It's easy to head into Dark Souls 3 with a healthy amount of skepticism,
...with Bloodborne released last March...
...and Dark Souls 2 released just a year before that.
There is the understandable worry developer From Software...
...is wearing its distinct brand of action role-playing thin.
To think what was once brutally challenging,
...awe-inspiring and utterly consuming...
...could now become tired and rote.
Yet in spite of everything, there are moments in Dark Souls 3,
...where you feel as though you're playing the original Dark Souls...
...or even Demon Souls for the very first time.
You're reminded how thoroughly Dark Souls can transport players to strange places,
...both frightening and fascinating.
The Game seems obsessed with tucking secrets...
...into each and every one of its dark corners.
Just when you think you've seen everything an area has to offer,
...you'll break an illusory wall,
...tumble down a hole or find a mysterious key...
...and suddenly a new section of the world is available to explore.
Even the most veteran Souls-players...
...will get caught off guard in the most unexpected ways.
If this is truly the last game in the series for a while,
...it's hard to imagine a more fitting send-off.
Fundamentally, Dark Souls 3 is an amalgamation of its predecessors.
Its central hub is reminiscent of the Nexus from Demon Souls.
The Combat is a potent mix of the original Dark Souls and Bloodborne.
Enemies are aggressive and relentless,
...far more than any previous entry with the word souls in it.
Despite the quickened pace of combat,
...shields and heavy armor make a triumphant return...
...after being virtually absent in Bloodborne.
Those who bemoaned the lack of weapon variety in Bloodborne...
...will take great delight in the sheer number of weapons...
...available here and how quickly they're given to the player.
Whether you're swinging a great-axe,
...dexterously wielding twin-blades...
...or stabbing with a long spear.
Each method is effective and enjoyable.
Even bows have more utility than ever,
...since they can now be used to fire a flurry of arrows...
...while strafing or dodge-rolling.
Making them much more useful in close combat situations.
The most novel additions to combat are weapon arts,
...essentially, unique moves for each type of weapon.
Battle axes have the warcry art, increasing damage for a short period,
...while the spear art lunges your character forward a great distance.
Even shields have varying skills.
Some let you parry attacks...
...and others let you use weapon arts with one hand,
...when they normally require two.
Many weapon arts are only useful in very specific situations,
...such as breaking an enemy's guard or swinging yourself around in a wide circle.
Weapon arts consume focus points,
...the same resource governing sorceries, miracles and pyromancies.
Players that take the time to figure out when to implement weapon arts...
...will likely appreciate the nuance they add.
They also incentivize experimentation fairly well,
...since the strength of the weapon art may compensate for the fact...
...that it does less damage or has a shorter reach.
The biggest disappointment with combat is that...
...spells are generally less helpful across the board.
The majority of enemies are so aggressive,
...that remaining stationary to cast something with a lenghty animation...
...means almost certain death or at least a large chunk of health.
They aren't helpful alone but you may find them useful in cooperative play.
Those that played previous games as a great and powerful caster...
...will likely be frustrated that their favourite method of attack...
...works best in a more supplementary role.
Many may initially be taken aback...
...when noticing that Dark Souls 3 is structurally similar to Dark Souls 2.
From the very start you can teleport between bonfires...
...and must return to a hub in order to level up.
The interconnected feel of the original game is gone,
...but it's surprisingly not an issue...
...in the way that it was with Dark Souls 2.
The areas of Dark Souls 3 are so large and labyrinthine...
...that they take quite a long time to get through.
You'll scour catacombs and explore crumbling ruins.
Feeling helpless and lost in the very best way.
The numerous locations are never one-dimensional...
...and slowly grow more terrifying with each step.
Dark Souls 3 will go out of its way to throw something unexpected at you.
Say you've been fighting aggressive swarms of enemies,
...the game may mix things up...
...by putting a large lumbering knight in the next room as the sole adversary.
Its glowing red eyes will stare you down as if daring an attack.
Several of the places in Dark Souls 3 compare favorably...
...to other outstanding From Software locations,
...such as Sen's fortress or Castle Cainhurst.
Many of the best enemies and traps feel so effective,
...because they're never overused.
One Enemy, which can only be described as a giant, undead wolf wizard...
...only exists in a poisonous bog,
...either crushing careless travelers with its enourmous staff...
...or summoning large magical skulls,
...that seek out their opponent before exploding.
The enemy design in general is exceptional,
...featuring a hint of the gothic horror found in Bloodborne...
...and it's used to great effect.
A perfect example comes from the scrawny black creatures,
...encountered on the Road of Sacrifice.
At first it doesn't seem as though they'll put up much of a fight,
...clutching tightly to their daggers or spears.
After getting close however, they sprout black wings...
...and shriek like unholy abominations.
The bosses are similarly strong.
These tense,climatic fights utilize quite a few different mechanics.
Oftentimes it's just as important figuring out how to hurt a boss,
...as it is dodging attacks or finding an opening.
Although not every fight is especially brutal...
...they're almost all memorable in some way.
Whether it's simply through sheer visual spectacle...
...or with what the fight requires you to do.
Boss difficulty and the difficulty in general...
...is far more gradual than before.
Instead of huge spikes of frustration...
...Dark Souls 3 starts relatively easy and very slowly builds.
Becoming increasingly insidious with each new location.
The overall pace feels more fluid and enjoyable as a result.
Unfortunately, significant technical issues sap some of the thrill from fights,
...depending on your platform of choice.
It's the worst on Xbox One,
...where a few boss encounters stutter during the most hectic moments.
These problems are exacerbated with some of the later fights,
...especially if you're playing cooperatively.
The Japanese PS4 version doesn't perform quite as poorly,
...but we still encountered considerable framerate dips,
...that took us out of the moment.
It should be noted we ran into trouble...
...even after downloading a patch for each version.
Based on our experience,
...the game is consistently smoothest on pc.
The online portions of Dark Souls 3 function very similarly to past games.
Players can leave messages, summon one another as allies...
...and engage in PvP.
Because this review is going up roughly a week before release,
...know that our interactions have been severly limited.
Despite an inconsistent framerate...
...once again hindering the console versions,
...Dark Souls 3 is still an undeniable success.
Before playing we felt ready to say goodbye to the series,
...looking forward to whatever From Software gave us next.
Yet after finishing,
...it's hard not to want more.
Few companies can craft a world so completely enthralling.
Whether you've played every entry, started with Bloodborne...
...or are brand new.
This is a game you should absolutely make time for.