Dark Souls III

When Demon's Souls released in 2009, I heard talk of its high level of difficulty and strong following that quickly formed but because I was an Xbox 360 owner, I wasn't able to experience it. Looking back though, I know I wouldn't have enjoyed it as my understanding of the mechanics hadn't developed nor had my patience and determination. Dark Souls & Dark Souls 2 followed with me giving both of them a go but the difficulty proved that I had not yet formed the required skill set for me to glean enjoyment out of the series. Enter Bloodborne: the dark-horror setting, lack of encumbrance, and seemingly more accessible nature coupled with my desire to actually see one of these games through to the end seemed to be the right combination. Bloodborne was still very difficult and I had to take many breaks due to frustration and anger, but eventually I conquered my first "souls" game (and got the platinum trophy!). That game taught me a lot in terms of video games. Namely patience and the reward of overcoming a difficult challenge.; there's no better feeling than beating a boss in a "souls" game.

While I still feel that Bloodborne is my favorite game in this vein that From Software has developed, Dark Souls 3 is right behind it; and for good reason. This is the most refined and polished one to date, sporting better resolution and frame rate, more fleshed out magic system, a wide variety of weapons and armor, and most importantly: a healthy number of challenging boss battles and enemy encounters. Those elements combined with everything else the game has to offer made for one of the best and most satisfying video game experiences I've had since Bloodborne.

Dark Souls 3 starts off as the others did with a brief tutorial section that leads you to a hub area that you'll find yourself going back to on a regular basis for one reason or another. For the first half of the game you'll be warping to different environments via bonfires just like Dark Souls 2 (I didn't mind the warping). However, don't let that bar you from playing as the latter half of the game is all interconnected as in Dark Souls. You're still able to (and I highly recommend you do) warp between the areas once discovered in order to eliminate loads of backtracking. Besides the bonfires, there are many similarities and callbacks from/to the previous games which is a little strange at first for a series that normally does not reference itself. Returning characters, enemies, weapons, and even locations are all included in Dark Souls 3. As someone who never completed the previous entries, this didn't bother me like some, however I feel that if I had completed them, I would have only appreciated the call backs even more as they're well done.

One of my few complaints about Bloodborne was the lack in variety of weapons or armor available and that nothing was wholly better than something else. I wasn't the only one who thought this and From Software must have heard because Dark Souls 3 boasts a staggering amount of unique equipment for a player to utilize. I was pleased to see armor sets that were clearly better in every way than the one I was currently using and that the look and designs of them were widely different from set to set. Weapons also received the same treatment as there are close to a dozen categories each with a handful of variable killing tools. With a surplus of weapons, I feared that I would only be able to upgrade one thing fully(another complaint about Bloodborne). However, From Software added a copious amount of materials to upgrade the weapons so trying something new shouldn't feel like a burden(you can fully upgrade 3-5 weapons per play through). This was a wonderful addition considering the biggest new mechanic in the game: the FP bar.

In between the health and stamina bars now lies a blue bar for FP (Focus Points). This is essentially a "mana" bar for the widely expanded casting system that now makes magic a viable option for a play through. Pyromancies, miracles, and sorceries make up the categories of magic at your disposal with each containing a number of powerful and interesting spells. Each spell use drains the FP bar, which doesn't auto fill (just like the health bar). Resting at a bonfire can refill it or a drink from the newly introduced "Ashen Estus Flask" will bring back a portion of the bar just like a regular Estus does for health. To balance this mechanic, From Software makes you allot all of your Estus flasks into the two types which means that the total number of uses you have must be divided between them. While it sounds hindering, my melee character never used much FP so I allotted zero of my uses to the Ashen flask, while my spell caster did the exact opposite since his healing spells eliminated the need for regular Estus. The FP bar isn't useless for melee-centric characters though as another new mechanic, weapon arts, was introduced to put that extra bar to use in close-quarters combat.

Weapon Arts are unique stances that you enter into by holding down a button. Attacking while in that stance will execute a unique attack that typically deals more damage than a basic strike while consuming a portion of the FB bar. Not every weapon has its own special weapon art but there is still a wide variety and trying them all out is beautiful fun. During my 48 hour play through, I used the weapon arts maybe once or twice (and not including the special boss battle). That's not a knock against the addition (I think they add more depth to the combat) I just didn't even think about using them when the strategies I've developed over the years for these games didn't already include them.

Keeping with tradition, Dark Souls 3's story is very vague and in the background. However, I do think that the story told in this iteration is more apparent and digestible than previous souls stories. That's just the surface level of course, as there's all of the item descriptions and conversations that add to it. All in all, it's nice to see a little more narrative in a Souls game.

It's no surprise that the real draw of the game is the punishing, yet highly rewarding difficulty. There is simply no better feeling in video games than when you finally, and narrowly, defeat a boss in Dark Souls. That feeling is still very much present in Dark Souls 3. No other game in recent years has been able to elicit the "hands sweating, dry mouth, toe tapping, body moving" reactions that these games do. I was at an hour and a half worth of attempts into fighting a rather difficult boss when someone came into my room and asked, with genuine concern in their voice, "are you okay?". This game has some of the hardest bosses I've faced in the series (granted I haven't completed the first two games). Despite that, I never had to put the game down in frustration. Dark Souls 3 felt, to me, like the easiest Souls game that I've played. That being said, again, the game is by no means easy; just ask Hende. I believe this is because I have developed an understanding of how the mechanics work and now know what is expected of me: high levels of patience being the biggest thing.

The feeling of it being easier didn't diminish my enjoyment, however, as I always felt that I was making progress towards something. Any time I left the game for any reason, I felt that I had something I could do upon my return. The game also has an addictive quality to it as I often found myself thinking of the game and what I could be doing such as exploring a new area, killing a boss, or trying out new equipment. Even after completing my first play through, I wanted to go back in for another round as a different character build. For a game to have this sort of hold over me and not even have an understandable story, is a feat that I personally don't think any other game can say about itself.

The game play and design on display in Dark Souls 3 is what you're used to minus the new additions mentioned above. However, the series still has the sense of discovery and excitement that it's known for. Visually the game most resembles the look of previous games but it obviously shares similarities with Bloodborne as well. Bloodborne's influences are more than just the speeding up of combat; they're in some of the enemy and environmental designs. One area in particular, which you reach fairly early in the game, is very reminiscent of the Witch's Village locale from Bloodborne. For the most part however, you'll be facing off against knights, hollows, and beasts in castles and wooded areas; the dark fantasy setting the games are known for. From Software's impressive design capabilities have never been more apparent. This is the best looking Souls game to date and while the frame-rate issues are still a problem, especially on consoles, they're much improved over previous entries.

Dark Souls 3 is not only the most accessible Dark Souls game, but the best. The lessons and experience From Software has accumulated over the years of refining these mechanics has culminated in a thrilling and addictive game play experience that is fun from beginning to end. The finely tuned challenges and enemies are the best the series has to offer and leaves you wanting more(in a good way). This is the Dark Souls of Dark Souls.

Score: 9/10

Recommendations - If you like games with punishing difficulty that rewards patience and perseverance, you'll enjoy this game. If you enjoy a traditional RPG experience, I do not recommend this. If you like a unique and expertly-realized fantasy world, you'll enjoy this game.

Trophy Difficulty: Difficult - The nature of this game is difficult enough but add on the facts that a platinum means beating the game at least three times, collecting EVERYTHING, and a lengthy time commitment means that this is a platinum that will consume your free time.

*Note: This review is based on the Playstation 4 version of the game. Dark Souls 3 is also available on Xbox One and PC.