"Dark Souls III" Review

Yes, indeed. It is called "Dark Souls III", and it is a game that is going to take some space to fully review. This will be an absolutely spoiler-free review, so fear not if you haven't yet played the game through to the end.
Before I begin, a little bit of history about Dark Souls and myself. I picked up the original Dark Souls around my birthday either the year it came out or the year afterwards (I forget what its exact release date was) because I had heard good things about it, despite its difficulty. That night I played it for maybe an hour and gave up. I simply couldn't get into it the first time I tried it. Fast forward about a year or two. My family has moved to San Antonio, it is summertime, and I'll be living away from home (and by extension, my consoles) for the first time in about a month's time. At the time, I decided I needed something to really sink my teeth into in order to make the last month of consistent gaming time memorable. With that in mind, I picked up Dark Souls again, started a new game, and gave it another shot. This time, I ended up sinking somewhere around 55 hours into it and truly loving it not just for its revolutionary gameplay but for its rich narrative world as well. Then I got my younger brother into it, and he proceeded to surpass me in time spent and adoration of the game. The original Dark Souls and I, needless to say, were a match made in heaven. Then a few more years passed and Dark Souls II came out, and opinions were pretty split on it. Though it was definitely not as strong as the original in terms of its narrative, I adored Dark Souls II for its much improved sense of progression and the additional polish that it brought to the series' already stellar gameplay. Did it have some flaws that the original didn't have? Absolutely. However, despite some criticisms, I really did love Dark Souls II, and it would have won Game of the Year from me that year were it not for Dragon Age: Inquisition. Then 2015 came, I got a PS4, and From Software (the company behind Dark Souls) came out with a new game, "Bloodborne." It was the very first game I got for the PS4, and I was not impressed. I was so not impressed that I never finished it. It replaced the methodical, deliberate gameplay of the Souls games with a juvenile hack-and-slash-button-mash anime fight-fest, and it replaced the subtle creepy atmosphere of the Souls games with a gushing-blood gushing-gore deformed monster kind of atmosphere that could only appear edgy to a kid in the early 2000's with spiky yellow hair and a black button-up shirt with little flames on the bottom. However, critics loved Bloodborne, which did not bode well for whatever From Software was going to release next. Then I learned that the next project was going to be Dark Souls III, and a part of me was afraid. Then, gameplay teasers and small details started to be released for Dark Souls III and I started to be more optimistic about it.
Thankfully, this is one instance where my optimism turned out to be well-founded. Dark Souls III is not a perfect game, but it is a spectacular one. Where it takes inspiration from Bloodborne is obvious, but it doesn't replace anything in the Souls formula. Rather, the things it takes from Bloodborne serves to enhance the Souls formula. I am already nearing the bottom of the first page of this review, and I haven't even really started it, so that should tell you that I have many thoughts on Dark Souls III. Like I said, this will be absolutely spoiler-free, but it will be very in-depth in terms of the quality of the mechanics and the like. So, you may feel free to read on without fear if you haven't played through Dark Souls III, but if you're the kind of person who feels that a game has been spoiled for you if you know about gameplay mechanics and the game's quality before playing it for yourself, then turn back right now, because we're about to open up this game and delve deep into it. Let's get started.
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Dark Souls III, like past Dark Souls games, opens up with an eerie prologue. This prologue was used as a trailer, but I still won't say anything about it. Then, it takes you to character creation, where you can expect to be faced with the same kinds of choices you've made in past Souls games. Where does my character hail from? What kind of build are they? What kind of starting item do I want them to have? I went into Dark Souls III as a sellsword named Palemar (and I spent a lot of time helping people out with boss fights, so if that name seems familiar to you, there is a chance we may have fought together at one point or another). One thing that I noticed in the character creation for Dark Souls III was that it was much easier to role play this time around. By that, I mean that character origins seem to be much more descriptive this time around, so when selecting a place of origin you take into account not just the appearance, but what kind of person your character might be having hailed from this location. Maybe that was an aspect of previous Souls games, but I never noticed it in the past.
From there, you are in the tutorial section. As usual, you can expect to get a basic grasp of the way things work and to then be thrust into the world mercilessly.
