Dark Souls 3 Review (PC)

  Dark Souls is a series of legend. Notorious for it's difficulty and obscure systems, those who spend the time and effort to learn the games are rewarded with tough but fair challenges and rewards with a healthy mix of combat and exploration. Those scared off or defeated by the overblown “prepare to die” marketing lines are missing some of the most satisfying encounters and gorgeous, dense vistas in modern gaming. The latest entry in the franchise, Dark Souls 3, has tremendous expectations to live up to, but the series is known for overcoming the seemingly impossible.

  The game almost plays as a Greatest Hits of Souls, cribbing areas and themes seen previously in both the Souls series proper and the spin-off, Bloodborne. There are call backs to the older entries both overt and subtle, and it treads the line between fan service and innovation and refinement with masterful balance. You'll see a boss or NPC from a prior game, but the encounters still manage to feel fresh thanks to the smoother, faster combat and quality of life improvements. From Software knows Souls, and Dark Souls 3 boils that formula down to it's purest form. The massive, interconnected world from the first Dark Souls was super impressive but could get daunting, so Dark Souls 3 splits the difference between linearity and branching paths. Each area is like a twisting maze, with shortcuts to unlock and secrets to find that may fold into other areas or simply be a dead end. To alleviate backtracking or frustration, warping between bonfires is unlocked from the outset, and is necessary for progression. While the elegance of being able to explore the entire world on foot is absent, there are still connections as you march on; you can spot a bridge or structure far in the distance at the start only to end up there hours later, peering up to your origin point. It's a more focused experience, but it still maintains the design excellence that sets the games apart from just about any other games out there.

  And those areas are absolutely gorgeous and creative. The medieval fantasy trope crumbling castles and dragons are present here, but they somehow manage to feel unique thanks to clever enemy placements and the world's beautiful decay. Everything has a signature “look” to it; tall, sharp edges and darkness, glowing eyes and wonderful skyboxes. The world of Dark Souls is a dangerous one, and around every corner there is something to drive that point home. When the game wants to invoke a certain feeling from the player it goes all in; be that the claustrophobia of the Dungeon or the breathtaking, otherworldly mystique of The Boreal Valley. It might not be the most technically advanced game out there and you could nitpick some effects or textures, but the art direction is absolutely incredible.

  Another example of Dark Souls 3 splitting the difference between overwhelmingly obscure and oversimplified is the variety of builds and weapons the game presents the player. You can pick from about a dozen starting classes, but this only affects your starting gear and attributes. You'll be picking up more gear than you know what to do with before long, and most of it you won't be able to use effectively. You can either role play a specialist pumping your upgrades into a few select paths, or spread them around and be a generalist. There are very few “wrong” ways to level up, be it a glass cannon mage, a hulking tank, or a balanced warrior with pyromancy and a few healing spells. Armor is not upgradable, so it's essentially a give or take between weight and protection. This makes what you choose to wear almost cosmetic to an extent. The weapons are fairly balanced as well; bigger, slower swings mean more damage, and you can't go wrong with any weapon really once you upgrade it and get used to it's attack patterns. Except whips for some reason. They're useless. Most weapons have unique “Focus Attacks” as well; special strikes that consume a mana bar that must be replenished with Estus. These could be a spin attack, sharpening your blade to vampire drain enemy hit points, or a boss killing blow. I found Focus Attacks more gimmick-y than useful, but they're a cool option, nonetheless. And Dark Souls 3 is certainly not lacking in options.

  As for the story, well... Fuck if I know. Some vague nonsense about linking the fires again or something. Your main hub, Firelink Shrine (again) houses giant thrones where you're meant to place trophies from the defeated main bosses. Do that, fight a final boss, and the game ends. Don't confuse the fact that Dark Souls 3 is an RPG with grand, linear, cohesive storytelling. There is some definite deep lore tucked away in item descriptions and the insane ramblings of NPCs with perplexing story lines, but don't play this game for narrative. Play it for the action and exploration. It's like a Zelda game for adults.

  Dark Souls 3 is incredible. It's the best playing game in the series, mixing the epic scope and environmental variety of the first Dark Souls with the speed and smoothness of Bloodborne. “Soul-like” may be it's own genre at this point, but this is the pinnacle of how it's done. It's nearly infinitely replayable thanks to the ridiculous amount of variety to builds and playstyles and the unique and sometimes terrifying PvP. Dark Souls 3 is a welcome evolution to an almost perfect formula. Praise the dark.