go back... Why game devs do stupid things like that? Just let us end the game and then keep exploring the areas and completing secondary quests or let us travel whenever we want, cause there are not even "plot" reasons on why I can't go back. Anyways the game was kind of boring to me and I don't think I'm going to do a NG+ for now so probably I've payed for content that I'll never get to see.