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In order to properly examine the world of Dark Souls III, we must first determine what the role of a game is in terms of its world building. Unless a sequel is not connected to the original by any stretch of the imagination, no sequel will ever be as good as the original in terms of its world building. That is just a fact. Why? Because the original game is the only game that actually has the burden of setting up the world, and thus it tries its hardest to excel at it. With that in mind, the question we must ask of sequels, and the standard we must hold them to deals with how well they inform the established world. What new information does this installment bring to the table? What do we learn through this story that we couldn't possibly have learned in the original? That is one of the ways in which I felt that Dark Souls II was lacking. That is primarily because, despite Dark Souls II being connected to the original, it felt otherwise. This is one area in which Dark Souls III excels. It doesn't directly connect to the story of the original, but within the first few hours we learn truths that we couldn't possibly have known about not just Dark Souls, but Dark Souls II as well. In this regard, Dark Souls III performs its function as a sequel flawlessly. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it goes beyond the call of duty here. If you love the richness of the Dark Souls lore, then rejoice, because Dark Souls III enriches the lore that exists while also adding some of its own. If you are paying attention throughout the game, there will be times where you will realize that something in one of the previous games was not as it originally seemed. This happens a number of times, so be prepared to have your world shaken.
Part of why Dark Souls III's world building is vastly improved over Dark Souls II is because of its focus. The original Dark Souls was all about a world's final pained whimper as it slowly died, and you were just a little bitty pawn in the events. Dark Souls II, on the other hand, was about you and your place in the world, which added to the subpar nature of the world building. In Dark Souls III, there isn't so much a happy medium as there is a happy 10/90. There is some degree of focus on you, as characters seem to flock to you as you start doing what they never could, but for the most part the focus is back on the world and its dying nature. This time around, however, the sense isn't so much that the world has been dying for a long time and this is its last cry for help. Rather, this time around it feels like the world has only just begun to die and that the initial blow to the world was catastrophic, and it really works. There is beauty to be found in this world still, but it has started to crumble now that the world has begun to die. This message can be found through the level design. Castles and fortresses stand tall still, but certain aspects of them will imply a state of decay, such as flags being ripped to shreds and courtyards being filled with corpses. It isn't the same kind of bleak world as the original Dark Souls, but this world and its characters are no less effective.
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At time of writing, I have beaten the game as well as new game + and I am about halfway through new game ++. 2 and a half play throughs, every boss beaten, every area discovered, and I am still yet to discover all there is to discover about the characters in Dark Souls III. As in previous Souls games, you can expect completely vague ways in which to advance a character's story. And as in previous Souls games, you can look up the steps on the wiki without feeling any shame, because that is the only way you're going to manage it.
Dark Souls III manages to do something that Dark Souls hasn't managed to do since Solaire of Astora in the original: make us feel attachment to characters. I won't say which characters I felt I connected with, but rest assured that they exist. As in the original Dark Souls, the character stories take up the span of the whole game, so they last as long as you make them. Also as in the original Dark Souls, there is a certain degree of unpredictability to the character stories. There are times where you'll stop and say to yourself "Do I really want to advance this character's story? I want to get to know them more...but after Solaire...". I, of course, won't say whether or not you should advance character x's storyline, but I will say that you would be correct to fear doing so. Whether or not that fear is unfounded, well, that is up to you to find out.
One negative thing that I will say about the characters of Dark Souls III is that there are not nearly enough merchants, and there wasn't nearly enough variety in the wares they sold. That is a very small problem, but it is a problem nonetheless. I felt that Dark Souls III was stingier with its items as a result. I survived just fine, but I really would have liked some more options for bartering than what we were given.
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With this talk of merchants, we are now beginning to get into the gameplay. The first thing I'd like to talk about in terms of gameplay is an aspect that has a negative point inside of it, so we can get that out of the way. The first thing I'll talk about in terms of gameplay is blacksmithing. Both previous Dark Souls games had blacksmith characters who would improve your weapons and armor if you had the resources. Dark Souls III has much the same deal going on, except this time From Software has included weapon infusions. Souls players have always been able to make fire or lightning weapons, but now there are plenty more options. I can't say that I really used many of them, but I did really appreciate the amount of options given for weapon infusions because it in part made up for the fact that you can't upgrade armor in Dark Souls III. I felt that taking out the ability to upgrade armor was a misstep on From Software's part. The thing about weapon upgrading is that it allowed you to make a weapon that you like better than other weapons. For example, in the original Dark Souls I made it through about half the game with the reinforced club I got towards the beginning of the game. I knew how the reinforced club worked and I didn't want to give it up, so I upgraded it obsessively. Before long my reinforced club was better than some legendary greatswords I was finding. That is a major facet of Dark Souls: taking equipment that you like and really making it special, really making it your own. By taking out armor upgrading in Dark Souls III, From Software made it so that you constantly have to make a choice: keep using the armor you like, or use better armor. It was a minor annoyance because armor didn't really mean that much to me, but I did miss having the opportunity to make my armor my own.
