There’s a great sense of discovery, with seemingly innocuous routes often revealing themselves to be pathways to massive undiscovered locations. Gorgeous vistas welcome new zones, your destination a stark landmark in the distance. There’s a certain rhythm to this world, with generally two different routes – and two bosses – available at any time. Instead of imitating the original Dark Souls’ labyrinthine connection of distinct areas leading back to a central hub, Lothric is a spider’s web, each new section its own standalone environmental puzzle. It’s essentially a greatest hits collection, taking the best of the studio’s back catalogue and wrapping it in a new, slightly chaotic package. The setting, Lothric, is a gorgeous world packed with detail, but clearly wears its influences on its engraved gauntlets, even revisiting old Souls haunts. You’ll fight undead soldiers atop a castle while avoiding dragon’s breath in one section, and some hours later be rolling under the claws of a giant beast, its crimson blood spattering on moonlit cobbles with each swipe of your sword. Dark Souls 3 remains a triumph, but there’s no escaping how derivative it is.ĭark Souls 3 takes some of Bloodborne’s speed (albeit without the PS4 exclusive’s brilliantly nippy dash-dodge), the playstyle variety of Dark Souls, and lets you loose across a world that’s a combination of the former’s gothic streets and the latter’s medieval embankments.

It’s a mishmash of the studio’s previous work, crammed with fan service and nods, leaving it somewhat diluted. While the third entry in From Software’s dark fantasy RPG series retains the same brilliant core – deep, thoughtful combat, an oppressive but striking world and a rewarding sense of discovery – it’s dampened by familiarity never reaching the heights of what has come before and feels like a sharp regression from PS4-exclusive Bloodborne.

Ironically, the image of a fading fire encapsulates Dark Souls 3 as a game. Instead of restoring humanity, Dark Souls 3 asks you to kindle an ever-dying flame. As the Ashen One, Ember increases your life – signified by smouldering armour – with death extinguishing you. “The fire fades…” the opening cutscene of Dark Souls 3 stays with you as you stab, slash, dodge, thrust and parry through its bleak and hostile land.

Dark souls 3