Dark Souls 3: Review

Yes! I finally bought the damn thing.

So, once again we return to the miserable, oppressive and horrible world of Dark Souls. It’s been five years since the release of the first game and the number of controllers broken sky-rocketed.

First and foremost: poise is broken. It’s non-existent. You get hit once and you’re stunned, and it’s shameful that Bandai Namco and FromSoftware haven’t addressed the issue properly. They released a statement saying poise is working as intended, however many are calling this an excuse. That’s all we’ll say on the matter.

Let’s do this!

We are the Ashen One. A soul born of fire and embers. And as the world begins to fade, we have to link the flame one last time. We begin our journey in the Cemetery of Ash, and less than 30 minutes in, you’re head to head with a boss, and a strange new overarching presence.

The Abyss.

For those of you who didn’t play Dark Souls 1’s DLC, the Abyss is what has caused the world to hollow, corrupting lords and the people of the world you reside in. It’s making a comeback, and has never been more deadly.

From the first boss we go to Firelink Shrine, which has raised many questions. Has the world shifted, moving the Shrine here? What the heck is going on?

And in true Dark Souls fashion, you head out to the world, in search of your own answers and bosses to kill, to rekindle the flame for the last time.

The game plays like any other Souls game, with refined combat, and really cool animations. Apart from the poise, it’s a dream to play. Weapons upgrade practically the same, but it’s a bit more streamlined. Boss souls can be traded for their weapons or spells, but be cautious when choosing your prize: some of the weapons are horribly under-powered.

Sword arts are cool too. Each weapon (depending what it is) has set power moves. So a katana has a run up and swipe, a spear has a dashing thrust etc. Honestly, though? The best sword has to be the fully upgraded Broadsword, or the Chaos Blade.

It roughly took about 30 hours to complete, and I can’t wait to dive into New Game+.

It’s the best game in the series. Hands down.

Apart from poise.