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Now lets talk about level design and the like. The world is largely interconnected. It isn't quite as interconnected as the original Dark Souls, but you can get just about anywhere on foot if you so desire without having to travel through the bonfires. At its worst, the level design in Dark Souls III is familiar, and at its best, it is absolutely stunning. Even when it is familiar, however, Dark Souls III uses the familiar aesthetic to accomplish new things. I can't give an example to prove my point here, but if you play it and pay close enough attention when you feel like you've played through a similar area in a previous Souls, you'll see what I mean.
In terms of graphics, Dark Souls III is obviously not up to part with other triple-A releases, but when have Souls games ever been known for their graphics? Despite the slightly average graphics, however, Dark Souls III makes the best of it. There are moments where your jaw will draw because of how well the game utilizes its scenery. Dark Souls III is also locked at around 30 or 32 fps with a few framerate dips when the action gets really intense. It is never quite Blighttown-level bad, but you will notice when the framerate dips. All of these things may seem like negatives, and a dipping framerate is in fact a negative, but Dark Souls II takes what it has and makes it work, which is worthy of commendation.
One thing that I noticed in Dark Souls III that definitely has not been the case in previous games is the fact that nowhere is pointless. No matter which direction you walk in, if you keep going far enough and survive long enough you'll find some new secret area or optional boss fight or item. You may even stumble upon one of the many new covenants that Dark Souls III boasts (*flawless segway*).
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Covenants have been a facet of Dark Souls since its genesis. In Dark Souls, each covenant offered you certain benefits if you completed your objectives and certain punishments if you betrayed them. In Dark Souls II, covenants were given more purpose and were generally improved, in my opinion. Dark Souls III definitely takes after II in this regard.
From Software, however, made one decision with covenants in Dark Souls III that isn't necessarily a negative, but I just find it a tad odd. In previous Souls games, joining a covenant was given some kind of weight, like you were swearing a solemn oath (thus the punishments for betrayal). That is why I find it questionable that you can now switch between covenants willy-nilly. A covenant is now an equippable item, and once you equip it you have joined the covenant. You can switch between them at will and reap the rewards for all of them simultaneously even while not sworn to them. Plus, there are no punishments for switching away from a covenant. This wasn't a problem for me because I only really wanted to be part of one covenant, but I still think that you ought to know about that going in.
One positive thing about Dark Souls III's new covenants, though, is that there is much greater potential for roleplaying. Certain covenants will change what color your phantom appears as in both pvp and in co-op or will change what your label is when you invade a world or enter a world for co-op. It was a nice little feature that made being part of a covenant feel more personal.
There are more covenants than ever now, and they all deal with multiplayer. Normally I would say that with a groan, but the multiplayer in Dark Souls has historically been quite good, and I take every chance I can get to play it.
Like in previous Souls games, multiplayer takes form in either Player vs Player or Co-op. You use a red eye orb to invade another player's world and try to kill them for their souls, or you leave your summon sign at a boss area and let yourself be a sellsword for someone in need. It has always been a strong system, and it is just as strong here. With the added covenant roleplay, it is even more fun to do.
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You don't have to be online to have fun with Dark Souls III, however. Gameplay is what you are used it, but it has an even larger amount of polish on it in addition to the polish from Dark Souls II. Timing is everything in Dark Souls. When looking for a weapon, damage is not the factor to look for. You should try to find a weapon that has the kind of timing you want, because that will determine whether or not you survive. You could beat Dark Souls III or any Dark Souls game for that matter with a tiny little dagger if you knew how to use the timing.
The major new addition to gameplay is the "battle art." My impression of those is a resounding "meh." They don't take anything away from the experience, but I just never used them because, as I've said, timing is everything, and the battle arts just messed up my formulas. Essentially, every weapon has a battle art, a special ability. With some weapons, the battle art is an increase in poise or attack, with some it is a special flipping acrobatic attack. Some folks really like them, others are like me and just stick with what they know. You can be the judge of that for yourself, but in my opinion they are just kind of there. I won't be taking off any points for them, but I did think they were kind of an unnecessary attempt to please Bloodborne fans. Granted, it is an attempt to appease Bloodborne fans in a way that doesn't interfere with the traditional gameplay formula, so I am grateful for that.
Like in previous Souls games, you'll mainly be fighting enemies of three categories: Hollows, dudes in armor, and monsters. There is always variety within those categories, but that is pretty much the gist of it. Unfortunately, I found that there was less enemy variety in Dark Souls III than there has been in previous Souls games. Too often, Dark Souls III brought stronger variants of previous enemies for later segments,  and while it is a small complaint, it was something that detracted from my experience a bit.
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When you aren't fighting regular enemies, you are fighting Bosses, which have long been a staple of Souls games. The boss design in Dark Souls was quite good and quite varied. The boss design in Dark Souls II was less so, but still decent, and in Dark Souls III bosses are once again varied and creative. Unlike in previous games, there weren't any bosses that I felt were just there to be filler. It felt as if every boss you encounter in Dark Souls III has a role to play in the narrative world, so every time you go up against a boss you are going up against a piece of the game's history. However, there is one non-optional boss in this game that is quite underwhelming. I won't say which one it is, but you enter the room and it would appear to be pretty frightening, but the entire boss fight feels like a deflating balloon. This boss fight will be what takes the most off of the final score.
It is in the bosses that one can see some more inspiration from Bloodborne, albeit inspiration from Bloodborne that has been tuned down. In Bloodborne, bosses would often shift forms halfway through or suddenly have a whole new health bar out of nowhere, and this same kind of adaptability can be found in some of the bosses in Dark Souls III, but not quite to the same extent. In Dark Souls III, given that most bosses have history to them and some kind of intelligence, when they shift forms, gain new attacks, etc. it feels like they are doing so out of some last ditch desperate effort to survive, and it is a welcome change that makes the game more challenging without being cheap.
On that note, critics and fans alike have unfairly marketed the Souls franchise as "really really hard." Indeed, hard has been the marketing for Souls games since Demons Souls, and it sends the wrong message. The Souls games are difficult, but the real purpose of the difficulty is to force the player to better acquaint themselves with the game mechanics and become better players before proceeding. Souls games have never been hard for the sake of being hard. Still, everyone (myself included) wanted to know where Dark Souls III would fall on the difficulty spectrum.
My answer to that question, having played through it two and a half times with increasing difficulty, is that it is between Dark Souls and Dark Souls II leaning heavily towards Dark Souls. It has the same fantastic sense of progression that Dark Souls II had without being quite as easy as II was (for those who are going to argue that II wasn't easy, I beat the final boss in somewhere around 3 seconds. It was an easy game). It never quite reaches banging your head on a brick wall level of frustration but you will definitely clench the controller tightly and exhale through your front teeth a few times.
But as frustrating as some bosses may be, you at least can take comfort in knowing that you can hear the soundtrack piece again. Dark Souls III's soundtrack may be lacking some of the dissonant tension of previous soundtracks, but it does sport the greatest of the three soundtracks. There is so much more emotion used in the soundtrack to Dark Souls III, and I can't name any specific examples for fear of spoiling, but there are very intentional musical cues that tell stories of their own within the soundtrack. I just find the way that Dark Souls III uses music as a storytelling mechanic to be fascinating.
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Here we are. The end of the road. Dark Souls III is reportedly the final installment in the Dark Souls series, so who knows where From Software is going to go next...hopefully not Bloodborne II. But let us summarize what we've learned about Dark Souls III. It has solid gameplay as we've come to expect, solid boss design, depth of world building I haven't seen since the original Dark Souls, worthwhile, unpredictable character stories, enough intrigue in its level design to encourage exploration, as deep a story as we are used to, and some worthwhile tweaks to bosses. All in all, Dark Souls III is not a perfect game, but it is fantastic.
Starting with this review, I'm going to be trying something. Before giving my final score, I'm going to be re-stating the negatives that actually made an impact and assigning an amount to them based off of how much they detracted from my experience with a "1" being something that completely changed my feelings about the game. Then I will be taking the total away from 10 to get the final score. So, lets do that with Dark Souls III. The negatives were:
-No armor upgrades: 0.2
-Lack of enemy variety: 0.2
-The underwhelming boss fight: 0.5
So my final score for Dark Souls III is a resounding:


9.1/10 - Fantastic

Excellent work, From Software, Excellent work.